St. Joseph s Collegiate Institute Buffalo, New York President July 1, 2018 www.sjci.com
The Position St. Joseph s Collegiate Institute (SJCI) is a prominent, all-boys Lasallian Catholic secondary school founded in 1861 by the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools (De La Salle Christian Brothers). The school enrolls 754 boys in grades 9 to 12 and enjoys an enviable reputation and immense goodwill in the Greater Buffalo community and within an alumni network across the country. Generations of families have been involved with this outstanding school from the outset, creating a rich tradition while continuing to be welcoming of all families, new and old, Catholic and non-catholic alike. Mission St. Joseph s Collegiate Institute transforms the lives of students from diverse backgrounds through academic excellence and care for the whole person in a respectful, Lasallian Catholic community, developing each student s unique talents in preparation for college and life. The current president, Robert Scott, AFSC, has served the school with distinction for 47 years first as a teacher of religion and progressing through several administrative roles before assuming the presidency in 2005, the first non-brother to serve as president of the school. Mr. Scott will be retiring at the conclusion of the 2017 academic year, leaving a school of exceptional strength and quality. The school s academic programs, financial stability, and sterling reputation are proudly enriched by its Lasallian mission and traditions. The school operates in the President/Principal Leadership Model in which the president functions as the chief executive officer, reporting to the Board of Trustees. Because the principal is focused primarily on day to day academic operations and the overall quality of the student experience, the president is enabled to serve as chief strategist, visionary, and institution builder, setting the tone, securing all necessary resources, and maintaining campuswide accountability for results and fidelity to mission. The school seeks a practicing Roman Catholic and dynamic, faith-filled, entrepreneurial leader who will embrace and model the school s core Lasallian values and take this high-performing school to the next level. Candidates from varied, relevant backgrounds are encouraged to apply including high-performing leaders from other Catholic or independent schools, as well as accomplished executives from higher education and other mission-critical, non-profit venues. This is truly an outstanding opportunity for a visionary leader with passion for mission who seeks a rare opportunity to lead one of the finest all-boys Catholic secondary schools in the country. 1
School History St. Joseph s Collegiate Institute was founded in 1861, when six De La Salle Christian Brothers from New York and Montreal arrived in Buffalo in response to Bishop Timon s urgent plea for assistance in educating the Catholic youth of Buffalo. Due to the excellent reputation of the Christian Brothers as teachers, the school expanded quickly after World War II. Following a number of moves within the city, the school settled into its current location on Kenmore Avenue in 1951. Over the years since, the campus has gone through a number of upgrades and expansions. What have remained steady are its strong mission, academic reputation, and unflagging commitment to the education and development of boys from diverse backgrounds and experiences into men who will be positive leaders and role models in their communities. St. Joe s, as it is known to its community, is part of the Lasallian tradition. Lasallian schools are Roman Catholic educational communities inspired by the vision of St. John Baptist de La Salle. Born in France in 1651, St. John Baptist de La Salle led the establishment of a new form of religious life and a network of schools across the world that served poor boys based on the principles of close student teacher relations and differentiated learning. This vision, with its continued invitation to those in the school communities to remember the holy presence of God, has been maintained through the heritage of the Brothers of the Christian Schools. 2
The School Today, St. Joe s serves approximately 750 students in grades 9-12. While students from all faiths are welcome to attend, about 80% of the students are Catholic. A small number of students are international students residing in homestays in the Buffalo area. The base tuition for 2016-17 was $12,330. About 78% of the faculty have advanced degrees and the average tenure is approximately 15 years. The faculty is unionized for collective bargaining purposes. The union is private and not affiliated with any state or federal entity and is represented internally by the St. Joseph Faculty Organization (SJFO). With a teacher-student ratio of 14:1, classes are small and foster an individualized approach to student learning. Admission to St. Joe s is open to young men whose elementary school record exhibits positive citizenship in an academic community and an ability to succeed in a rigorous college-preparatory curriculum. Students must also achieve a satisfactorily competitive score on the school s entrance exam. Every prospective student takes an entrance exam, usually in November of their eighthgrade year. More than 80% of the class of 2020 receives tuition support through merit-based Academic Scholarships, a need-based Tuition Assistance Program, and a Supplementary Work Program. True to its Lasallian mission of providing accessible, quality education, St. Joe s provided $2.7 million to tuition support during the 2016-17 school year. The school focuses on ministering to both the educational and religious needs of high school young men by preparing them for greater individual responsibility and by cultivating the positive attitudes of mutual respect, compassion, interdependence, and service within the Church and the larger 3
