Saint Joseph's University

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This article is about the university in the United States. For the university in Lebanon, see Université Saint-Joseph.
Saint Joseph's University
File:Sju red trans.jpg
MottoSpirit / Intellect / Purpose
TypePrivate
EstablishedSeptember 15, 1851
AffiliationRoman Catholic (Jesuit)
Endowment$141.2 million
PresidentTimothy R. Lannon, S.J.
Undergraduates4,932 (2007)
Postgraduates2,603 (2007)
Location
Philadelphia
Lower Merion Twp
,
Pennsylvania
,
USA
CampusUrban, 103 acres (416,826 m²)
ColorsCrimson and Grey            
MascotHawks
Websitehttp://www.sju.edu

Saint Joseph's University (also referred to as SJU or St. Joe's) is a private, coeducational Roman Catholic university located partially in Philadelphia and partially in Lower Merion Township and is located in the Pennsylvania Main Line, Pennsylvania, United States.

The school was founded in 1851 as Saint Joseph's College by the Society of Jesus. As of 2007, Saint Joseph's University is one of 28 member institutions of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities. Saint Joseph's University educates over 7,000 students each year in over 40 undergraduate majors, 10 special-study options, 28 study abroad programs, 53 graduate study areas, and an Ed.D. in Educational Leadership. The school is one of 142 nationwide with a Phi Beta Kappa chapter and AACSB business school accreditation.

Saint Joseph's has grown in physical size and national scope in the new millennium. This has culminated in the University being ranked 8th among Best Universities-Master’s (North) in U.S. News and World Report's "America's Best Colleges 2008" edition.

Background

History

On the morning of September 15, 1851, some thirty young men gathered in the courtyard outside Old St. Joseph's Church, located in Willing's Alley off Walnut and Fourth Street, one block from Independence Hall. After attending High Mass and reciting the Veni Creator in the church, these young men were assigned to their classes in a building adjacent to the church. That September morning marked the beginning of a rich and exciting history for Saint Joseph's University.

As far back as 1741, a Jesuit College in Philadelphia had been proposed and planned by Rev. Joseph Greaton, S.J., the first resident pastor of Saint Joseph's Church. The suppression of the Jesuits (1773-1814) and lack of human and financial resources delayed for over a hundred years the realization of Fr. Greaton's plans for a college. Credit for founding the college is given to Rev. Felix Barbelin, S.J., who served as its first president. He, along with four other Jesuits, formed the first faculty of Saint Joseph's College. Before the end of the first academic year, the enrollment rose from fewer than forty to ninety-seven students. In the following year (1852), when the college received its charter of incorporation from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the enrollment grew to 126 students. The fledgling college soon outgrew an increasingly noisy and commercialized location on Willing’s Alley, near Fourth and Walnut Streets. From there the college moved in 1856 to a building at Juniper and Filbert Streets, then in a prosperous residential neighborhood near the future site of City Hall. In 1889 Saint Joseph’s inaugurated its third site at Seventeenth and Stiles Streets in North Philadelphia, in the heart of Philadelphia’s booming industrial zone. In 1922, Saint Joseph's opened the first college radio station on AM radio. In 1927, in recognition of population shifts toward the western part of the city and into the western suburbs, the college moved to 54th and City Avenue, at the very entrance to Philadelphia’s fashionable Main Line and the location where the school currently resides. In the post-World War II period, Saint Joseph’s began to acquire properties across City Avenue on the Main Line itself, propelling the institution physically as well as culturally into the suburbs proper.[1]

In the fall of 1970, the undergraduate day college opened its doors to women, bringing to an end its tradition as an all-male institution. Saint Joseph's was recognized as a university by the Secretary of Education of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania on July 24, 1978. The corporate charter was formally changed to reflect university status on December 27, 1978.

