Commitment to Ethical Action

Higher education has a unique role in the improvement of society. We advance knowledge, engage our community, and prepare the next generation to engage responsibly with the challenges of the world. Students will find at Marist a tradition, a curriculum, a campus, and a community that will prepare them to engage vigorously with their global community. Imprinted into its institutional DNA by our founders, the College’s historic commitment to ethical action fosters community engagement with rigorous planning, innovative implementation, and constant evaluation. By creating an open, diverse, and inclusive campus environment, promoting the development and dissemination of knowledge, and being directly involved with our communities, we can help make the world more just, peaceful, and prosperous. Marist continuously expands our impact on our local, regional, national, and international communities.

Fostering a Globally Active Campus Community

Visitors to campus are always struck by the strong sense of community here, which manifests itself in ways large and small: The way people interact with and support each other; The way the community rallies around someone in need. It’s a place where students are are actively engaged in the community and world around them through both service and study abroad. Fully 50 percent of our undergraduates study abroad, one of the highest proportions in the country. Indeed, we are constantly impressed by our students’ enthusiasm for all they do. That sense of community is also enhanced by both our spectacular campus on the shores of the Hudson River and our campus in the historic center of Florence, Italy. Marist is proud to produce ethical and globally engaged citizens who are prepared to take their place in today’s interconnected world.

"Doing Good Quietly"

At Marist, we recognize that those of us who have been blessed by good fortune have an obligation to give back, and that’s why our commitment to social justice and serving others runs so deep. As an institution, Marist supports a wide variety of programs to meet the community’s needs and broaden access to education. We are proud to belong to the American Talent Initiative to increase the number of underrepresented students graduating from college. We also encourage our students to get involved in community service – not only because it’s the right thing to do, but because it’s also good preparation for life. Marist students volunteer in our local community and around the world – everything from mentoring young people right here in Poughkeepsie to building houses in Arkansas to teaching computer skills to children in Mexico. They raise money to help wounded warriors, fight HIV/AIDS, and defeat breast cancer, and they do it all with a sense of optimism that they can have a lasting impact. We believe that service to others builds character. Our founders, the Marist Brothers call it “doing good quietly,” and it is what all of us are called upon to do.