community. St. Joe s students describe it best HERE. In 2016, the school developed a new strategic plan. At the top of the list was an examination of the academic program including course offerings, student evaluation, and teacher professional development. The plan specifically calls for a greater focus on project-based learning and collaboration. Expansion of an external internship program to provide students with real-world experiences in particular professions is an important feature of this learning methodology contemplated by the strategic plan. St. Joe s is also working on ways to make the curriculum more flexible and aligned with national best practices for 21st century learning. The plan s penultimate goal is to distinctively enhance its family counseling for college placement. The school s new strategic plan highlights nurturing gentlemen in a faith-based brotherhood as one of four essential goals in the coming years. At the heart of this work is the goal of graduating gentlemen of integrity. St. Joe s is chartered by the Board of Regents of New York State and accredited by the Middle States Association of Schools and Colleges. It is a member of the Christian Brothers Education Association, The College Board, and the National Catholic Education Association. The most recent Middle States accreditation took place in 2017 and is valid until 2024. Academic Life St. Joe s immerses students in a well-balanced, challenging college preparatory curriculum through a personalized approach to learning that helps each student achieve his personal best. The academic program is arranged on four levels of study: Advanced Placement (AP), honors, Regents, and other varied course offerings. Students can select courses from all four levels, and course requests for 4
College Acceptances Members of the Class of 2017 were accepted in a wide range of colleges and universities, and earned more than $37 million in scholarships and merit-based awards. The following is a partial list of college acceptances earned by St. Joe s students within the past three years: Auburn University Boston College Boston University Bowling Green State University Brown University Canisius College Case Western Reserve University The Catholic University of America Claremont McKenna College Clemson University Cleveland Institute of Art College of the Holy Cross Cornell University Creighton University DePaul University Duquesne University Elmira College Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Emory University Florida State University Fordham University Harvard College Hobart and William Smith Colleges Ithaca College Johns Hopkins University Johnson & Wales University Kenyon College La Salle University Le Moyne College Lehigh University Louisiana State University Loyola Marymount University Macalester College Manhattan College Marquette University Miami University Ohio Michigan State University New York University Niagara University North Carolina State University Northeastern University The Ohio State University The Pennsylvania State University Princeton University Purdue University Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Roanoke College Rochester Institute of Technology St. Bonaventure University St. John s University Santa Clara University Seton Hill University Siena College State University of New York College at Buffalo State University of New York College at Cortland State University of New York College of Environmental Science & Forestry State University of New York College at Geneseo Syracuse University United States Military Academy United States Naval Academy University at Albany University at Buffalo University of Alabama University of Arizona University of Cincinnati University of Kentucky University of Miami University of Michigan University of Notre Dame University of Oregon University of Pittsburgh University of Rochester University of Vermont Valparaiso University Villanova University Wake Forest University Xavier University Yale University 5
AP or honors credit are reviewed carefully by the school and some require teacher, departmental, or administrative approval. Courses offered on all levels are college preparatory and are acceptable for college admissions. All students qualify for the New York State Regents diploma, and the majority receives an advanced Regents diploma as well. The school currently offers 16 AP courses and many more honors courses. All students are required to complete 26.5 credits for graduation. Students take five academic credits each year in addition to religion and physical education. Freshmen are also required to take music or art. Seniors can choose from an array of electives. Additionally, the Brother Pompian Honors Academy pairs high-achieving students with additional courses, cultural opportunities, and inspiring academic experiences. Augmenting traditional academic endeavors, the school focuses on teaching critical thinking skills and in recent years has begun offering a wide array of STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics) courses, from CAD Design to Computer Forensics to Design for Art and Engineering. In keeping with the Lasallian mission, spirit of diversity, and richness of the student experience derived from that diversity, the school offers an Academic Enrichment program for students who need additional academic support. In 2008, St. Joe s launched the Summer Science Internship Program. After the program s initial success and increased demand for work-based learning experiences, the school now offers internships yearround. The new strategic plan calls for the expansion of the internship program into other professional fields with the goal of developing the best internship program in Western New York, leveraging its extensive base of alumni leaders in the community. In summer, the school offers a four-week Collegiate program for eighth graders; an Innovation Camp focused on robotics, coding, and virtual-reality; and numerous athletic camps. 6