Presidents of St. Joseph's
President From To
Rev. Felix Barbelin, S.J. 1851 ?
? ? 1933
Albert G. Brown, S.J. ? ?
Thomas J. Higgins, S.J. 1933 1939
? 1939 1962
William F. Maloney, S.J. 1962 1968
Terrence Toland, S.J. 1968 1976
Donald I. MacLean, S.J. 1976 1986
Nicholas S. Rashford 1986 2003
Timothy R. Lannon, S.J. 2003 2008

Recent developments and future plans

In 2005, the University agreed to purchase the Merion campus of neighboring Episcopal Academy. Once completed, the acquisition will add 38 acres containing 52 classrooms, eight laboratories, 113 offices, and 14.5 acres of playing fields. Subsequent to the announcement of the agreement, alumnus James J. Maguire '58 donated $10 million to help fund the purchase, and Saint Joseph's officials announced that the tract will be known as the James J. Maguire '58 Campus once the University takes possession of it, expected to be 2008 or 2009. Maguire's gift was later matched by a donation of the same amount by Brian Duperreault '69; the two donations are the largest single alumni gifts in Saint Joseph's history.[2]

In addition to the Maguire Campus, the University recently completed a large state-of-the-art parking facility on 54th Street, next to Borgia Hall, to be named "Hawk's Landing". The facility provides 471 enclosed parking spaces for students, faculty, staff, and basketball game attendees, as well as two first-floor restaurants including Cosi, which is adjacent to Borgia Hall, near Larry's Steaks. The University Bookstore, which is currently located in the middle of campus in Simpson Hall, will be moving to the parking facility's first floor in the center of the first floor for the beginning of the Spring 2008 semester.[3]

On October 6th, 2007, groundbreaking began on the new Saint Joseph's University Fieldhouse expansion and renovation project. The facility will be renamed the Michael J. Hagan Arena upon completion of the project that will include a brand new east wing and south entrance. Flannigan Hall and Barry Annex will be demolished during Fall 2007 to make room for the new wing. Barry Hall will remain standing and renovated into the new Athletic Department office building. The project includes a brand new hall of fame area, basketball suite, varsity locker rooms and offices as well as a full concourse with concessions that allows access to the arena from 54th and Overbrook. The expansion will also add an additional 1,000 person occupancy capacity to the arena.

The rest of the $150 million raised will go towards revamping the library, providing students with financial aid and scholarships, and hiring high caliber faculty.

Demographics

Fifty-nine percent of the student population is from out of state. Eighty-three percent of the students are white, four percent are black, four percent are Hispanic, three percent are Asian, and one percent are Native American. Fifty-one percent of the students are men and forty-nine percent are women.[4] There is also a nearly even split between students who study at the College of Arts and Sciences and the Haub School of Business. Sixty-one percent of traditional full time students reside on campus. The university is considered to be highly selective during its admissions process and it's freshmen retention rate is eighty-nine percent. Over 30 states and 30 countries are represented by the student body. Ninety-eight percent of faculty hold the highest possible degrees in their respective field.

Academics

College of Arts and Sciences

The goal of education in the College of Arts and Sciences is to "stimulate the mind to think more critically and more imaginatively; the heart to feel more compassionately; and the spirit to be more attentive to the intimations of the divine in the world." The College of Arts and Sciences is comprised of 16 departments, offering a wide array of majors as well as many interdisciplinary minors. These programs include actuarial science, aerospace studies (Air Force ROTC), Asian studies, biology, chemistry, computer science, criminal justice, economics, education, English, environmental science, European studies, fine and performing arts, foreign languages and literatures, gender studies, history, interdisciplinary health services, international relations, labor studies, Latin American studies, mathematics, Medieval and Renaissance Studies, philosophy, physics, political science, psychology, sociology, and theology.

Graduate degrees in the College of Arts and Sciences include biology, computer science, criminal justice, education, gerontological services, health administration, health education, nurse anesthesia, psychology, public safety and environmental protection, training and organizational development, and writing studies. Many of the programs offer post-master's certificates in a variety of areas. The College also offers a doctoral degree in education.

Erivan K. Haub School of Business

The mission of the Haub School of Business is to "support the aspirations of students to master the fundamental principles and practices of business in a diverse, ethical, and globally aware context. All degree programs stress the development of the knowledge, skills, abilities, and values that prepare our graduates to assume leadership roles in organizations of all sizes and types."

