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
March 20, 2024
St. Thomas Students Advocate for Financial Aid Parity at Minnesota Capitol
Dare Akinmusire ’24 is just weeks from walking across the graduation stage at the University of St. Thomas. But before officially throwing his cap in the air, the senior is delivering a personal message to the Minnesota Legislature: their vote can make it possible for more students like him to succeed in college. A Minnesota… The post St. Thomas Students Advocate for Financial Aid Parity at Minnesota Capitol appeared first on Newsroom | University of St. Thomas.
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March 19, 2024
Podcast Series Explores Finding Purpose After College
The “Work in Progress with Christopher Wong Michaelson” podcast recently recorded a four-part series titled “In Search of Careers and the Common Good,” which includes candid conversations with professionals across three different career stages – early, middle and encore. “One thing I often say to (my students) is that if they’re only in college to… The post Podcast Series Explores Finding Purpose After College appeared first on Newsroom | University of St. Thomas.
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March 12, 2024
ALL IN for St. Thomas Voters
The University of St. Thomas Civic Engagement, Voter Education and Advocacy (CEVEA) task force in the Center for the Common Good scored 35 out of 36 in this year’s ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge and the voter-friendly campus initiative. All action plans with a score of at least 31.5 or more points receive a seal… The post ALL IN for St. Thomas Voters appeared first on Newsroom | University of St. Thomas.
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March 12, 2024
St. Thomas Takes Steps to ‘Reduce the Rancor’
In an effort to help foster civility and diminish political polarization, the University of St. Thomas co-hosted the kickoff event for the statewide initiative, Reduce the Rancor. The university, in collaboration with the nonprofit organization Braver Angels, seeks to elevate discourse and reshape perspectives on political differences without altering individuals’ views on the issues themselves.… The post St. Thomas Takes Steps to ‘Reduce the Rancor’ appeared first on Newsroom | University of St. Thomas.
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February 22, 2024
St. Thomas Students Witness Challenges and Hope During Immigration Immersion Trip
During J-Term, 11 University of St. Thomas students, accompanied by Manuela Hill-Munoz, director of social justice and changemaking, and history professor Dr. Kari Zimmerman, volunteered for 10 days at the Humanitarian Respite Center (HRC) in McAllen, Texas. They supported the center in its efforts to provide recent immigrants to the U.S. with a safe place… The post St. Thomas Students Witness Challenges and Hope During Immigration Immersion Trip 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)