107,903
impact hours contributed
Center for the Common Good
In all we do, we seek to advance the common good.
At the Center for the Common Good, we connect University of St. Thomas students, faculty, and staff with community engagement opportunities so we can understand today’s most pressing social challenges, build mutually-beneficial relationships, and work toward innovative solutions-all for the common good.
When we put our efforts together, we gain a deeper understanding of complex issues, create stronger communities, and become inspired to take action.
Partner with Us
We partner with nonprofits, schools, and government initiatives to create mutually-beneficial opportunities in the community.
2022-2023
Academic Year Stats
400
community partner organizations
237
community-engaged & changemaking courses
3,491
students engaged
49
Tommies received the National Presidential Volunteer Service Award
Featured Initiatives
Tommies Together Volunteer Center
Discover opportunities to address inequities, environmental and other issues by partnering with community organizations.
Learn more about Tommies Together Volunteer Center
VISION
VISION works to effect positive social change in St. Thomas, national, and global communities. We believe this change can happen when there is an opportunity for a relationship between these communities.
Learn more about VISION
Changemaking for the Common Good
Make a positive societal impact, whether as an individual or part of a larger whole, that can ignite positive change in our community.
Learn more about Changemaking for the Common Good
Academic Community Engagement
Examine the systems and theories that relate to complex social challenges in collaboration with community organizations.
Learn more about Academic Community Engagement
Civic Engagement, Voter Education and Advocacy
As members of the Civic Engagement, Voter Education and Advocacy (CEVEA) task force, voter education, voter registration and getting out to vote continues to be a cornerstone of our work.
Learn more about Civic Engagement
Under-told Stories Project
The Under-told Stories Project uses high-quality video storytelling to help students understand and engage with the pressing global issues of our time, to “make the foreign less foreign.”
Learn more about Under-told Stories Project
Additional Initiatives
Tommie Shelf
Tommie Shelf addresses food insecurity on our campus and in our community through partnerships with the Center for the Common Good, the Dean of Students Office, and key community partners Keystone Community Services, Good in the ‘Hood, and Second Harvest Heartland.
One University—One Breath
This collaboration with the Project for Mindfulness & Contemplation (PMC) aims to deepen awareness of ourselves and our community so we’re better prepared to cultivate a more just and compassionate society.
Center for the Common Good News
July 20, 2023
St. Thomas Students Advocate in Washington, D.C.
Two St. Thomas student leaders, rising senior Maggie Sutton and rising sophomore Augie Stewart, recently attended the first-ever Catholic Relief Services (CRS) National Gathering in Washington, D.C. The multiday event, held June 27-30, included meeting with members of Congress to discuss details of the farm bill that would affect crucial foreign aid in places greatly… The post St. Thomas Students Advocate in Washington, D.C. appeared first on Newsroom | University of St. Thomas.
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April 27, 2023
University of St. Thomas Student Recognized on 2023 ALL IN Student Voting Honor Roll
Skye Schultz is one of 175 college students recognized for her nonpartisan democratic engagement work in 2022 ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge (ALL IN) has recognized University of St. Thomas student Skye Schultz as part of the 2023 ALL IN Student Voting Honor Roll. The ALL IN Student Voting Honor Roll awards college students doing… The post University of St. Thomas Student Recognized on 2023 ALL IN Student Voting Honor Roll appeared first on Newsroom | University of St. Thomas.
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April 19, 2023
St. Thomas Presidential Volunteer Award Winners Embody Commitment to the Common Good
The University of St. Thomas President’s Office is proud to recognize the recipients of the 2023 Presidential Volunteer Awards. These awards honor quality contributions to civic and community engagement efforts by students, faculty, staff and organizations who are a part of the Tommie community. Recipients of the awards embody a commitment to positive social change,… The post St. Thomas Presidential Volunteer Award Winners Embody Commitment to the Common Good appeared first on Newsroom | University of St. Thomas.
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December 15, 2022
Dr. Ernie Owens: Building a New Generation of Diverse Leaders
If you spend more than a few minutes with Dr. Ernie Owens, be prepared to talk motorcycles. The Opus College of Business professor attended his first motorcycle convention in 2001. Since then, he’s not only learned how to ride, but he’s also spent countless hours tinkering away, building antique bikes in his garage. “And that’s… The post Dr. Ernie Owens: Building a New Generation of Diverse Leaders appeared first on Newsroom | University of St. Thomas.
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December 13, 2022
How the St. Thomas Shelter Crew Met the Pope
While all University of St. Thomas students have the option to travel to Rome, where the Minnesota school has another campus, it’s not every day that one of them makes the trip to Italy and gets to meet the pope. However, that’s what happened for Taylor Fox, a junior who became involved with the institution’s… The post How the St. Thomas Shelter Crew Met the Pope appeared first on Newsroom | University of St. Thomas.
Leadership and Staff
Dr. Theresa Ricke-Kiely
Dustin Killpack
Kelly Sardon-Garrity
Manuela Hill-Muñoz
Teri Mueller Dorn
About the Center for the Common Good
We believe learning is a catalyst for personal and social transformation. When we work collaboratively with community partners to understand today’s greatest challenges, we become more deeply informed on how to make a positive social change and advance the common good.
Memberships and Affiliations
- Carnegie Classification
- Minnesota Alliance for Volunteer Advancement (MAVA)
- Association for Research on Nonprofit Organizations and Voluntary Action (ARNOVA)
- Contemplative Mind in Society
- International Association for Research on Service-Learning and Community Engagement (IARSLCE)
- Place-Based Justice Network
- Uniservitate Community-Engaged Scholar-Practitioner Network (CESPN)