Arts and Athletic Competition The arts program at St. Joe s is broad, deep, and well respected. In 2000, the school built a new wing dedicated to the arts, including a state-of-the-art performance space. The program includes visual arts, vocal music, instrumental music, and theater. The vocal music program epitomizes the mission of the school in its ministry to both internal and external communities. The school also offers an Artistin-Residence program that brings a broad range of professional artists, some of whom are prominent St. Joe s graduates, to practice their craft and to teach courses. In addition to offering two stage productions per year (a drama and a musical), the Theater Arts department offers courses in acting and public speaking. Through Niagara University, it also offers a college-level course, Introduction to Theater. St. Joe s invites young women from area schools to participate in the theater arts program. As for athletic offerings, the school has a robust program in first-rate facilities. Currently there are 41 teams in 18 sports: baseball, basketball, bowling, cross country, football, golf, hockey, indoor track, lacrosse, rowing, sailing, soccer, squash, swimming, tennis, track and field, volleyball, and wrestling. Over the years, its teams have won numerous state and league championships in a range of sports including 33 Supremacy Cups, 24 football championships, 19 Manhattan Cup basketball championships, 15 Georgetown Cup baseball championships, multiple national rowing championships, 33 track and field championships, 31 cross country championships, 22 soccer championships, 11 hockey state championships, and 17 wrestling state championships. In addition to building skills in various sports, the school s goal is to equip students with the experience and knowledge to make informed decisions about nutrition, exercise, and overall wellness. 7
In addition to a newly-renovated, large indoor gymnasium, St. Joe s athletic facilities include more than 180,000 square feet of on-campus, all-weather turf fields and a recently renovated fitness center. School Life In all, the school offers 47 clubs and activities in addition to the formal arts and athletic programs. But the extracurricular focus is less about the offerings than about the school s commitment to promoting positive social relations within a diverse group of students. St. Joe s is a place that not only accepts diversity but it encourages it. The school provides an environment where each student can be himself and become the best version of himself. Faculty describe this culture that they try to foster and cultivate HERE. Toward that end, the school offers a wide array of clubs, activities, athletics, and artistic expressions for each student to discover a passion within himself. While many schools strive for this type of student development, what sets St. Joe s apart is that with its diversity steeped in its Lasallian tradition, it is able to promote positive social relationships based in respect. Current President Robert T. Scott and the St. Joe s community refer to these relationships as Brotherhood. It is a spirit that permeates all of the relationships within the community and gives life and meaning to the school s mission and Lasallian tradition. This spirit of Brotherhood is described more fully HERE. Director of Campus Ministry Christopher Panepinto, an alumnus of the class of 2002, states that for Our Founder, La Salle, the word Brother was chosen very intentionally for his followers and therefore calls all adults at St. Joe s to be older brother and older sister to our young brothers and in turn transform our school community into a familial experience of shared love. 8
At the heart of this Brotherhood is shared faith; it is what inspired LaSalle hundreds of years ago and it is what encourages and nurtures the life and culture of the school today. The school begins every class, every rehearsal, every meeting, every practice all of the various opportunities for the boys to develop themselves by remembering we are in the Holy Presence of God. Over the four years of their St. Joe s experience, the St. Joe s students discover what that means for them individually and how they will choose to put their faith into action. One way St. Joe s encourages its young men to reflect upon and deepen their relationship with God and others and to engage in meaningful self-awareness and discovery is the Kairos retreat program. This intense four-day overnight retreat allows juniors and seniors to experience and reflect upon their faith while building their own community. Over the past 10 years, this program reflects St. Joe s holistic approach to education by giving young men a unique opportunity to express their faith and come to realize together