On this anniversary of his inaugural as President of Iona College, City Island Images asked the following questions to the new IONA chief executive: Dr. Joseph E. Nyre.
How does Iona prepare students for successful careers, as well as to live meaningful and useful lives?
Iona’s beautiful campus and state-of-the-art facilities provide a current and relevant environment conducive to learning and growing as a whole person - mind, body and spirit. Iona is committed to our students’ professional development as evidenced by the recent opening and dedication of the LaPenta-Lynch Trading Floor; the heart of the Center for Financial Market Studies at the internationally accredited Hagan School of Business.
What is Iona doing to assist students with financial difficulties?
Iona offers very competitive academic scholarships for incoming students depending upon the strength of the application to the College. Additionally, we require each student at Iona to complete the FAFSA form (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) so they can be considered for any state or federal financial aid programs for which they may be eligible, including grants, loans and work study programs. Finally, Iona offers institutional need based grants to further reduce the tuition burden on students and their families.
To land a job in this economy, graduates need industry expertise. How is Iona providing these services? What is the Iona College career office doing to help students obtain jobs? How do Iona counselors cover job leads, industries, and functions, which the students may be interested in?
The Gerri Ripp Center for Career Development is committed to offering Iona’s diverse student body, the tools and resources necessary to identify career interests, select an appropriate major, explore career fields, and to provide assistance in securing internships and assisting the job search process. Like the Christian Brothers, Iona students turn their passions into meaningful work.
Our alums, carrying the mark of the Iona experience - commitment to service, confident leadership, ethical decision making and skillful problem solving - launch careers at leading companies and build successful lives. Students are encouraged to explore a variety of internship opportunities based on their career interests. Our Alumni are engaged in reaching out to our students through Iona’s “Meet a Career Mentor” program which fosters networking with successful alumni representing diverse industries.
We must ensure that students at Iona College pursue their passions, turn those passions into gainful employment, and use their career success and time to serve others. New challenges will require us to focus even more on helping our students find meaningful and joyful careers.
What does it mean to you to be the first non-Christian Brother to lead Iona College?
My spirit calls me to dream and take action for Iona’s future of transforming lives in the classroom, in the community, in the chapel and on the field. My promise is to ensure the foundation of Blessed Edmund Rice and the Christian Brothers remains central to our mission and to our values. To ensure that the Iona experience unifies the mind, body and spirit to help us become skilled decision makers supporting the service of others.
Please list your short term and long term plans?
Initial goals:
(1) Develop a new strategic plan. The plan will be informed by those directly benefitting from it and those who have been beneficiaries in prior years – namely, the students, alumni and trustees. Equally important, as we define the future together, is the input from the faculty and staff members who daily deliver the richness of an Iona education.
(2) Address the unmet housing demand of students expressing a desire to live on or near Iona’s New Rochelle Campus.
(3) Raise the needed support to ensure Iona’s continued success in supporting young men and women to achieve in the classroom, on the court and field, and throughout the world.
To truly know Iona you must experience it. In addition to exploring the website, I personally invite you to visit our beautiful tree-lined campus and impeccable facilities that inspire learning. And when you're here, I hope you find yourself at home.