The MBA program offers concentrations in Accounting, Decision and System Sciences, Finance, Health and Medical Services, Human Resource Management, International Business, International Marketing, Management, and Marketing.

Undergraduate programs include Accounting, Decision and System Sciences, Finance, Food Marketing, International Business and Marketing, Management, Marketing, and Pharmaceutical Marketing.

In addition to the MBA program, HSB offers graduate degrees in Human Resource Management, Financial Services, International Marketing, Decision & System Sciences, an Executive MBA, Executive MS in Food Marketing, Executive MBAs in Food Marketing and Pharmaceutical Marketing, and a number of China Programs. The school also offers post-MBA certificate programs

Haub School of Business features a Wall Street Trading Room. The room provides access to electronic sources of financial and investment data, analytical tools, and trading simulations.

The HSB was awarded The Beta Gamma Sigma 2006 and 2007 Silver Chapter Award and has been ranked in numerous reports and studies done by national companies, magazines, and websites.

University College

The University College is Saint Joseph's undergraduate continuing studies division. As early as 1852, the administration at Saint Joseph's organized educational opportunities for adults. A regular series of non-credit courses in several areas was offered beginning in 1942, and beginning in 1946, the Evening Division, which would eventually be known as University College, was formally established. In addition to traditional on-campus programs and majors, University College offers accelerated degree programs in English and professional communications, health administration, and leadership. Adult students wishing to pursue a degree during the day take advantage of the division's bridge program, and professionals in certain areas can take part in off-campus programs in professional communications, criminal justice, food marketing, and purchasing and acquisitions.

Rankings

In addition to the University's overall ranking by U.S. News & World Report, the publication ranks the Haub School of Business' part-time master's program 8th in the North region and the best in Philadelphia. HSB is also ranked by BusinessWeek (76th in the nation for its undergraduate program) and The Princeton Review (mentioned as one of "The Best 143 Business Schools" in 2007[2]). Saint Joseph's was also featured on Princeton Review's list of top 222 colleges in the Northeast. Associated Content called the university a "Durable Jesuit jewel" and Barron's Profiles of American Colleges rate Saint Joseph's as "very competitive" among colleges and universities nationwide.

Campus

Saint Joseph's University is located on City Avenue, which splits the University between the northwestern edge of Philadelphia and Lower Merion Township. Its 65 (soon to be 103) acres are concentrated from Cardinal Avenue to 52nd Street and Overbrook Avenue to City Avenue, but also includes individual buildings separate from the main campus. With the acquisition of the Maguire Campus, 57 of the 103 acres will be located on the Lower Merion side of City Avenue. There are 650 work stations on campus and all of the dorms are wired for access to the campus-wide network. There are two libraries on campus, the Campbell Collection in Food Marketing & the Francis A. Drexel Library which house approximately 350,000 volumes, 1,288 print journals, 10,000 full-text electronic journals, 4,500 e-books, and 866,000 microforms.

Buildings

Saint Joseph's most recognizable building is Barbelin Hall, opened in 1927 when the University moved to its current location. The hall is known for its Gothic architecture, particularly the gargoyles that mark the quadrangle and the tall, four-spired bell tower that can be seen from miles away. The bell tower that sits atop Barbelin served as the University's logo for several years and is located upon Philadelphia's highest geograhical location.

Barbelin, and adjacent Lonergan Hall, are one of six dedicated classroom buildings on campus. Other class buildings include John R. Post Hall, Mandeville Hall, Bellarmine Hall, the Science Center, and Boland Hall, the University's fine arts building which features the University Gallery where paintings and other works of art are showcased to students and the public. Classes are also held in Claver Hall, the home of the Honors Program; McShain Hall, a residence center; and the ELS building for international students.

The University has three dormitory-style residence halls: McShain, Sourin Hall, and LaFarge Residence Center. Students also live in several campus houses, including Barry, Flanigan, Hogan, Jordan, Quirk, St. Albert's, St. Mary's, Simpson, Sullivan, Tara, and Xavier Halls and the Morris Quadrangle Townhouses. Apartment-style living is available on campus at Ashwood, Borgia, Merion Gardens, Rashford, and Wynnewood. Rashford and Borgia Halls are the newest campus residences, opened in 2004.

