What Authenticity Looks Like at SJC

A positively virtuous cycle of…

…and SJC’s authenticity.

A virtuous cycle is the opposite of the more familiar “vicious cycle,” but both are easily described with systems thinking language. Each label can be seen as a variable, something that can be measured, even if only by what we are able to sense when a quantitative measurement is not readily available. It is this positively virtuous cycle that depicts the nature of what we can understand as “authenticity,” a distinguishing characteristic of Saint Joseph’s College.

Achieving the Gold award from AASHE / STARS 2.2 in the Spring of 2022 was the result of a compassionate community that has long been committed to the holistic well-being of our planet home. The award is issued only after a comprehensive self-assessment that covers every aspect of an institution’s commitment to sustainability is reviewed and accepted. It is nearly as robust as an accreditation assessment, without the stakes. Perhaps the real value from achieving this award is what it says about how an institution conducts itself. And in the case of Saint Joseph’s College, it reveals a level of authenticity that can only come from its entire community working hard, staying the course and “walking the talk.” That, my friends, is what authenticity is all about. It is from this authentic character that Saint Joseph’s College offers its academic experience to a very diverse student body. Evidence of this ever-growing, virtuous cycle of leadership, sustainability, community and compassion is reflected in the recent addition of key programs that you can learn about below.

⇒ Leadership and Sustainable Development, a campus program with major tracks in Peace and Justice, Business and Economics, Healthcare and Wellness and Nature and Environment, also offers a minor in Leadership and Community Engagement.

⇒ Compassionate Leadership and Sustainability, a 100% online post-master’s graduate certificate (CAGS) program that provides students the opportunity to choose a professional or academic track, both of which are aimed at developing thought leaders in the areas of compassionate leadership and sustainability.

by Nancy Kristiansen, Director of online and Graduate Business Programs and Planning and Administration Coordinator for the Center for Sustainable Communities.