as a community faith must be put into action. St. Joe s also presents the opportunity to grow in this Brotherhood through its commitment to service with and for the least, lost, and last of our world. Service to others makes students faith real and concrete. Each student is required to complete 20 hours of community service per year, and so many St. Joe s students go above and beyond that minimum requirement through the school s Cultural Immersion/Service Program. These students, known as the Faith Service Community (FSC), are given the opportunity to see how people live differently, and are challenged and called to treat everyone equally. This is in perfect accord with Lasallian principles that call for concern for the poor, education of the individual, social justice, faith in the presence of God, and inclusion. In this Lasallian context, St. Joe s prepares its students for the future as they develop from boys into men. At graduation, the proceedings are a celebration of the commencement of the lives that lay before them as gentlemen of integrity prepared for college but more importantly prepared for life 9
as a husband, father, and person called to a vocation, whatever theirs may be. With their St. Joe s education, its graduates can embark upon their journey equipped to handle all of the challenges that confront young men in a dynamic and challenging global landscape. Physical Campus Since 2000, the school has been steadily upgrading and adding to the physical campus. Today s 12-acre campus includes: Robert T. Scott, AFSC Athletic Field Complex an 183,961 square-foot, all-weather artificial turf complex to accommodate football, baseball, lacrosse, soccer, track and field, and other fieldbased sports and athletic activities Cullen Center for Excellence in Science featuring six classroom/laboratories Downing Library a digital commons with PC and Mac workstations and modular seating Field House locker rooms for all levels and a pro-style varsity team room Innovation Center acquired in 2016, a building adjacent to campus for innovative learning experiences, including the coursework in Robotics and the Science Olympiad Fitness Center fully renovated in summer 2014, houses collegiate-level strength and conditioning equipment Four computer labs and wireless internet access throughout campus SMART boards in all classrooms State-of-the-art Visual and Performing Arts facilities Chapel and Campus Ministry Center for daily mass and quiet reflection Cullen Lecture Hall a modern audiovisual space 10
Buffalo, New York Located on the eastern shore of Lake Erie in Western New York, Buffalo is the state s second most populous city after New York City, with more than 258,000 residents. The broader Buffalo metropolitan area has 1.13 million residents. Buffalo grew significantly in the 19th and 20th centuries as a result of the railroads, the Erie Canal, and Lake Erie all of which were essential trade routes from the East Coast to the Midwest. Starting in the 1950s, however, Buffalo saw a steady decline in population. As with other Rust Belt cities, it has undergone economic development of late. In the early 2010s, growth from local colleges and universities continued to spur economic development. Today, Buffalo boasts a vibrant arts community, a bustling restaurant scene, and the nation s largest private garden tour. The site of the former Erie Canal Harbor, Canalside has become a popular destination for tourists and residents since 2007. After Chicago, Buffalo contains more Frank Lloyd Wright structures than any other locale in the world. The city is home to the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, the Albright-Knox Art Gallery, and other cultural institutions. Among its popular sports teams are the NFL s Buffalo Bills and NHL s Buffalo Sabres. Niagara Falls, just a short drive to the north, draws more than 20 million visitors a year. A short video that provides a synopsis of Buffalo s history and describes some of the exciting developments and initiatives underway in Western New York can be accessed HERE. The region is graced with several well-recognized institutions of higher education, and many St. Joe s students matriculate at these local colleges and universities, including the State University of New York, Buffalo; Buffalo State College; Canisius College; Niagara University, and St. Bonaventure University, along with numerous other smaller and distinguished colleges in or within close proximity 11
to downtown Buffalo. While Buffalo is most known for its snowy winters, it is a four-season region with some of the driest and sunniest summers in the Northeast and an autumn season that is second to none. All four seasons provide wonderful opportunities for outdoor recreation, including downhill skiing, sailing, fishing, golf, hiking, leaf peeping, apple picking, horticulture, and almost any outdoor activity imaginable for enthusiasts of all ages. Click this link HERE to see some of what Buffalo has to offer. Opportunities and Challenges St. Joe s has a distinguished record of stability and transparency in its leadership and governance, effectively integrating institutional and sponsorship priorities into its fiduciary structure. The combination of academic rigor enriched by Lasallian values is powerful and distinct. The next president will enjoy the benefits of this stability and coherence and will have an opportunity to lead from strength. The primary leadership challenge will be to build on the solid reputational platform of 156 years while providing a bold new vision for the future and engaging the community in the common pursuit of these worthy aspirations. This is an institution with high purposes and a deep desire for continuous improvement and excellence in all facets of the student experience. In addition, the next president should be mindful of the following opportunities and challenges: Achieving an orderly, confident transition to new leadership is a top concern of the SJCI community. SJCI is a high-performing academic institution that welcomes students of varying abilities and provides the resources necessary to enable successful outcomes. Central to the Lasallian mission 12
