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| Motto | Veritas[1] |
|---|---|
Motto in English | Truth |
| Type | Private university |
| Established | 1917; 109 years ago (1917)[2] |
| Accreditation | NECHE |
Religious affiliation | Catholic (Dominican)[3] |
Academic affiliations | ACCU NAICU Space-grant |
| Endowment | $321 million (2023)[4] |
| President | Kenneth R. Sicard |
Academic staff | 310 full-time ordinary 28Dominican Friars and Sisters[5] |
| Students | 4,816 (Spring 2021)[6] |
| Undergraduates | 4,363 (Fall 2023)[6] |
| Postgraduates | 688 (Spring 2021)[6] |
| Location | , Rhode Island ,United States 41°50′38″N71°26′06″W / 41.84389°N 71.43500°W /41.84389; -71.43500 |
| Campus | Urban, 105 acres (.425 km2)[5] |
| Colors | Providence Black, Pantone Metallic 877, and White[7] [8] |
| Nickname | Friars |
Sporting affiliations | |
| Mascot |
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| Website | providence |
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Providence College is a privateCatholic university inProvidence, Rhode Island. Founded in 1917 by theDominican Order and theDiocese of Providence, it offers 47 undergraduatemajors and 17 graduate programs.[5]
The college requires all of its undergraduate students to complete 16 credits in the Development of Western Civilization, a major part of the college's core curriculum.[9] In the spring of 2021, it enrolled 4,128 undergraduate students and 688 graduate students for a total enrollment of 4,816 students. Inathletics, Providence College competes inNCAA Division I, and is a founding member of theoriginal Big East Conference andHockey East. It was part of the original six other basketball-centric Catholic colleges which broke off from the original Big East (today'sAmerican Athletic Conference) to form the currentBig East at the start of the 2013–14 academic year.
In 1917, Providence College was founded as an all-male school through the efforts of theDiocese of Providence and theDominican Province of St. Joseph. The central figure in the college's incorporation wasMatthew Harkins, Bishop of Providence, who sought an institution that would establish a center of advanced learning for the Catholic youth of Rhode Island.[2]
Opening its doors at the corner of Eaton Street and River Avenue with only one building, Harkins Hall,[2] the college under inaugural president Dennis Albert Casey, O.P. (1917–1921), began with 71 students and nine Dominican faculty members. Under second president William D. Noon, O.P. (1921–1927), the college added its firstlay faculty member and opened its first dormitory, Guzman Hall (now known asMartin Hall).[10] Under President Lorenzo C. McCarthy, O.P. (1927–1936), Providence College athletics soon received their moniker as the "Friars." With black and white as team colors, the school had early success inbasketball,football, andbaseball. In 1933, the school receivedregional accreditation by theNew England Association of Schools and Colleges.[10] The college conferred its firstMaster of Arts,Doctor of Philosophy, andMaster of Science degrees by 1935, which was also the year that the school's newspaper (The Cowl) was first published.[10]
The college's fundraising efforts during World War II spurred the physical growth of the campus. One of the most notable gifts came from a youngMGM film star,Judy Garland, who at just fifteen years old, sold autographs in front of theLoew's State Theater for $5-$10 per copy on February 18, 1938. Judy brought the gifts to a Bridge and Fashion Show and gave them to Father Dillon's Aquinas Hall Fund.[11]
By 1939, Aquinas Hall dormitory had been built to accommodate more students enrolling in general studies, but with the impact of World War II upon enrollment, President John J. Dillon, O.P. (1936–1944) lobbied Rhode Island's congressional delegation to pressure the War Department to assign Providence College anArmy Specialized Training Program unit. Unit #1188 arrived on campus in the summer of 1943, allowing the college to continue operation.[12] A class of approximately 380 soldiers-in-training studied engineering at Providence College for a year before going overseas.[12]
Robert J. Slavin, O.P. served as president from 1947 to 1961. During his tenure in 1955, Providence acquired the House of Good Shepherd property that pushed the original boundaries of campus to Huxley Avenue.[13] Slavin also oversaw the establishment of theReserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) on campus in 1951 and the Liberal Arts Honors Program in 1957.[13]
The athletics program of the college was accepted into theNational Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in 1948.[13] Prior to the opening ofAlumni Hall gymnasium in 1955, the men's basketball team played in local Providence high schools. The college hiredJoe Mullaney as the men's basketball coach.[13]
President Vincent C. Dore, O.P. (1961–1965) opened the doors of the college's graduate school as well as a new dormitory building, now called Meagher Hall.[13] President William P. Haas, O.P. (1965–1971) openedPhillips Memorial Library in 1969.[14]
