President's Page

St.Thomas Aquinas College is moving forward in the 21st Century with great energy and vitality. The dynamo propelling the growth and progress is Margaret Mary Fitzpatrick, S.C., Ed.D., the College's President and CEO. A dedicated educator and visionary, Dr. Fitzpatrick has devoted her career to improving the educational system to keep pace with rapidly changing times. St. Thomas Aquinas College is well served by the dynamic leadership and the contagious spirit and enthusiasm of its President.

Dr. Fitzpatrick came to the Sparkill campus in 1995, from St. John's University, where she served as Senior Vice President of the 18,000-student multi-campus institution. She spent fourteen years at St. John's, where she played an integral role in the life of the campus and was a key decision-maker in the University's leadership, helping to shape its programs, goals and progress.

As President and CEO of St. Thomas Aquinas College, Dr. Fitzpatrick is the academic leader, fiscal overseer, strategic planner, and is a major force in internal and external relations. Advancing the College's interests and visibility is one of her hallmarks, and collegiality is her modus operandi. The College is one the largest employers in the Rockland County community, and has developed an increasingly visible reputation in the New York metropolitan region under her guidance.

Her ambitions for the College have led to record levels of fund-raising activity, enrollment growth, expanded alumni relations, and a wealth of strategic alliances. State-of-the-art technology is now an integral part of the campus infrastructure because of Dr. Fitzpatrick's focus on informational technology's critical importance to 21st Century higher education. An academically challenging Honors Program attracts students nationwide, and includes a summer study program at Oxford University.

In this decade, you can see the growth at St. Thomas Aquinas College including the largest freshmen classes, residential populations, and the largest number of graduate students.

Plans for 2008-2009 include a new residence hall, a new tech-rec center, and the purchase of additional athletic fields.
In Summer 2006, Sullivan Theatre was enhanced.
In January 2005, a new residence hall opened.
In the fall of 2003, a major renovation of the Lougheed Library was completed.
In the fall of 2001 the Technology Corridor was completed. State-of-the-art laboratories include:

Digital-imaging art studio where communications and graphic arts students can train together for the electronic visual world.
Networking laboratory where computer and information science students can master the dual roles of computer scientists and information systems planner.
Language laboratory where languages come alive through the use of multi-media approach.
Student computer laboratories where students, connected to the Internet, the library, and various software packages can work day and night on their scholarships

In the fall of 2000, a new arts, science and technology building, Costello Hall, enhanced the opportunities of our artists, scientists and student scholars for expression, research and experimentation.

New expanded athletic facilities support the College's NCAA Division II program. The Spartan athletes compete in NCAA's Division II, East Coast Conference.

Much of the progress at St. Thomas has received regional and national recognition under Dr. Fitzpatrick's leadership. "U.S. News and World Report" in its 2000 edition ranked the College as a Top Tier College and in 1997 "Best Colleges" issue rated St. Thomas Aquinas College among the Top 10 liberal arts colleges in the North as a "best value," an important indication that Dr. Fitzpatrick is assuring a quality education at an affordable price.

After receiving her B.S. in Mathematics from Boston State College, Dr. Fitzpatrick went on to Fordham University, where she earned her M.A. and completed a thesis on "Discipleship," which explored the commitments for action derived from one's spirituality. She went on to Columbia University, where she earned an Ed.M. in the area of counseling and student development, and her Ed.D. in higher education. Her dissertation examined the role of higher education in serving society and the possibilities for student involvement.

A community leader as well as academic visionary, Dr. Fitzpatrick serves on several boards, including those of the Catholic University of America, Bergen Catholic High School, and Ridgewood Savings Bank, CJ Foundation for Sids, St. John's University, and st. John's Bread & Life among others. She received an honorary doctoral degree from St. John's University, the "Trailblazer" award from the New York State Education Department, was named Catholic Woman of the Year in 1991 by U.S. Catholic, and in 1998 was named Citizen of the Year by the Rockland County Girl Scouts Council.