The Saint Louis University community celebrated the establishment of the College of Public Service at a ceremony held Tuesday afternoon at Saint Francis Xavier College Church.
Previously known as the Institute for Leadership and Public Service and formed in July 1996, the Institute was given the status of a college in the fall of 1998. The College of Public Service is comprised of six departments: communication sciences and disorders, counseling and family therapy, leadership and higher education, educational studies, public policy studies and research methodology.
James Gilsinan, dean of the College of Public Service, talked about the challenges of establishing a new college, including the three areas of risk-taking, renewal and achievement. Gilsinan said that students in the College of Public Service demonstrate “commitment to the St. Louis region and individuals who are a part of it.”
Nationally known advocate Max Starkloff, president of Paraquad, Inc., provided the keynote address for the celebration. Paraquad, Inc., is an organization which serves as an advocate for disabled or marginalized people, calling for their full inclusion in society.
Starkloff presented the challenge of addressing disability issues to members of the College of Public Service. “The impact is dramatic,” Starkloff said. “Together we all demand equal rights.”
Starkloff noted that the college “is a great way . to start to bring together some of the great minds of the community.”
Provost Sandra Johnson and President Lawrence Biondi, S.J. both offered their remarks on the purpose and formation of the college. Johnson noted the efforts of students working in partnership with the community, emphasizing the notion of “service learning”-learning beyond the classroom through internships and research programs.
Numerous alumni and faculty joined students currently enrolled in the College of Public Service for the event. Leaders from the St. Louis community, including City of St. Louis Chief of Police Ron Henderson and St. Louis Alderman Mike McMillan, also attended.
The college uses several research centers and programs to assist in areas such as research and learning, interdisciplinary research, dissertation advising and community service. The centers and programs include:
the Center for Community Research and Renewal, which researches and analyzes practices related to integrating tasks of economic, physical and educational renewal for targeted central neighborhoods,
the Family Development Center, which serves as a resource for individuals and families in the St. Louis area, providing affordable counseling and outreach services,
the Center for Public Service Ethics, which focuses on the training of leaders in ethical decision-making as well as developing curricular tools for teaching ethics to urban professionals,
Project Technology, Environmental Science and Mathematics, a program co-sponsored by the Coca-Cola Foundation that delivers projects, activities and lessons involving technology, environmental science and math to middle-school students,
and the Geographical Information Systems lab, which serves a resource for activities ranging from mapping crime data to designing efficient sewer systems.
