Developed with the Student Government Association, the Fisher Creed speaks to the basic values and aspirations of the students at St. John Fisher College.

As students who have chosen to join the St. John Fisher College community, we share certain basic values and aspirations. To be active participants in a shared living/learning experience, we bring to Fisher:

Respect for ourselves; for others, their ideas and beliefs; and for our community as a whole.

Open-mindedness to things that are new, different, and unfamiliar.

Integrity that will enable us to be honest, sincere, and true to ourselves.

By bringing these qualities to our mutual experience, we can create a community that exemplifies the following values:

Diversity of cultural backgrounds, personal characteristics, and life situations, all of which we value for their contribution to our community.

Responsibility for individual actions and for their impact on others, and for creating a sense of ownership by community members.

Education with a commitment to scholarship, academic honesty,and lifelong learning.

Leadership in an environment that fosters active engagement in our community, displayed through participation, mentorship, and service.

Growth as reflected in continuous personal, intellectual, and spiritual development.

As members of the St. John Fisher College community, we live and work in close proximity, sharing certain needs, interests, and aspirations. Our common goal is personal, communal, and academic development that will allow us to become responsible, committed participants in a larger society. By adhering to the personal attributes and values outlined here, we commit ourselves to lives that fulfill the Basilian motto: “Teach me goodness, discipline, and knowledge.”

Historical Sketch

St. John Fisher College was founded as a Catholic college in 1948 through the combined efforts of civic leaders, the community at large, the Basilian Fathers, and the late Most Reverend James E. Kearney, then Bishop of Rochester. It was founded as a college for men under the direction of priests of the Congregation of St. Basil. In 1968, the Board of Trustees, once composed only of Basilian Fathers, was enlarged and diversified so that today the College is governed by an independent Board of Trustees that includes persons of diverse faiths and that is broadly representative of the business, professional, cultural, and academic communities of the area it serves. In 1971, the first women students were admitted. Today, St. John Fisher College is a private, independent college emphasizing the liberal arts as well as programs in traditional academic disciplines and more directly career-oriented fields.

As it progresses through the 21st century, the College remains true to its Catholic and Basilian heritage. The 164-acre campus has 27 modern buildings. The College currently enrolls more than 2,600 full-time undergraduate students, over half of whom live in residence. In addition, nearly 200 part-time undergraduate students and over 1,000 graduate students take credit courses. Full- and part-time faculty number over 350.

From its beginning, St. John Fisher College has recognized its responsibility to those people and businesses of the Rochester area who have continued to give it their generous support. Accordingly, the College makes a special effort to serve this community by finding places within its classrooms for qualified local students, by attracting to Rochester from other areas faculty and students who can contribute to the life of the community, and by providing instruction of a quality that will enable its graduates to serve well in their vocations and avocations.

The College also admits part-time students and transfer students from two-year and four-year colleges.

Basilian Fathers

The Basilian Fathers are an international teaching community with more than a century of experience in the work of higher education. Today, members of the Basilian community serve as regular members of the faculty and professional staff, all of whom have been chosen for their academic excellence and experience. The Basilian tradition of working in close collaboration with public and private colleges and universities continues as an established principle of St. John Fisher College.

The mission of the Center for Service-Learning and Civic Engagement (CSLCE) is to graduate students prepared and motivated to make meaningful contributions in Rochester and beyond. Participation in civic engagement enables Fisher students to gain the knowledge, skills, and perspectives needed to become contributing citizens in a diverse and complex society. Sustained collaborations with community partners result in asset building and positive community change. Faculty access new avenues of community-based teaching and research that will enrich the learning experience, enhance professional development and recognition, and provide opportunities for scholarship across the disciplines.

The Center coordinates service-learning which is defined as the integration of service projects in academic courses to enhance student learning, teach civic responsibility, address community needs, and strengthen communities. Service-learning courses can be found across the disciplines and in all five Schools. This service moves beyond the traditional understanding of charity or volunteerism through the integration of community-based projects (client support or capacity-building products) in academic courses to meet both student learning goals and the needs of the community partner. Students can search for service-learning courses using the SLC Attribute on the course registration page. Example courses and resources for students, faculty, and community partners can be found on the Service-Learning website.

Other programs and services of the Center include a Civic Engagement Faculty Workshop Series, Civic Engagement Award and Showcase Ceremony, Mini and CE Grants, and CE Professional Development Funds. These programs enhance awareness and education of CE, recognize best practices, enhance student leadership and grant-writing, deepen community impact, and support faculty professional development.

St. John Fisher College has a deep commitment to service as outlined in its mission statement. Strong CE is also consistent with Fisher’s vision, puts into action its motto: “Teach me goodness,” and is an enduring expression of its Catholic heritage. St. John Fisher College has achieved the Carnegie Community Engagement Classification (by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching).

The Division of Student Affairs of St. John Fisher College supports and challenges students to continue to mature through residential, social, and wellness services and programs. These programs and services help students learn who they are as individuals and community members, how to live within a community, how to make meaningful connections across difference, and how to maintain an appropriate quality of life. Through collaboration with our campus colleagues, our work complements the educational mission of the College and supports the Fisher Creed.

St. John Fisher College seeks to admit students whose academic records indicate their willingness and ability to profit from instruction at the College.

St. John Fisher College admits students of either gender, of any age, race, color, creed, national or ethnic origin, or disability.

Categories of Applicants

The types of students considered include, but are not necessarily limited to, the following:

• High school seniors/graduates seeking entry into the freshman year
• Transfer students* from two-year or four-year colleges whose placement is judged solely on the basis of their previous college record
• Veterans desiring to begin or to continue their study
• International students who have completed the equivalent of a 12th-grade education in their home country
• Educationally and financially disadvantaged students from New York State whose records are examined separately and whose studies are to some degree funded through an annual grant from the State Department of Education under the Arthur O. Eve Higher Education Opportunity Program (HEOP)

All of the above-listed categories of students are encouraged to avail themselves of an education at St. John Fisher College, either on a matriculated (those desiring to earn a bachelor’s degree) or non-matriculated basis.

*Transfer students who have completed 24 hours or fewer in college are required to submit an official high school transcript and SAT/ACT scores