The Franciscan Center for Catholic Studies
Director: Dr. W.T. Dickens, Professor of Religious Studies
The Franciscan Center for Catholic Studies (FCCS) is an academic initiative of Siena College that provides a forum for exploring Catholicism in its historical, sociological, liturgical, and doctrinal complexity. In keeping with the Franciscan orientation of the College, the FCCS highlights certain dimensions of Catholicism’s past and present embodiments. These include a commitment to social justice, reconciliation and peacemaking; appreciating the natural world; savoring beauty in the creative arts; and defining leadership as service to one’s community. To support this mission, the FCCS sponsors or co-sponsors speakers; colloquia; theatrical, musical, and fine arts events; and study abroad.
Higher Education Opportunity Program (HEOP)
Siena co-sponsors The Arthur O. Eve Higher Education Opportunity Program of New York State. As a member institution, Siena is committed to provide access to college for students who might find it difficult to pursue higher education due to academic and financial challenges defined by the guidelines of the State Education Department. Applicants to this program must be New York State residents. Students who qualify for admission into the HEOP program receive a generous financial aid package, academic counseling and tutoring assistance. Supportive services include a summer program prior to their first year and continuous academic advising during the completion of their degree program. Candidates for the HEOP program must complete the application, or the Common Application and the supplemental form, by February 15. HEOP students are typically the first in their family to attend college. HEOP students are resilient and motivated, which contributes to our high graduation and retention rates. In 2019, we had a 100% graduation rate in four years! Since then we have not fallen below 82% graduation rate.
Hayyim and Esther Kieval Institute for Jewish-Christian Studies at Siena College
The Kieval Institute for Jewish-Christian Studies at Siena College was founded in 1983 with a gift from Charles and Thelma Buchman, supplemented by funds from other friends of the College, and named for its first director, Rabbi Hayyim Kieval, and his beloved wife Esther. The Institute became an early example of a proliferation of academic centers dedicated to the study of interfaith relations, particularly the relations between Christians and Jews. It was a founding member of the Council of Centers of Jewish-Christian Relations, which now serves as the umbrella organization for more than thirty such organizations in the United States and Canada. With the support of the Town of Colonie Jewish Association, the Kieval Institute initiated the annual Town of Colonie Judaica lecture in 2006. The Institute supports the Kieval Collection in the Standish Library and the biblical study tours conducted by the Religious Studies Department.
The Institute provides a major resource in the Capital Region for the study of Judaism and its historical interrelationships with Christianity. Increased understanding and appreciation of the two faiths come through workshops, seminars and speakers on such topics as “Imagining Sacred Space,” “Vatican II and the Jews - 20 Years After,” and “The Church and Israel: The People and its Land.”
Dr. Peter S. Zaas, Professor of Religious Studies at Siena, is the director of the Institute, with an advisory board that includes civic and academic leaders of the Roman Catholic, Jewish and Protestant communities. In 2010 Rabbi Rena Kieval became the third chair of the Kieval Institute.
The Martin Luther King, Jr. and Coretta Scott King Lecture Series on Race and Nonviolent Social Change
The Martin Luther King, Jr. and Coretta Scott King Lecture Series on Race and Nonviolent Social Change was established in 1988. It preserves the legacy of the nonviolent human rights movement as it was expressed in the life and teachings of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and has been continued after his death by Coretta Scott King. This lecture series explores how problems such as racism, sexism, classism, militarism, and prejudice in our nation and throughout the world can be confronted effectively through dynamic efforts informed by principles of social justice and nonviolent action. Speakers in the series have included Harry Belafonte, Eleanor Holmes Norton, Rev. Allan Boesak, Ruby Dee, Robert Coles, Sara Lawrence-Lightfoot, Elie Wiesel, Henry Louis Gates, Jr., Marian Wright Edelman, Jonathan Kozol, Cornel West, Johnnetta B. Cole, Lani Guinier, Eric H.F. Law, Bernice King, Joycelyn Edwards, Calvin O. Butts, III, Morris Dees, Julian Bond, Bernice Johnson Reagon and Michael Eric Dyson. The lecturers, with approval of the President of Siena College, are chosen by an Advisory Board of Directors representing Siena and religious and civic leaders in the Capital Region. Additional information about this lecture series is available at www.siena.edu/mlk.