In 1967, the college added its first lay faculty members in the Departments of Theology and Philosophy, as well as its first full-time female faculty member.[14] Two years later, the studentdress code was abolished.[14] In 1970, the college decided to admit women starting with the 1971–1972 school year.[14] The same year, the first female administrator was hired.[14] By 1975, the first year in which women graduated after completing a four-year course of study, women had attained highly visible positions in school organizations. Anne Martha Frank was the first woman to editThe Cowl, the college's weekly newspaper. Patricia Slonina became the first woman editor of the literary magazine,The Alembic. Ana Margarita Cabrera was the first woman to edit the school yearbook,The Veritas.[citation needed]
Subsequent president Thomas R. Peterson, O.P. (1971–1985) instituted the Development of Western Civilization program, while in 1974, the college acquired the property of the former Charles V. Chapin Hospital on the other side of Huxley Avenue.[15] The campus was then split in half by Huxley Avenue, providing an "Upper" campus (due to the uphill nature of the landscape on Smith Hill) and "Lower" campus (the new, flatter area of the college). In 1974, the School of Continuing Education awarded the college's firstAssociate's degree.[15]
With men's basketball tickets becoming a hot commodity at the 2,600-seatAlumni Hall gymnasium, and with the opening of theProvidence Civic Center in 1972, the Friars moved downtown in time for theirFinal Four appearance behind Providence nativesErnie DiGregorio andMarvin Barnes.[15] Two years later, the men's hockey team played its first season in the new home on campus, asSchneider Arena opened in 1974 withRon Wilson leading the way.[15]
In the early morning hours of December 13, 1977, a dormitory fire killed ten female residents of Aquinas Hall.[16] Meanwhile, the demographics of the student body continued to change, as women outnumbered men in incoming classes and non-Rhode Island students soon outnumbered in-state students.[15] In 1984, Peterson also opened St. Thomas Aquinas Priory at the entrance of campus to accommodate the growing number of Dominican brethren living on campus.[15]
John F. Cunningham, O.P. (1985–1994) succeeded Peterson as president in 1985 and saw the Friarsmen's hockey team win the inauguralHockey East Championship the same year over rivalBoston College and reach the championship game of theNCAA tournament to lose 2–1 toRensselaer Polytechnic Institute.[17] Men's basketball again took center stage on the Providence campus, as coachRick Pitino and seniorBilly Donovan took the Friars to their second Final Four appearance in the1987 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament. Cunningham used the exposure and fundraising opportunities to build two apartment-style residence halls on campus, Davis and Bedford Halls, providing an alternative to dormitory and off-campus housing for upperclassmen.[17]
Philip A. Smith, O.P. (1994–2005) succeeded Cunningham in 1994[18] and oversaw the new influence of women's athletics at Providence, as several alumni and then-current students won the gold medal forwomen's ice hockey as part of theU.S. national team in the1998 Winter Olympics inNagano, Japan.[citation needed]
By 2001, a new on-campus chapel was built, St. Dominic Chapel, followed three years later by the construction of two other major buildings on "Lower" campus: Suites Hall, a suite-style residence hall to provide added upperclassmen housing, and the Smith Center for the Arts.[18] PresidentBrian J. Shanley, O.P. (2005–2020) oversaw the construction of the Concannon Fitness Center in 2007 as part of an overall renovation to Alumni Hall, as well as renovation and expansion of the Slavin Center in 2009.[19] In 2012, a groundbreaking was held for the Ruane Center for the Humanities.[20]
Shanley also removed the college'sSAT requirement for admissions in addition to transferring a significant portion of the school's scholarship funds to need-based aid,[19] in order to give more diverse students the opportunity to afford the college. In 2008, Shanley oversaw the founding of the Providence College School of Business, creating separate Schools of Arts and Sciences and Professional Studies.[21]
In 2018, Providence College constructed a new building dedicated to the study of natural science, called the Science Complex. In addition, the $30 million Ruane Friar Development Center (RFDC) was opened, providing a multi-purpose athletic facility featuring a new innovation lab, an expanded sports medicine center, and a student-athlete fueling station.[22]
The college is located on a gated 105 acres (0.42 km2) campus[23] in the city'sElmhurst neighborhood atopSmith Hill, the highest point in the city of Providence. The campus is located in a residential urban neighborhood about two miles west of downtown Providence. The Smith Hill neighborhood, which borders the east end of campus, is a predominantly low-income area with crime rates higher than the city average.[24][25]