Many of the campuses houses are located on Lapsley Lane, which features a number of campus offices housed in the former homes of Lower Merion residents. These include Bronstein Hall, Regis Hall (Office of the President), and St. Thomas Hall.

The Campion Student Center is where students generally go to eat. It includes the Hawk's Nest, Campion Food Court, Campion C-Store, Quizno's, Bene Pizza, Ancho Grill, Hawk Wrap, Grille Works, Freshens Smoothie Co., and Jump Asian. The Bellarmine Express is also a popular place for a quick meal. The Student Center also has a Theatre Forum where movies are shown frequently and an area called the Hawk Rock where students can play pool, watch movies, play videogames, or watch live bands.

In all, there are 53 buildings on the university's campus.

Athletics

Main article: Saint Joseph's Hawks
File:SaintJosephsHawks.png

Saint Joseph's University is home of the Hawks, the University's athletic program. It fields teams in 20 varsity sports in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association. The Hawks are part of to the Atlantic Ten Conference; because the Atlantic 10 does not support men's lacrosse, the Hawks play that sport in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. Along with the Atlantic 10, Saint Joseph's is a member of the Philadelphia Big 5, intensifying rivalries with Temple University and Villanova University. The Saint Joseph's school colors are crimson and gray.

Men's basketball is the most popular sport at Hawk Hill. The team has competed in eighteen NCAA Tournaments (1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1965, 1966, 1969, 1971, 1973, 1974, 1981, 1982, 1986, 1997, 2001, 2003, 2004) and has won seven Atlantic 10 regular season titles and two A-10 tournament championships and ranks 33rd all time with a .605 winning percentage[3]. The team is currently led by coach Phil Martelli. The 2003-2004 Saint Joseph's University Hawks were the last Major Division I College Basketball team to finish the Regular Season undefeated. Saint Joseph's ended the regular season with a 27-0 record and secured a #1 ranking and a #1 seed in the NCAA tournament. Saint Joseph's University's basketball team was ranked 43rd best of all-time by Smith & Street's magazine in 2005[4].

The Saint Joseph's basketball teams play most of their home games at Alumni Memorial Fieldhouse on the school's campus, while some games are played at the Palestra on the campus of the University of Pennsylvania. During the 2008-09 basketball season, the Hawks will play all home games at the Palestra[5]. Saint Joseph's University also offers 30 intramural and recreational programs. Their historic rival has been the Explorers of La Salle University, Their recent major rival, especially in men's basketball, is Villanova University (known locally as the Holy War).

Fans of the Hawks often chant "The Hawk Will Never Die!". Since the school's "undefeated" season, in which it was defeated twice, this chant has gained familiarity with the team's opponents. In 2003, Sports Illustrated listed that cheer among The 100 Things You Gotta Do Before You Graduate (Whatever the Cost), calling it "the most defiant cheer in college sports"[6].

SJU's mascot, The Hawk, has garnered numerous accolades in its 50-year history. It won a "Best of Philly" award from Philadelphia Magazine in 2003-04, has been named the Atlantic 10 Conference's best mascot, and has been selected as the nation's top mascot by The Sporting News, Sports Illustrated, Sports Illustrated for Kids, Street & Smith's Basketball Yearbook, and ESPN College Basketball magazine.[7].

St. Joseph's is also a member of the City 6. Similar to the Big 5, the City 6 comprises six local colleges who compete in various extramural sporting events. The schools who compete are St. Joseph's, Villanova University, University of Pennsylvania, La Salle University, Drexel University, and Temple University.

Saint Joseph's University will host first and second round games of the 2009 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament. The games will be played at the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on March 19 and March 21.

