The Class of 2029 was officially received into the St. Joseph’s University, New York (SJNY) community during investiture ceremonies held this month on the Long Island and Brooklyn campuses. This long-held tradition at St. Joe’s marks the official start of their academic journey at the University.
The Class of 2029 inside Tuohy Hall.
President Donald R. Boomgaarden, Ph.D.; Executive Deans Eileen White Jahn, Ph.D., and Phillip Dehne, Ph.D.; and SJNY faculty members from both campuses donned academic regalia and filed into the Tuohy Hall Auditorium and the Muriel and Virginia Pless Center for Performing Arts on Sept. 16 and Sept. 25, respectively, to start the ceremonies.
Academic Integrity Pledge
During the ceremony, Class of 2029 students take the University’s Academic Pledge:
Brooklyn Campus SGA President Rachel Meltsin ’26 leads the Class of 2029 in the academic integrity pledge.
“We, the community members of St. Joseph’s University, commit ourselves to academic integrity. We promise to pursue the highest ideals of academic life, to challenge ourselves with the most rigorous standards, to be honest in any academic endeavor, to conduct ourselves responsibly and honorably, and to assist one another as we live and work together in mutual support.”
Embracing Growth
Dr. Boomgaarden relayed to all students the importance of growth during this new time in their lives.
President Boomgaarden speaks at the podium during the ceremony on the Brooklyn campus.
“If there is something you always wanted to do in college, don’t wait until next semester. Go ahead and try it,” he said. “Take chances; you might discover a true hidden talent within you that you never knew you had.”
Dr. Boomgaarden added, “I look forward to seeing all of you cross that stage in four years, and I look forward to the incredible joy you are going to have studying at St. Joseph’s University.”
Also participating in the ceremony were coordinators and leaders of SJNY’s First Year Experience and SJNY 100 courses that are designed to facilitate students’ transition from high school to college and embed them into the life of the St. Joseph’s community. SJNY 100 courses are designed by individual faculty members, and while all different, every course emphasizes critical thinking, writing and research skills.
Wendy C. Turgeon, Ph.D., professor and associate chair of philosophy, speaks to students at the Long Island Campus ceremony.
SJNY’s SGA Presidents Rachel Meltsin ’26 (Brooklyn) and Emma Sasso ’26 (Long Island) also participated in the ceremonies on their respective campuses.
Faculty members Thomas Petriano, Ph.D., professor and chair of the religious studies department on the Long Island campus, and Tess Dussling, Ph.D., assistant professor and director of the M.A. in literacy and cognition on the Brooklyn campus, also spoke to the Class of 2029 from the podium.
St. Joseph’s has held investiture ceremonies from its earliest years. The University (then St. Joseph’s College for Women) opened in 1916 when the first class of students, 12 women, arrived on campus in Clinton Hill. During Covid-19, SJNY’s investiture ceremonies continued virtually, keeping the tradition alive.
SJNY’s Class of 2029
Seventeen U.S. states, including New York, are represented in this newest class of scholars enrolled at SJNY’s Brooklyn and Long Island campuses.
At the Brooklyn Campus, international students in the Class of 2029 hail from three continents, representing the countries of Nepal, Bangladesh, the United Kingdom, Pakistan and Brazil. With more than 100 programs, including dual degrees and majors such as nursing, child study and business, SJNY is a popular choice for students across Long Island. At SJNY’s lakeside campus in Patchogue, 64 different high schools are represented in the Class of 2029. Approximately 19% of new first year students enrolled at the Long Island Campus have alumni ties to St. Joe’s.
Across the University, 41 students from the Class of 2029 are part of SJNY’s honors program, which provides a challenging and rewarding learning experience for academically talented students. These students work in small groups with faculty, attend special seminars and have opportunities to take classes that include exploratory trips to cities across the U.S. and around the world.