There are three main gates to campus, at Cunningham Square (the intersection of River Avenue and Eaton Street) and on Huxley Avenue to the upper campus, and at the southeast corner of the lower campus, along Eaton Street. The campus consists of nineteen academic and administrative buildings, nine dormitories, five apartment complexes, three residences, four athletic buildings, a power plant, a physical plant, and a security office gate house. There are also a Dominican cemetery, twoquads, four athletic fields, a 25-meter swimming pool, a six-court tennis court complex, an artificial turf field, and several parking areas (including a structure below the turf field).[26]
Renovations completed in 2009 to the Slavin Center, the campus student union, addedsolar panels and abioretention system.[27][28]
After purchasing Huxley Avenue in 2013, the college began a campus transformation project with plans to develop campus facilities to meet the growing needs of the students.[29][30] The renovations as of October 2015 included the groundbreaking of the Arthur and Patricia Ryan Center for Business Studies,[31] handicap accessibility to Aquinas Hall, and the enhancement of an outdoor classroom.[32]
Since 1934, Providence College has been governed by a twelve-membercorporation and aboard of trustees consisting of 25 to 35 members.[33]
The corporation consists of fourex officio members: the president of the college, the Prior Provincial of theDominican Province of St. Joseph, thebishop of the Diocese of Providence, and the chairman of the board of trustees. In addition, there are eight other members, each of whom serves a three-year term; four are Dominican friars and four arelay persons. The corporation has the "ultimate authority to exercise control over ownership of property, to promulgate and amend the by-laws, to accept or reject the recommendation for election to the Presidency of the College by the Board of Trustees, and to elect members of the Corporation and of the Board of Trustees."[33]
All other affairs of the college not reserved to the corporation are handled by the board of trustees, which meets three times a year. These duties include "establishing major institutional goals, engaging in long-range planning and policy-making, overseeing the annual operating budget of the College and overseeing the review process and recommending a Dominican Friar for election to the Presidency of the College."[33] All members of the corporation and the executive vice president of the college serve on the board of trustees as ex officio, in addition to candidates elected by the corporation who serve a maximum of three three-year terms.[33]
| Academic rankings | |
|---|---|
| Master's | |
| Washington Monthly[34] | 55 |
| Regional | |
| U.S. News & World Report[35] | 1 |
| National | |
| Forbes[36] | 264 |
| WSJ/College Pulse[37] | 229 |
As of 2019, Providence College reports an undergraduate acceptance rate of 47.5 percent.[38] The average class size is 21 students, with nearly half of all classes including fewer than 20 students.[5] There is a student-to-faculty ratio of 12-to-1.[5]
The college offers 49 majors and 34 minors.[5] The majority of students declare majors in theliberal arts orbusiness.[3] Regardless of major, all undergraduate students are required to complete a core curriculum which includes credits in the Development of Western Civilization,mathematics,philosophy,theology,natural science, English, fine arts, andsocial science.[39] Beginning with the Class of 2016, the core curriculum was modified to reduce the required credits in natural science and social science, while adding credits in a "core focus" area, as well as proficiencies in intensive writing, oral communication, diversity, and civic engagement.[40]
Constructed in 1969, the Phillips Memorial Library consists of 242,000 volumes and has access to 3.5 million volumes as a member of the HELIN library consortium of Rhode Island.[41][42][43]
Providence College comprises four schools: the School of Arts & Sciences, the School of Business, the School of Education and Social Work and the School of Nursing and Health Sciences.[44][citation needed]
The School of Arts & Sciences was created in 2008 as part of the college's addition of a stand-alone School of Business.[19] The school offers undergraduate degrees insocial sciences,natural sciences, mathematics, the humanities, and fine arts.[45] It also offers graduate programs with Masters of Arts in history, biblical studies, mathematics, and theology, as well as aMaster of Theological Studies degree.[45]
The School of Business was created in 2008 and immediately began theaccreditation process for theAACSB.[21] The college's successful accreditation was received in 2012.[46] The school offers four undergraduate degrees, inmanagement,finance,accountancy, andmarketing and two graduate programs, aMaster of Business Administration (MBA) graduate program.[21] and aMaster of Science in Business Analytics.[47] The school also offers three graduate certificates inbusiness analytics,digital marketing, andsports management.[48]
Created as a separate school in 2008, the School of Professional Studies includes undergraduate and graduate degree programs ineducation andspecial education,social work, andhealth policy.[49] It also offers acertificate program in special education administration.[49]
