Jersey City, NJ – Saint Peter’s College has joined 19 colleges and universities located throughout the United States to become a 2009 National University Partner with the Cristo Rey Network. Known as the University Partner Initiative, this newly launched program seeks to formalize and deepen strategic relationships with institutions of higher education that are committed to ensuring Cristo Rey Network students achieve college success.
“Saint Peter’s College is pleased to support the Cristo Rey Network by joining the University Partner Initiative, a partnership that truly parallels the Jesuit ideals of our community,” noted College President Eugene J. Cornacchia, Ph.D. “We look forward to broadening the horizons of these students by enriching their educational and professional experiences.”
As a National University Partner, Saint Peter’s has committed to assist the Cristo Rey Network in expanding levels of support for its graduates and schools, including scholarship programs, job sponsorships, pre-college summer enrichment programs and academic support programs.
Additionally, the National University Partners are exploring new opportunities to further the Cristo Rey Network’s mission by hosting professional development conferences, as well as by providing research support for the longitudinal study of Cristo Rey Network graduates.
Saint Peter’s relationship with the Cristo Rey Network began in September, 2008, when the College hired four students from Christ the King Preparatory School – a Cristo Rey Network high school in Newark, N.J. – to perform clerical work throughout the school year in the College’s department of enrollment services and department of finance and business.
The Cristo Rey Network is a national association of high schools that provides quality, Catholic, college preparatory education to urban youth living in communities with limited educational options. The University Partner Initiative emerged as one of the key recommendations from the Cristo Rey Network’s Summit on Postsecondary Success held in July 2008. For a complete list of participating colleges and universities, visit www.cristoreynetwork.org.
Saint Peter’s College is the Jesuit College of New Jersey. Founded in 1872, Saint Peter’s has an enrollment of approximately 3,000 students in undergraduate and graduate programs. The main campus is located in Jersey City with a branch campus in Englewood Cliffs, NJ, with courses at various corporate sites at the Jersey City waterfront and in South Amboy, NJ.