is a welcoming, inclusive culture in which every student is celebrated for his talents and encouraged to grow and excel at his own rhythm and pace. The next president will be expected to maintain this emphasis on high student achievement while enabling students of all abilities to thrive and pursue their passions. Consistent with this expectation of academic excellence, the school operates in the President/ Principal Leadership Model in which the president functions as the chief executive officer, maps the strategy for and guides the vision of the institution, secures necessary resources to accomplish institutional objectives, maintains campus-wide accountability for results and fidelity to the Lasallian mission of the institution, oversees the day-to-day leadership of the principal, and reports to the SJCI Board of Trustees. The board sees this leadership transition as a timely opportunity for the next president to review this structure and ensure that it is functioning as intended with the highest effectiveness, accountability, operational synergies, and clarity of roles and responsibilities. SJCI exists in a highly competitive admission environment with challenging demographic projections. There is a distinct sense that the next president will need to be particularly adept at raising even higher the profile and powerful value proposition of the school in order to achieve enrollment targets while continuing to serve the needs of all students. SJCI has historically chosen to offer New York State Regents Examinations as an academic standard, requiring faculty to teach to the statewide exams. Some members of the SJCI community would like to see this relationship reviewed and perhaps reconsidered. This is a topic that calls for priority discussion by and input from a wide variety of stakeholders. And, finally, the board has approved a five-year Strategic Plan, which is entering its second year of implementation (click HERE to review the plan). The next president will be expected to execute the plan with discipline and rigor while adapting appropriately as circumstances require. Desired Qualities and Qualifications of the Next President This is one of the finest Catholic school leadership opportunities available today. As such, the trustees seek candidates of the highest integrity, motivation, and demonstrated achievement. In particular, the following qualities and qualifications are expected: The school will require a faith-filled, mission-inspired, practicing Catholic as its next president someone who will embrace and model Lasallian values. The community will also prefer a visible, relational leader with outstanding communications and institution-building skills who will serve as the face of St. Joe s to the larger community and walk the corridors with exuberance and passion for the traditions and ambitions of the school. The next president will also need to be an entrepreneurial leader who can set a bold vision and achieve widespread support for its urgent implementation. There is a feeling on campus that St. Joe s stands at a crossroads and that business-as-usual would represent a missed opportunity. The next president will therefore need to be a passionate and visionary leader who can inspire enthusiasm for bold new ambitions while remaining faithful to the core values and traditions of the school. This is a classic take it to the next level leadership opportunity. The trustees and larger SJCI community see great possibilities in this leadership transition and welcome candidates from diverse professional backgrounds. Passion for mission will be required as will the ability to demonstrate exceptional leadership accomplishments in your particular field. That said, the President/Principal Model ably accommodates chief executives from varied missioncritical career platforms such as higher education, other independent and Catholic schools, foundations, associations, charities and the like who embrace the school s core values and 13
traditions and can build effective teams, hold people accountable, and delegate responsibilities. Great leadership is what the school seeks at this time. To Apply Interested and qualified candidates should submit electronically in one email and as separate documents (preferably PDFs) the following materials: A cover letter expressing your interest in this particular position and aligning your skills and experiences with the leadership requirements set forth in this position profile; A current résumé with all appropriate dates; A one-page statement of educational or leadership philosophy and practice; and A list of five (5) professional references with name, phone number, and email address. References will not be contacted until a serious mutual interest is established and not without the permission of the candidate. Please forward these materials to: Bob Regan Senior Search Consultant, Catholic Schools Practice Group Leader bob.regan@carneysandoe.com 14