The School of Continuing Education offers courses to complete anassociate's degree orbachelor's degree with programs including social sciences, theology, organizational studies, humanities, and liberal studies.[50] In addition, it offers numerouscertificate programs, including a Teacher Certification Program (TCP).[50]
The Liberal Arts Honors Program was created in 1957[51] and accepts approximately the top 125 students in each freshman class, offering three levels of academic scholarships for participation in the program.[51] Honors students take separate Development of Western Civilization courses with smaller classes, in addition to one or two honors-level classes in other programs and a capstone honors "colloquium" course.[51]
The Development of Western Civilization (commonly referred to by students as "Civ" or "DWC") is a two-year-long program of courses required of all students attending the school, taken in students' first four semesters at the school.[52] Meeting in the Ruane Center for the Humanities, a lecture hall specifically built in 2013 for the program, the class meets three days a week, with one day being typically reserved for seminar work and/or exams. The class is taught by a team of professors, usually three, who specialize in literature, theology, philosophy, or history.[52] Students move through Western history, studying original texts in each of the four course disciplines.[9] The new Development of Western Civilization Program, implemented in late 2012, features three semesters of standard lectures which move chronologically from ancient history to the modern period. The fourth and final semester of the program is organized into various colloquia, specialized courses taught by two professors that are more concentrated to students' interests and majors.[53]
There is a tradition which has grown over time from the course called "Civ Scream." The event takes place the night before DWC final exams in December and May, and is usually centered on the "Quad" area between Aquinas, Meagher, and McDermott Halls.[54] It is intended to be a harmless gathering to let off steam from the long hours of studying for the intense course's final exam, and is completely unsanctioned.[54] As such, the "Civ Scream" can become loud and rowdy with wild behavior, partying, and streaking.[54]
| Race and ethnicity[55] | Total | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 77% | ||
| Hispanic | 10% | ||
| Other[a] | 5% | ||
| Black | 3% | ||
| Asian | 2% | ||
| Foreign national | 2% | ||
| Economic diversity | |||
| Low-income[b] | 16% | ||
| Affluent[c] | 84% | ||
The Providence College student population is made up of about 3,852 undergraduates and 735 postgraduate students. As of 2012, 58 percent of the student body is female, while 42 percent is male.[5] The student population is drawn mostly from the southernNew England states of Rhode Island,Massachusetts, andConnecticut, as well asNew York,New Jersey, and otherMid-Atlantic states. About one-third of incoming students attended Catholic high schools.[5]
A 2007 survey published byThe Princeton Review rated Providence College as having the most homogeneous student population in the country, as well as ranking the college eighth nationally in the survey's "little race/class interaction" category.[56] As of 2012, 88 percent of the student body iswhite or unreported, while four percent of students come from outside of the United States.[5] In 2011, President Brian Shanley created an Office of Institutional Diversity, while hiring aChief diversity officer, to "help balance the College's socioeconomic representation."[57] In 2017, the school toppedThe Princeton Review's list of most segregated colleges.[58]
While 95 percent of the student population are residents, 17 percent live in nearby off-campus housing.[5] Parietal rules applying to all undergraduate freshmen limit visitation hours of opposite-sex students in dormitories.[59]
As of 2011, Providence College is ranked first in the country byThe Princeton Review in the "Lots of Hard Liquor" category.[60]
Students run the college's radio station,WDOM, as well the on-campus television station, PCTV. The station was ranked the 11th-best college radio station in the country by the Princeton Review in 2011.[61] The student-run campus newspaper since 1935 has beenThe Cowl.[citation needed]
The college does not officially sanction Greek life; there are no recognizedfraternities or sororities on or off campus. Although there are a few unaffiliated fraternities and sororities that some Providence College students join from surrounding schools such asBrown University andRhode Island College.[3][62]
The college's oldest club/student organization is Providence College Debate Society. It was founded in 1921 and has had several periods of inactivity and subsequent revival.[citation needed]
The school's 19 varsity men's and women's sports teams are called theFriars, after the Dominican Catholic order that runs the school.[63] They are the only collegiate team to use that team name. All teams participate in theNCAA Division I and in theBig East Conference, except for the men's and women'sice hockey programs, which compete inHockey East. In 2015, the men's hockey team won its first NCAA Division I National Championship.[64][65]
