Saint Joseph's University Information

Saint Josephs University (SJU or St. Joes) is a private Jesuit university in Philadelphia and Lower Merion, Pennsylvania. The university was founded by the Society of Jesus in 1851 as Saint Josephs College. Saint Josephs is the seventh oldest Jesuit university in the United States and one of 28 member institutions of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities.

Saint Josephs University educates over 9,200 undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral students each year through the Erivan K. Haub School of Business, the College of Arts and Sciences, the Program of Professional and Liberal Studies, and the Haub Degree Completion Program. The University offers over 60 undergraduate majors, 53 graduate programs, 28 study-abroad programs, 12 special-study options, a co-op program, a joint degree program with Thomas Jefferson University, and an Ed.D. in Educational Leadership. It has 17 centers and institutes, including the Kinney Center for Autism Education and Support and the Pedro Arrupe Center for Business Ethics.

St. Joes athletics teams, the Hawks, are an NCAA Division I program, competing in the Atlantic-10 Conference and Philadelphias Big 5. The official colors of the university are crimson and gray. The school mascot is the Hawk, which never stops flapping its wings while in costume.

Approximately 38 Jesuits live on campus with 10 serving as faculty. The universitys Jesuit community lives in the Loyola Center, directly across the street from Barbelin Hall. The Loyola Center joins Manresa Hall, the infirmary for Jesuits. The property features a Carriage House which serves as a meeting place and guest house. Other Jesuit residences include St. Alphonsus House (at 5800 Overbrook Avenue) and Faber Hall (39 Berwick Road). One Jesuit lives in a residence hall; the lay university president maintains an apartment in the Merion Gardens Apartment building.

The university extensively uses its Jesuit identity in its branding. It began the Magis ("greater") campaign in 2013 to highlight commitment to living "For the greater glory of God" (Ad maiorem Dei gloriam), the motto of the Society of Jesus.

SJU also promotes the Jesuit principle of cura personalis or "care for the whole person." Undergraduates must complete a general education program that focuses heavily on traditional liberal arts disciplines. Every general education class is titled "154", which stands for the year 1540 AD when the Society of Jesus was accepted by the Pope.

On September 27, 2015, Pope Francis, a Jesuit, made a stop at the university during his two-day visit to Philadelphia.

The Seal of Saint Josephs University signifies its history and values. Other Jesuit educational institutions share three of these symbols. The wolves over a kettle pot show the generosity of the Loyola family towards the poor. Tradition claims that the Loyolas provided so much food for their soldiers that even the wolves had enough to eat. IHS are the first three letters of the name of Jesus in Greek, and the historic monogram of the Society of Jesus. The stripes signify the 7 sons of the House of Loyola, who died defending their home. The lily is the distinguishing symbol of the university, honoring Saint Joseph, the schools patron saint. The seal is the graphical representation of Saint Josephs and its Jesuit identity.

On August 15, 2014, President C. Kevin Gillespie, S.J., announced his resignation effective the end of June 2015. A national search for the next president commenced during 2014–2015 academic year and on April 22, 2015, the Board of Trustees announced Mark C. Reed, of Fairfield University. Reed is the first lay president of Saint Josephs.

All St. Josephs University undergraduate students complete coursework through the General Education Program (GEP) focused in four main areas: signature core, variable, integrative learning, and overlay courses. In addition, all students are required to complete a first-year seminar. Major coursework includes classes in English composition and literature, mathematics, philosophy, theology and religious studies, social science, world languages, and history. The courses are intended to be aligned with Jesuit ideals of social justice, service learning, ethics, and real-world application of theory. The GEP is the result of a university-wide curriculum overhaul implemented in the fall of 2010.

Of tenure-track faculty, 98% hold the highest possible degrees in their fields. The 2008 graduation rate was 90% and the freshman retention rate for the Class of 2017 is 89.8%. About 51% of undergraduates are enrolled in the College of Arts and Sciences while 49% are enrolled in the Haub School of Business. The Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education classified Saint Josephs among "Masters Colleges and Universities (larger programs)".

There are 17 centers and institutes including the Faith-Justice Institute, Institute for Catholic Bioethics, Institute for Jewish-Catholic Relations, Kinney Center for Autism Education and Support, Pedro Arrupe Center for Business Ethics, and the Richard Johnson Center for Anti-Violence. The university has chapters of Phi Beta Kappa, Beta Gamma Sigma, and Alpha Sigma Nu.

The university has four academic divisions:

The College of Arts and Sciences comprises 21 departments, offering a wide array of majors and interdisciplinary minors in the humanities, social sciences, education, natural science, mathematics, and computer science. The McNulty Scholars Program aims to provide women in STEM fields extensive undergraduate research and mentorship, awarding full and associate level scholarships each year. The Summer Scholars Program awards competitive grants to students every summer to engage in research and creative projects under faculty mentorship.

The Professional and Liberal Studies program is Saint Josephs undergraduate continuing studies division. As early as 1852, the administration at Saint Josephs organized educational opportunities for adults. In addition to traditional on-campus programs and majors, PLS offers accelerated degree programs in English and professional communications, health administration, and leadership. PLS students wishing to pursue a degree during the day take advantage of the divisions 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.

The university has an undergraduate honors program, housed in Claver House.

Saint Josephs Universitys campus, often referred to as Hawk Hill, is located on City Avenue, which splits the university between the western edge of Philadelphia and Lower Merion Township. A bridge which goes over City Avenue connects the two sides of the campus. Its 103 acres (0.42 km2) are concentrated from Cardinal Avenue to 52nd Street and Overbrook Avenue to City Avenue. The university also owns several buildings which are not on the main campus. With the acquisition of the Maguire Campus, one half of the 114 acres (0.46 km2) are located on the Lower Merion side of City Avenue. In all, there are 92 buildings on the universitys campus.

St. Joes is within 15 miles (24 km) of La Salle University, Harcum College, Rosemont College, Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Drexel University, Temple University, Bryn Mawr College, Haverford College, Philadelphia University, Eastern University, Cabrini College, and Villanova University. SEPTA regional rail train stations on each side of campus provide students with easy access to Center City.

Complete article available at this page.