LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION honoring Dr. Richard Guarasci upon the occasion
of the celebration of his 10th Anniversary as President of Wagner
College on October 12, 2012

WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body to recognize and honor
individuals of remarkable integrity and character who devote their life-
work to education, contributing to the welfare of the institutions and
the citizens of their communities, as well as to the quality of educa-
tion and the vitality of this great Empire State; and
WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern and fully in accord with its long-
standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to honor Dr.
Richard Guarasci upon the occasion of the celebration of his 10th Anni-
versary as President of Wagner College; and
WHEREAS, On Friday, October 12, 2012, the entire Wagner College commu-
nity, together with academic and civic leaders from the Metropolitan New
York area and across the country, will celebrate the 10th Anniversary of
the presidency of Dr. Richard Guarasci with a Gala to be held at The
Ritz-Carlton New York, Battery Park; and
WHEREAS, In honor of, and in keeping with Dr. Richard Guarasci's
belief that in order to attract the best students, Wagner must continue
to be competitive and compelling, the Gala will, in addition, benefit
one of the most pressing needs on the Wagner campus: the first new
academic building in more than 40 years, which will be called the Center
for Global Learning; and
WHEREAS, An initiative of the Board of Trustees and under the leader-
ship of Gala co-chairs, Aletta Diamond '65, Louise Kaufman '75 M'78, and
Dianne Powers, the Gala will enable Wagner and the greater community to
honor, recognize and celebrate President Richard Guarasci's 10th Anni-
versary as chief executive and the 15th Anniversary of his outstanding
service to Wagner College, to Staten Island and to higher education
nationally; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Richard Guarasci has served as the 18th President of
Wagner College since June 2002; he previously ably served the college's
Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Richard Guarasci's accomplishments at Wagner are many and
include building the school's endowment from $4 million in 2002 to more
than $65 million in 2012, raising the quality and geographic distrib-
ution of entering students, elevating the scholarship of faculty and
students alike, upgrading the beauty of the campus and its facilities
including the creation of the College's first new residence hall in more
than 40 years, and placing Wagner firmly in the forefront of civic
engagement and experiential learning nationwide; and
WHEREAS, President Guarasci created the undergraduate curriculum, THE
WAGNER PLAN FOR THE PRACTICAL LIBERAL ARTS, which intimately links
classroom teaching with the school's dynamic New York City location
through the extensive use of field based experiential learning; as part
of the Plan, the large majority of students have engaged in a combined
80,000 hours in professional and public service for Staten Island and
Manhattan in all areas of the curriculum; and
WHEREAS, Civic education, particularly service to the Port Richmond
community on Staten Island, is a signature of Wagner's undergraduate
program of which it is justly proud; and
WHEREAS, The Wagner Plan's Freshmen and Senior Programs have been
nationally acclaimed by TIME MAGAZINE, US NEWS & WORLD REPORT, NEWSWEEK,
THE CHRONICLE OF HIGHER EDUCATION and numerous higher education commis-
sions and organizations; the PRINCETON REVIEW has ranked Wagner College
as the Most Beautiful Campus in America and, most recently, US NEWS

ranked it first in the North under the category "Most Innovative
College" and first in the North for its commitment to undergraduate
teaching; and
WHEREAS, Since Dr. Guarasci's arrival, Wagner College has increased
its enrollment by more than 60 percent, its entering SAT scores by 25
percent, the geographical distribution of its student body has increased
to 44 states and 11 countries, its full time faculty has grown by over
30 percent, its annual scholarship level to $20 million, and its endow-
ment from $3 million to $60 million; and
WHEREAS, Also under Dr. Guarasci's leadership, Wagner recently
completed a new state of the art residence hall, Foundation Hall, he
also proudly accepted, on behalf of the College, an award from former
President Bill Clinton and the Clinton Global Initiative University in
recognition of Wagner's Port Richmond Partnership, in which the College
partners with nearly 20 community agencies and schools; and
WHEREAS, For Dr. Guarasci, higher education is all about educating
young people to take their place as active and engaged citizens and
leaders in a multi-cultural democracy; and
WHEREAS, Wagner College well recognizes and appreciates that it is
fortunate to have the benefit of Richard's leadership, vision and
commitment to quality, warmth and good humor and is also grateful to
have in his wife, Carin Guarasci, a presidential spouse who deeply
understands the importance of education, shares Richard's commitment and
passion for everything Wagner, and does so with grace and aplomb; now,
therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
honor Dr. Richard Guarasci upon the occasion of the Gala celebration of
his 10th Anniversary as President of Wagner College on October 12, 2012;
and be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to Dr. Richard Guarasci.