The team colors are black and white, the same as theDominicans, with silver as an accent color.[63] The school's current logos and identity marks were released in 2002, and feature the profile of a friar wearing the black cappa (hood) of the Dominicans, above the word mark.[63] All teams use the primary logo except the hockey teams, which have used the "skating Friar" logo since 1973.[63] In addition to the Friar mascot, the school's animal mascot was aDalmatian named "Friar Boy."[66] The school's closest rivalries areBoston University andBoston College in hockey and theUniversity of Connecticut[67] and theUniversity of Rhode Island[68] in the school's other sports, especially in soccer, tennis, swimming and diving, and basketball. Providence College once had a well-respected intercollegiate football team: two former students played professional football for theNew York Football Giants (Charles Avedisian andHank Soar). TheProvidence Friars football program was discontinued in 1941.[citation needed]
The Friars men's basketball team is an original member of theBig East Conference, which was created in 1979 by a group led by former Providence coachDave Gavitt and headquartered in Providence.[69] The Friars play their home games at the 13,000-seatAmica Mutual Pavilion in downtown Providence, a facility that underwent an $80 million renovation completed in 2008.[70] Despite having the smallest enrollment of any Big East Conference school, the Friars have routinely averaged over 10,000 fans per game during the 30-plus year history of the facility,[71] all while earning postseason berths and placing many players in theNational Basketball Association. In addition to producing NBA players, former Friars players and coaches have also gone on to become basketball icons in the coaching world, such asRick Pitino,Billy Donovan,Lenny Wilkens,Pete Gillen,Rick Barnes,Johnny Egan, andJohn Thompson. They were coached byEd Cooley from 2011 to 2023.
Providence College won the 1961 and 1963NIT championship and participated in the 1973 and 1987Final Four, and the 1965 and 1997 squads advanced to the NCAAElite Eight.[71] Overall, the team has earned 19NCAA basketball tournament berths and 18NIT berths,[72] as well as having numerous players named All-Americans.[73][74]
The college's graphic identity represents the shape of a window in Harkins Hall with a flame inside, representingVeritas, orTruth, the official college motto.[1] The college motto was borrowed from theDominican Order, and has been used since the college's inception.[1]
The official seal of Providence College is an ornate triangle, representing theTrinity, with the flame of learning and a scroll with the College Motto,Veritas, superimposed on it.[1] The seal is surrounded by a ring with the wordsSigillum Collegii Providentiensis ("Seal of Providence College") inside it.[1]
A number of prominent local and national politicians and judges are Providence College alumni. Former United States Senator from ConnecticutChris Dodd graduated in 1966 with a Bachelor of Arts degree inEnglish literature,[75] while his father,Thomas J. Dodd, also a long-serving U.S. Senator from Connecticut, graduated in 1930 with a degree in philosophy.[75] FormerUnited States Representative fromRhode IslandPatrick J. Kennedy, the son of former United States SenatorTed Kennedy, earned aBachelor of Science degree in 1991.[75]
In addition, 1963 graduate and star basketball playerRaymond Flynn (Class of 1963) earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in education–social studies before serving as a three-termMayor of Boston and theUnited States Ambassador to the Holy See.[75] Six-termMayor of ChicagoRichard M. Daley graduated in 1964 from Providence College.[75] FormerUnited States Attorney General,United States Senator from Rhode Island, andGovernor of Rhode IslandJ. Howard McGrath was a 1926 graduate of the college.[75]
In athletics, twoBasketball Hall of Fame players or coaches have graduated from Providence College:Lenny Wilkens andJohn Thompson.[75] In ice hockey, Olympic champion goalieSara DeCosta,[76] played for Providence as well as current NHL forwardBrandon Tanev.[77] As well as this,Inter Miami footballer and 2018 MLS Cup winnerJulian Gressel graduated from Providence College. In addition, two-timeNCAA Division I men's basketball tournament champion, formerUniversity of Florida men's basketball and currentChicago Bulls head coachBilly Donovan (Class of 1987), graduated from Providence College.[75] FormerBig East Conference commissionerJohn Marinatto (Class of 1979) is a Providence College graduate,[75] while formerToronto Maple Leafs general managerBrian Burke (Class of 1977), formerNew Jersey Devils CEO/President and former Toronto Maple Leafs general manager and current New York Islander general managerLou Lamoriello (Class of 1963), andBoston Celtics presidentRich Gotham (Class of 1986) are also alumni.[75]
ActorsJohn O'Hurley (Class of 1976), Matt Kinback (Class of 2007), film directorsPeter Farrelly (Class of 1979) andJames O'Brien (Class of 1992), actress and comedianJaneane Garofalo (Class of 1986) are graduates of Providence College, as areESPN NBA and college basketball commentatorDoris Burke (Class of 1987), and sports journalistSean McAdam (Class of 1981).[75]
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