Athletic Facilities

  • East Norriton Field: Located in East Norriton, Pa., East Norriton Field has served as Saint Joseph's University home softball field for the past 11 seasons. Prior to its move to East Norriton Field, SJU used nearby Belmont Plateau as its primary home field.
  • Elmwood Park: The home of Saint Joseph's University baseball is Elmwood Park's Latshaw/McCarthy Field in Norristown, Pa. Originally laid out in 1938, the field was being rebuilt when the Hawks moved in for the 1990 season. The park's dimensions measure 328 feet to the foul poles and 393 feet to center field.
  • Robert Gillin, Jr. Boathouse: Saint Joseph's University celebrated its sesquicentennial anniversary in 2000-01. In conjunction with that celebration, the SJU Rowing Program, along with Saint Joseph's Prep, kicked off a capital campaign to finance the construction of a state-of-the-art boathouse on the Schuylkill River. The boathouse provides a permanent home for the Hawk rowing programs. In addition, it provides the University with a significant presence on Kelly Drive. Named in honor of Robert Gillin, Jr., groundbreaking for the facility took place in the fall of 2001 with construction expected to be completed in time for the 2002-03 academic year. The total cost for the project was approximately $3 million dollars, plus an endowment fund to support ongoing operational costs.
  • Finnesey Field: Laid out in a natural bowl in the center of Saint Joseph's campus, Finnesey Field has been the home of Hawk athletic teams since 1929. Originally constructed for football and opened in 1929 with plans for an eventual 70,000-seat stadium, the field has undergone numerous changes over the years.
  • Finnesey Courts: Adjacent to Finnesey Field stand the Finnesey Courts, home to the Hawk men's and women's tennis teams since the late 1940s. Prior to that SJU primarily played its home matches at the nearby Narberth courts. When courts were first built on campus, they were located where Bellarmine Hall now stands. Due to Bellarmine's construction in the summer of 1960, however, the Finnesey courts were torn down and rebuilt in their current location.
  • Alumni Memorial Fieldhouse: The on-campus home of the Hawks, was named for the Saint Joseph's graduates who gave their lives in World War II. The building was officially dedicated on November 11, 1949 and two weeks later, played host to its first basketball game, a 62-46 loss to Rhode Island on November 26. Following that initial setback, SJU would go on to win the next 23 games in the friendly confines of the Fieldhouse. Overall, the Hawks have compiled an impressive 305-76 record (80.0 winning percentage) on Hawk Hill. Among the highlights of the Hawks' homecourt advantage was a 34-game winning streak from the late 1950's to the early 1960's, an 11-0 record in 2000-01 and the unbeaten 11-0 mark as the Hawks made their perfect season run in 2003-04. All told, SJU has had only two losing records in the Fieldhouse over 57 seasons. The Fieldhouse currently can hold 3,200 fans but will soon be renovated to add another 1,000 seats. After the renovation is complete, it will be renamed Michael J. Hagan Arena.

The university also has a 240 by 120 four-court multi-purpose area for basketball, tennis, and volleyball, an indoor four-lane 200-yard jogging track, an 8-lane 25-meter indoor pool with a 300 seat observation area, four racquetball courts, locker rooms and saunas, a large fitness center, and four outdoor tennis courts.

Organizations

The school offers many organizations for students to join. They include:

