Greetings from the College Community

Maryellen Hamilton, President of the Faculty Senate

To our many honored guests, to all the members of the Saint Peter’s College Community and especially to Dr. Gene Cornacchia and his family, Welcome. It is an absolute honor to stand before you representing the community of Saint Peter’s.

In many ways, it feels odd to be welcoming Gene Cornacchia to our community since he has been such a vital member of Saint Peter’s for so very long…long before I came to Jersey City…. In fact, Gene first became part of this exceptional community 26 years ago. As most of you are aware he has held just about every role a person could hold at Saint Peter’s College. His various positions have included adjunct professor, full time faculty member, department chairperson, president of the AAUP, twice president of the faculty senate, Academic Dean, Vice President for Academic Affairs, Provost, Acting President and now he officially embarks upon his new role as President.

Although it feels odd on one hand to welcome Gene Cornacchia to our community, on the other hand it really isn’t odd at all. This is obviously a new role for Gene and just as important; it is a new experience for the community of Saint Peter’s College. Gene Cornacchia has the auspicious honor of becoming the first non-Jesuit president of our college. As Gene has begun the process of adapting to his new role, so has the community of Saint Peter’s College begun to adapt.

We are fortunate that as we proceed together on this new leg of our journey, we are being led by one who has long been invested in the Jesuit mission of our college. Throughout Gene’s tenure, he has remained true to our Jesuit identity. As Gene’s perspective must certainly change in his new role, so must we change our perspective of the role of the President.

This may at first seem as if we are about to venture into uncharted territory, but as most of us will testify, we all have had the experience of gaining new perspectives as we have grown and transitioned from one role to another. We all have played new roles in our lives and we all have had the experience of evolving with changes in the roles of others.

For those of us who are faculty we understand that our perspective of the classroom changed as we transitioned from student to teacher. This new perspective did not preclude, or make obsolete, the old one. In fact, isn’t it true that the best teachers are those who remember, cherish, and respect their student’s perspective. It is the sum of all of our experiences; of all of our varied roles that creates the rich fabric of our lives.

Individually and collectively, the members of the community of Saint Peter’s College have made great changes and tremendous strides over our 135 year history. We have been in uncharted territory before – in 1930 Saint Peter’s College admitted the first women into the evening program, in 1966 the day program became coeducational; in 1983 we built our first residential dormitories and were no longer a strictly commuter college; we have reached out to and embraced people of all cultures, ethnic backgrounds and faiths through some of the most turbulent times in our nation’s history. Changing perspectives is not new to the Saint Peter’s community. We have much to be proud of and much to look forward to.

And now we continue our move forward. I would like to welcome Dr. Gene Cornacchia, once again, this time, to his new role at Saint Peter’s College. I would like us to welcome his new perspective. Since Gene has held so many various positions, we can be sure that each change in his role here at Saint Peters also created a change in his perspective of the College; a change in his vision of the community. He has had the unique experience of having these previous contexts here. The past perspectives and contexts that he has experienced at Saint Peter’s over the years are a vital part of who he is now. Gene has the ability to embrace those experiences and not lose sight of the fact that all of us at Saint Peter’s College have a unique, vital and valid perspective that emanates from our experiences and our current context. It is not only my hope, but it is my belief that Gene Cornacchia will be able to acknowledge and validate those various contexts and take all of these other perspectives into account as he leads us as our 22nd president.

Millard Fuller the founder and past president of Habitat for Humanity said, “For a community to be whole and healthy, it must be based on people’s love and concern for each other”. I agree with Millard Fuller. However, may I be so bold as to add “respect” to that formula. Love, concern and respect foster a community.

I have never felt a stronger sense of community than I have felt as a member of the Saint Peter’s College family. And I am sure that anyone who has been a part of this community will understand my point of view. There is something contagious about the bond that is created on this campus among staff, students, faculty, alumni ….and may I even dare to say that this bond includes administrators.

I have often wondered what this bond is. I have come to believe that this bond is a result of the unique mission that we accomplish here at Saint Peter’s. To be a part of this mission and to whole heartedly believe in the Jesuit principles that are lived out daily, here at Saint Peters, demands this type of love, respect, and concern for each other.

On this special occasion let us celebrate our extraordinary community. As the inaugural theme reminds us, we are dedicated to faith, grounded in reason, engaged in service, and committed to justice. With God’s blessing, let us welcome our new president and continue to show love, concern and respect for each other so that our community may continue to be whole and healthy. Thank you.