For nearly 70 years, Molloy University has enjoyed a strong relationship with the Village of Rockville Centre. The University, the RVC business community and other local leaders recently explored how existing bonds could be expanded in a mutually beneficial way.
Members of the Rockville Centre Chamber of Commerce and representatives of the Mayor’s Office met with Molloy officials to flesh out the initiative, called “Communiversity.” The project is the brainchild of Dana Lentini, the spouse of Molloy University President James Lentini.
The Lentinis, married since 1989, have enjoyed the special connection between the universities the president has served during his long academic career and the communities where they are located. He began his tenure as Molloy’s seventh president in June 2020.
When their family of five arrived in Rockville Centre, the COVID-19 pandemic was in full force. Their initial introduction to the community unfolded slowly, but they now count many Rockville Centre leaders, including Mayor Francis Murray, as friends.
“Our campus is in this beautiful town of Rockville Centre, and Molloy brings so much to our community,” Dana said, citing the nursing and other academic programs as well as the university’s athletic program and participation in local parades and other community events.
She regards Rockville Centre and Long Island as the “biggest small town we’ve ever lived in.”
“Everybody knows everybody…Demographically, there’s a lot more people here. Everyone is still very close-knit. There is a real sense of community.”
Mrs. Lentini inquired about the University’s relationship with the local business community in a conversation with Diane Fornieri, the chief of staff to President Lentini and secretary to the University’s Board of Trustees.
“I wanted to see if we could make more of a connection with our businesses. To say, ‘Hey, we’re here,’” she said.
President Lentini, in a letter announcing the project, said, “Our mission as a ‘Communiversity’ is to promote each other by supporting our local merchants, organizations, schools and hometown university.”
Noting that Molloy enrolls more than 4,500 students and has three residence halls and a 550-seat performing arts center, Lentini said, “We are blessed to be located in such a vibrant and wonderful community.”
Communiversity has gone live on village streets where decals are now prominently posted in the windows of dozens of shops and restaurants in RVC’s downtown area. QR codes on the decals connect to Molloy athletic teams’ intercollegiate schedules as well as upcoming arts programming at the Madison Theatre on campus.
Participating businesses will be listed with their logo free of charge on Molloy’s parent portal, facilitating purchases for their loved ones.
Fornieri serves as the on-campus point person, along with support from Janine Biscari, vice president for student affairs, and others.
“We have gone to at least 95 shops in town, asking them to put the decals in their windows,” Fornieri said. “And we’ve gotten an amazing response.”
The decals, and the president’s letter, are delivered by Molloy student-athletes, who engage the shopkeepers. It’s a win-win situation for the student-athletes, said Molloy Athletic Director Susan Cassidy-Lyke.
“We’ve had good success,” she said, explaining that most student-athletes are outgoing by nature and happy to represent their university. Since some of Molloy’s student-athletes hail from other states and countries, Communiversity can serve as a good introduction to Rockville Centre.
“Most of the people are very happy to meet people from Molloy. It’s good for the athletes to meet people in our community.”
Cassidy-Lyke said Molloy is proud to be Rockville Centre’s university and she hopes to deepen the bonds with the local community through Communiversity.
“It’s a great idea for people that live in that community to bring kids to our clinics and games,” she said. “Anywhere we participate, at the RVC sports complex, we always have games there…I’m hoping this builds a little more camaraderie.”
“We’re proud that Molloy is located in Rockville Centre, and we want Rockville Centre to be proud that Molloy is in their footprint.”
Jeannine Palladino, the proprietor of Jeannine’s Gifts on Park Avenue, has been a big Communiversity supporter, as a business owner and a Molloy alumnus. One of the first business owners to join up, she has participated in meetings for more than six months.
She sees an opportunity to build her customer base while spreading the word about the good things Molloy accomplishes. She mentioned a recent visit when Fornieri brought a group of out-of-town parents to her store.
“I was telling them, ‘You can call me, and I’ll deliver gifts…if it’s your son or daughter’s birthday.’ It’s a good opportunity for the students and faculty to become new customers. And it’s a way for us to support each other.”
Thinking back to her own Molloy years, Palladino said the university “is the kind of place where you get a lot of attention, attention you wouldn’t get at a really big school.” She is excited to see how Communiversity takes off and to help make sure it does.
“We’re just getting started. It’s a great group of people,” she said. “We sit around the table, and the ideas start flowing. I do think there are going to be more and more opportunities for the university and community to work hand in hand.”
One initiative took place on Move-in Day, Sept. 4, which was also Labor Day, when 300-plus resident students returned to campus or arrived for the first time.
Participating businesses were encouraged to donate branded items or coupons for the move-in bags given out to resident students and their parents that day. Front Street Bakery committed to including their famous “dot” cookies and others like George Martin’s Burger Bar provided gift cards and coupons among other items for each bag.
The goal, Fornieri said, is to continue developing ways “to partner” with local businesses. She suggested one possibility might be to set up tables for proprietors at next summer’s orientation sessions for incoming students.
“We want to engage the community into Molloy, and vice versa,” she said.
Mrs. Lentini said she and her husband have met parents from such faraway states as California, Texas, Arizona and others as their children moved into the Molloy dorms. Many spoke in glowing terms about Rockville Centre and all it offers. She said she hopes to build on those good feelings.
The Rockville Chamber of Commerce has been “gung-ho” in promoting Communiversity, she said. One member recently offered the idea of a package combining a show at the Madison Theatre with dinner at a restaurant in town.
“We have all these resources,” Mrs. Lentini said. “We just need to come together and feel that connection.”