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
November 28, 2023
Center for the Common Good Attends World Day of the Poor Conference
University of St. Thomas student Maddy Orr and staff member Manuela Hill-Muñoz recently attended a conference at the Church of the U.N. in New York City to learn about the World Day of the Poor, as established by Pope Francis in 2016. The conference was organized by Catholic Relief Services (CRS, the official international Catholic… The post Center for the Common Good Attends World Day of the Poor Conference appeared first on Newsroom | University of St. Thomas.
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October 27, 2023
Opus College of Business Professor Emeritus Publishes Third Edition of Business Economics Book
Cambridge University Press recently published the third edition of Dr. Charles M. “Mel” Gray’s co-authored book, The Economics of Art and Culture. Gray is Professor Emeritus of Business Economics in the Opus College of Business and Senior Fellow with the Center for the Common Good. The third edition was delayed by the death of Gray’s original… The post Opus College of Business Professor Emeritus Publishes Third Edition of Business Economics Book appeared first on Newsroom | University of St. Thomas.
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October 23, 2023
Sister Norma Pimentel Encourages St. Thomas Community to Step Out of Comfort Zone
Sister Norma Pimentel, a dedicated advocate for change, encouraged the University of St. Thomas community to become more compassionate supporters of positive immigration and social change. Living in Texas, Pimentel witnessed the crisis at the U.S.-Mexico border firsthand. When she joined a group of sisters involved in taking care of immigrants in shelters, Pimentel found… The post Sister Norma Pimentel Encourages St. Thomas Community to Step Out of Comfort Zone appeared first on Newsroom | University of St. Thomas.
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October 20, 2023
In the News: Sister Norma Pimentel, the 'Pope's Favorite Nun,' Visits With St. Thomas Students
Sister Norma Pimentel, Mexican-American nun of the Missionaries of Jesus and the executive director of Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley, recently visited with students at the University of St. Thomas, and - along with St. Thomas senior Maggie Sutton - spoke with KSTP-TV ahead of the on-campus event, deemed "Popping Bubbles." From the story: As… The post In the News: Sister Norma Pimentel, the 'Pope's Favorite Nun,' Visits With St. Thomas Students appeared first on Newsroom | University of St. Thomas.
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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.
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)