Reinhold Niebuhr Institute of Religion and Culture
The Reinhold Niebuhr Institute of Religion and Culture, an interdisciplinary, ecumenical, and interfaith community-oriented program, is named in honor of Reinhold Niebuhr, the 20th century Protestant theologian who spent a lifetime exploring the implications of religious faith for the public order. It sponsors lectures, workshops, and discussions on topics in which the interests of religion, ethics, and society intersect. In recent years these have included nuclear disarmament, economic justice, interracial justice, and gender and society.
Among the distinguished lecturers and artists the Institute has sponsored or co-sponsored are: J. Bryan Hehir, Robert Jay Lifton, Alan Geyer, Kenneth Himes, Shirley Chisholm, Gar Alperovitz, Bishop Thomas Gumbleton, Bishop C. Dale White, Mark Gerzon, Coretta Scott King, James B. Nelson, Mary Frances Berry, Michael Kimmel, Pam McAllister, C.T. Vivian, Joseph Lowery, Carter Heyward, Vinie Burrows, Will D. Campbell, James M. Lawson, Jr., Gene Sharp, Donald Woods, Margaret Randall, Cesar Chavez, Harry Belafonte, Nechama Tec, Jessica Stern, Sylvia Washington, Mark Taylor, David Kaczynski and Gary Wright.
Siena Leadership Institute
“Developing Leaders with Competence and Character”
The Siena Leadership Institute (SLI) complements Siena’s traditional academic programs by preparing students to assume leadership roles and responsibilities in their communities through experiential learning and service opportunities. The SLI assists students in developing a sound character and establishing personal moral and ethical standards that are routed in the Franciscan tradition; thus, empowering them to shape their own future and become tomorrow’s leaders.
The Leadership Institute at Siena emphasizes the Franciscan values of service and community building, by encouraging students to become agents of change for improving their world through a commitment to service.
The SLI is a one-year experience for selected Siena Sophomores, designed to develop skills and abilities that will enable participating fellows (students) to be more effective leaders and citizens in their communities and continue to live the Franciscan ideals by serving as voices of reason, conscience and compassion in society. In this intensive and personalized program, students will learn about leadership through workshops, seminars, experiential learning activities, community service and mentoring relationships.
Siena College Research Institute
Dr. Donald P. Levy, Director
Founded in 1980, the Siena College Research Institute (SCRI) conducts regional, statewide and national public opinion and expert surveys on business, economic, political, social, academic and historical issues.
Each month SCRI conducts the Siena New York Poll, a “snapshot” poll of registered voters. This monthly survey gives voters the opportunity to voice their opinions on political and social issues impacting New York State residents. Past topics have included favorability of public officials, likelihood to vote for specific candidates and policy questions such as support or opposition to important legislative issues of the day. Widely cited by print, electronic and broadcast media, the Siena New York Poll is firmly on the pulse of politics among New Yorkers.
After many years of working with the New York Times, polling New York-centric issues, the Siena College Research Institute partnered with The New York Times Upshot in 2016 to conduct national political polling. The partnership continued for mid-term, presidential, and special election polling in 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2022. The work with the New York Times not only gained national recognition for Siena College but also garnered SCRI an A+ rating from Nate Silver’s fivethirtyeight.com. SCRI is one of only six polling institutes across the United States to earn an A+, and in 2023 was named the most accurate pollster in the U.S for its 2022 election work with The New York Times.
Every quarter, Siena College Research Institute (SCRI) conducts a statewide survey used to measure New York State consumer confidence. Based upon the University of Michigan’s national consumer sentiment index, SCRI’s quarterly survey of consumer confidence is the only study of its kind that measures willingness to spend in New York State.
Over the last decade, SCRI has broadened its mission in an effort to expand its social research including conducting studies on community wellbeing, quality of life, life chances of youth, overall, chronic and mental health, health policies, and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. The Siena College Research Institute conducts surveys for the state health department, county health departments, and community foundations that are instrumental in measuring
and understanding public health and planning social policy.
SCRI is frequently commissioned to conduct surveys for organizations, businesses, and local and state government agencies. Recent clients include: Newsday, Spectrum News, the Center for Economic Growth, The Business Council of New York State, the Healthcare Association of New York State, Rhode Island Blue Cross Blue Shield, DataHaven of Connecticut, AARP, and AT&T.
Siena College Research Institute is a member of the American Association for Public Opinion Research (AAPOR), and subscribes to its code of professional ethics and practices.
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