The College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University was honored with a pair of best practice in mission integration awards at the national Association of Student Affairs at Catholic Colleges and Universities (ASACCU) annual conference held June 24-26, 2025 in New York.
The ASACCU was established in 1999 “to facilitate community among student affairs professionals in Catholic higher education.” Mary Geller, the associate provost for student success at CSB and SJU, currently serves as the chair of the ASACCU board.
The annual mission integration awards recognize programs that “intentionally articulate Catholic identity as an integral part of the student affairs program.”
The Benedictine Living and Learning Community program, in which students reside together in intentional community on their respective campuses and take a year-long course on Benedictine spirituality, was recognized for its innovative approach with a win in the residence life category.
The program, which was founded in 2014 by Br. Aelred Senna, OSB, and Fr. Mark Thamert, OSB, for a small group of Johnnies, is now entering its fourth year as a joint program at CSB and SJU. It caters mostly to sophomore students. The BLLC is directed by the Benedictine Institute in collaboration with Academic Affairs, CSB and SJU Residential Life and the monastic communities of Saint John’s Abbey and Saint Benedict’s Monastery.
“It’s an honor to receive an award that highlights the Benedictine tradition at the heart of Saint Ben’s and Saint John’s,” said Jessie Bazan, associate director of the Benedictine Institute.
“The BLLC has grown quite a bit in a short period of time. A third of the first-year class at CSB applied for the program during the last school year and our Johnnie numbers are growing too. It’s a testament to the many CSB and SJU students who are eager to be formed in the Catholic, Benedictine mission.”
SJU Faith, meanwhile, won in the integration for principles for good practice in student affairs category for its annual Trails Retreat. The event is meant to help sophomore, junior and senior students at CSB and SJU reflect on their time on campus so far and look ahead to how they can best use their talents to meet the needs of the world beyond.
“It’s a retreat that give students the tools to help them make big decisions for years to come,” said Margaret Nuzzolese Conway, the director of campus ministry at SJU. “Where is your path leading you? How are you being called? It’s not about this one moment’s decision, but all the questions they will face in life.”
Conway said the award is further validation of the work SJU Faith puts into making the retreat a success.
“I am so grateful to all our staff and partners who have worked on designing this experience over the years, especially (assistant director of campus ministry at SJU) Carter Howell, graduate students from the (Saint John’s School of Theology and Seminary) and our exceptional CSB and SJU undergraduate leaders,” she said.
This year’s conference was held on the campus of Saint John’s University of New York, located in Queens.