This is an exciting time in the history of Niagara University. In September of 2006, we will begin a yearlong observance of Niagara’s sesquicentennial—150 years of providing Catholic and Vincentian education that is gospel-based and value centered.
This milestone anniversary comes at a unique moment in our long history. It is a time of true transformation in the physical character of the university and in its approach to teaching and learning.

More and more, the theory taught in the classroom is being made to come alive through active, integrative learning experiences in the workplace and in various service-learning settings. Niagara, in fact, is considered a national leader in service learning.

Supporting the academic program are modern facilities such as those in St. Vincent’s Hall, a major classroom building that was completely rebuilt in 2001. It houses our nationally ranked and accredited College of Hospitality and Tourism Management. Those new facilities will be supplemented by a brand new academic center, which will house our highly accredited colleges of Business Administration and Education. Construction of the $19.4 million complex will get under way this year.

Major support for the complex has come from alumnus Jerry Bisgrove of the Class of 1968. He has given the university a gift of $5 million, the largest single donation in its history. I mention this because of the spirit in which it comes, namely, in gratitude for the education he received and in appreciation for the influence that the Vincentian priests and brothers had on his life. Such testimony is an affirmation of the vitality of our educational mission and the Vincentian ideals upon which the university is built. With this assistance, I am even more confident that Niagara is at a unique moment in its history, and that an exciting future of new achievements lies ahead.

Our strength is rooted in the fundamentals of our Catholic and Vincentian mission. We are committed to even greater excellence in teaching, in learning and in research, but equally dedicated to our Catholic religious tradition of respect for the dignity of each person.

Niagara is a values-centered university, keeping God at the core of our work and life. Our Vincentian character is expressed in the many ways we encourage every student, no matter what their faith background, and every other member of the university community as well, to be of service to others, remembering that to serve others, especially those most in need, is to serve God.

In the years ahead, I see a Niagara with a stronger international and regional presence; a center of even more activity. But I do not see the university as an ivory tower. We will be open and welcoming, a beacon of light and charity as we make our human and intellectual resources available to those in need of them. All that we do will be in the pursuit of excellence. As a university, we are committed to our students, our local communities and our region as we await the future with great hope and confidence.

Joseph L. Levesque, C.M.
President

President's Office
P.O. Box 2015
Niagara University, NY 14109-2015
Phone: (716) 286-8350
FAX: (716) 286-8355
E-Mail: president@niagara.edu