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Former names | Saint Francis Xavier Female Academy (1846–1873) Saint Xavier Academy (1873–1915) Saint Francis Xavier College for Women (1915–1919) Saint Xavier College (1919–1992) |
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| Motto | Via Veritas Vita (Latin) |
Motto in English | (I am) the way, the truth, and the life. |
| Type | Private university |
| Established | 1846; 179 years ago (1846) |
| Founder | Religious Sisters of Mercy |
Religious affiliation | Roman Catholic (Sisters of Mercy) |
Academic affiliations | ACCU CMHECICNAICU |
| President | Keith Elder |
| Provost | Saib Othman |
Academic staff | 366 |
| Students | 3,523 (fall 2022) |
| Undergraduates | 2,981 (fall 2022) |
| Postgraduates | 542 (fall 2022) |
| Location | , Illinois ,United States |
| Campus | Urban, 109 acres (44 ha) |
| Colors | Scarlet & Gray |
| Nickname | Cougars |
Sporting affiliations | NAIA –CCAC |
| Mascot | Cougar |
| Website | www |
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Saint Xavier University (orSXU) is aprivate Catholic university inChicago, Illinois, United States. Founded in 1846 by theSisters of Mercy, the university enrolls 3,749 students.[1]
Saint Xavier University was founded as a women's college by theSisters of Mercy in 1846 at the request ofWilliam Quarter,Bishop of Chicago. With the City of Chicago less than 10 years old, thereligious sisters, under the guidance of Mary Francis Xavier Warde, establishedSaint Francis Xavier Female Academy. The academy, which would later becomeSaint Xavier College, and finally Saint Xavier University, was the first Mercy College and is the oldest chartered college in the city of Chicago.[2]
In the year 1846, five sisters of Mercy were sent to the city of Chicago from Pittsburgh to start Catholic work in the new city. The original campus (then referred to as an academy), soon gained, in 1847, a state charter which allowed for the granting of degrees from the academy. After this location on Wabash Avenue between Madison and Monroe in downtown Chicago) burned down in theGreat Chicago Fire of 1871, the campus was rebuilt on the southern boundary of Chicago.[3]
In 1915,Saint Francis Xavier College for Women opened.[4]
Saint Xavier University offers undergraduate majors and graduate programs through its two colleges:
Saint Xavier University has one of the most diverse undergraduate student bodies in Chicago and is a federally designated Hispanic-serving institution.[6]
Saint Xavier's 109 acres (44.1 ha) main campus is located in Chicago in theMt. Greenwood neighborhood on the corner of 103rd Street and Central Park Avenue. It is in close proximity to the suburb ofEvergreen Park, Illinois.
The university's main campus[7] is made up of several buildings, including the Warde Academic Center, which is the oldest building on campus and houses administrative offices and the library; the Shannon Center; McDonough Chapel, a small Catholicchapel; the Graham School of Management Building; Andrew Conference Center and Driehaus Center. Within a mile of the main campus are the Visual Arts Center and O'Grady Center, which houses the departments of University Relations and University Advancement.
In 2001, an influx of students to the university led to the opening of four new dormitories on campus. Residence halls listed below;
In 2009,Arthur Rubloff Hall and O'Brien Halls opened. These residence halls are environmentally friendly, featuring rooftop gardens and clean-source alternative energy.
The Saint Xavier (SXU) athletic teams are called the Cougars. The university is a member of theNational Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), primarily competing in theChicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference (CCAC) in most of its sports since the 1973–74 academic year; while its football team competes in the Midwest League of theMid-States Football Association (MSFA).
SXU competes in 20 intercollegiate varsity sports: Men's sports include baseball, basketball, bowling, cross country, esports, football, golf, soccer, track & field and volleyball; women's sports include basketball, bowling, cross country, golf, soccer, softball, track & field and volleyball; and co-ed sports include cheerleading and dance.
Athletic facilities on campus include the Shannon Center, which holds up to 3,500 students and houses the university fitness center. It is home to both men's and women's basketball and volleyball teams. Bruce R. Deaton Memorial Field is home to football, soccer, and track.
The Saint Xavier University baseball team hosts all its home baseball games at Richard R. Ferrell Memorial Field located on its Chicago campus. The field recently updated its backstop and dugouts with brick and added additional bleachers for spectators; along with full turf field. The dimensions for the field are 330 feet on the lines, 375 feet in the gaps and 400 feet to centerfield.
In 2011, Saint Xavier won theNAIA Football National Championship.
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41°42′31″N87°42′53″W / 41.70861°N 87.71472°W /41.70861; -87.71472