Black Student Union; Asian Student Association; Latino Student Association; International Student Association; Caribbean Student Association; Hawks of India; University Student Senate; Student Union Board; SJU 'til 2; Community Service; Immersion Programs, Up 'til Dawn, Orientation Team; Greek Life; Accounting Society; Adventure Sports Club; Alpha Gamma Delta; Alpha Omicron Pi; Alpha Phi Sorority; American Institute of Biological Sciences (A. I. B. S. ); American Marketing Association; Amnesty International; Arnold Air Society-Independence Hall Squadron; Asian Student Association; Best Buddies; Black Student Union; Capoeira Club; Caps and Bells, Dramatic Arts Society; Caribbean Student Association; Cheerleaders; CLAY (Creating Leaders Around You); College Democrats; College Republicans; Colleges Against Cancer; Collegiate Challenge; Concert Committee; Council for Exceptional Children; Cricket Club; Crimson & Gray Literary Magazine; Dance Team; Delta Sigma Pi; Education Society; Field Hockey; Finance Society; Food Marketing Association; French Club; German Club; Golf Club (Women's); Greatonian Yearbook; GREEN COW; Habitat for Humanity; Hand In Hand; Hawk Arts; Hawk Newspaper; Hawks Abroad; Hawks for Women; Hawks of India; Hayes History Society; Health Professions Club; Helping and Watching Kids Succeed; Helping Hawks; Holding Hawks Responsible; Ice Hockey; Inter Fraternity Council; International Student Association (I. S. A. ); Irish Student Association; ISSS/BITS; Italian Club; Jazz Band; Lacrosse Club (Men'); Lambda Chi Alpha Fraternity; Latino Student Association (L. S. A. ); Management Information Systems Society; Management Society; Martial Arts Club; Mc Kenna Pre Law Society; Middle East Etc. Minority Association of Premedical Students (MAPS); Molloy Chemical Society; Moore Psychological Society; NSCS; Order of Omega-Greek Honor Society; Orientation Team; Panhellenic Council; Pep Band; Pharmaceutical Marketing Association/PILOT; Physics Society; Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity; Polish Cultural Society; Political Action Club; Political Science Club; Roller Hockey Club; Rugby Club (Men's); Rugby Club (Women's); S. T. O. P.; Sigma Phi Epsilon Fraternity; Sigma Sigma Sigma Sorority; SJU Students Against Sweatshops; SJU Students for Unicef; SJU 'til 2; Ski Club; Soccer Club (Women's); Spanish Club; S-PSEA; Student Booster Club; Student Commuter Club; Student Theatre Guild; Student Union Board (S. U. B. ); Students for Life; Students for Peace and Justice; Tennis Club; University Singers; University Student Senate (U. S. S); Up 'Til Dawn; Villiger Debating Society; Volleyball; Women's Organization; WSJR Radio.

Greek Life

Approximately 8% of men and 11% of women are in fraternities and sororities, respectively.

Fraternities

Sororities

Traditions

  • Hawk Hill: In the early 1920s, when former University president Albert G. Brown, S.J. decided to move the college campus from its location just north of the city at Seventeenth and Stiles to its current site in Overbrook on Philadelphia's west side, he selected the location in part because its hilltop perch overlooking downtown Philadelphia provided a dramatic setting for the construction of the college's main building, Barbelin Hall. In fact, for many years Barbelin's signature carillon tower ranked as the highest point from sea level in the city of Philadelphia. Later, according to oral tradition, students and faculty frequently saw real hawks circling the skies above Barbelin, before swooping down on their prey. The familiar scene eventually led to the coining of the moniker "Hawk Hill".
  • Colors: The college colors of crimson and gray date back to the 1890s when it is related that a young seminarian leading a pep rally saw the colors on a book he was holding. Thinking they looked attractive together, he announced that these would be the school colors.
  • Fight Songs: "Oh When the Hawks Go flying In!!" and "Mine Eyes".
  • Free Period: There are no scheduled classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays between 11:15 and 1:00 which allows students to relax, catch up, or enjoy themselves.
  • University Chapel: Being a Jesuit institution, the Chapel is an important and popular place for many students.
  • Basketball: Going to and chanting "The Hawk Will Never Die" at St. Joseph's Hawks basketball games.
  • Larry's Steaks: Right near the campus on 54th Street, Larry's Steaks has served SJU students with classic Philly cheese steaks for years.

Notable alumni

Politics

Business

Religion

Sports

Other

References

  1. ^ http://www.sju.edu/sjupress/pages/Sju_html/history_home.html
  2. ^ http://www.sju.edu/laptop/hsb/
  3. ^ http://www.ncaa.org/stats/m_basketball/all_time_wins/2007_all_time_wins.pdf
  4. ^ http://daresler.net/info/top/basketball-programs/
  5. ^ http://www.philly.com/dailynews/sports/20080109_St__Joes_-_Hawks_to_call_Palestra_home_in_08-09.html
  6. ^ The 100 Things You Gotta Do Before You Graduate (Whatever the Cost), Sports Illustrated
  7. ^ [1], SJU.edu

External links

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