Saint Joseph's College (SJC; colloquially, Saint Joe) is a coeducational, private, Catholic liberal arts college located in Rensselaer, Indiana, United States. Around 1,100 students currently attend the College. Saint Joseph's College is ranked as a "Best Midwestern College" by The Princeton Review and U.S. News. On Feb. 3, 2017, the school announced it will temporarily suspend operations at the end of the 2016-2017 academic year.
History
The College was founded in 1889 by Father Joseph A. Stephan, a missionary from Germany as a secondary school to educate Native Americans. In 1962, President Eisenhower dedicated the Halleck Center (named after Republican representative Charles Halleck).
From 1944 to 1974, the Chicago Bears held their training camp at Saint Joseph's College. The 1971 film Brian's Songâ€"about Brian Piccolo, a Chicago Bears running back who died from carcinoma in the 1970sâ€"was filmed on campus. And a charity game for Joy Piccolo, the Bears vs college all-stars, was played on July 23, 1971. During training camp one year, Hall of Fame linebacker Dick Butkus was reportedly seen out on a tractor in the cornfield adjacent to the campus. The College football all-star game was played at the College's football stadium, Alumni Stadium, for many years.
The main academic building burned to the ground in a disastrous fire in February 3, 1973. At the time, many thought the fire would close the school, but the school recovered.
After much discussion, on February 3, 2017 the school announced that it would temporarily close at the end of the 2016-2017 academic year. President Robert Pastoor stated the school requires $100 million to continue operating, including $20 million by June 1. Pastoor said the $100 million consisted of $27 million in debt, $35 million in infrastructure improvements, and $38 million to "re-engineer" the college. Pastoor has stated that the college may reopen after a year or two, though under new leadership, as he plans to resign in May 2017. Concerned alumni, students, and faculty have criticized the Board of Trustees's decision to close the college. Students took a no-confidence vote in the college leadership and asked that the President, Chairman of the Board, Vice Chairman of the Board, Vice President of Institutional Advancement, and Vice President of Business Affairs resign. Over 10,000 people have signed a petition for the Office of the Attorney General to investigate the legality of the Board's decision to close the college.
Campus
The campus has several distinctive features. The Romanesque-style Chapel and the reflecting pond in front of the Chapel are the most recognized features of campus. Drexel Hall was one of the first buildings on campus, and is distinctive for its unique atrium. Drexel has been renovated and restored to its historical appearance. The campus also includes a private recreational lake which is an old stone quarry.
Organization and administration
The school is accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE), the National League for Nursing (NLN), the Board of Commissioners of the International Assembly of Collegiate Business Education (IACBE), the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association (HLC), and the State of Indiana Professional Standards Board for the Training of Elementary Teachers.
Academic profile
Saint Joseph's College is known for its Core Program under which students learn the basics of history, political science, natural science, literature and philosophy in integrated "core classes". This departs from the cafeteria-style approach to general education used by most colleges and universities in which students take discrete lower division classes in these subjects.
Saint Joseph's College has a student-faculty ratio of 14:1. 69% of full-time faculty at Saint Joseph's have their doctorates or terminal degree. SJC offers 75 major, minor, and pre-professional programs, along with the nationally acclaimed Core Curriculum, which provides a solid liberal arts education and a distinct career advantage.
Historically, 97% of graduating seniors are employed or in graduate school within a year of graduation.
Student life
Like most other Indiana colleges, SJC holds an annual "Little 500" race. Unlike the bed or bicycle races held elsewhere, Saint Joseph's College stages a go-kart race in the same manner as Purdue University's Grand Prix, albeit on a much smaller scale. The event remains popular and brings alumni back to the school every year.
While alcohol is still not permitted in student residence halls, students of legal age can now drink in on-campus apartments. During certain events, such as Little 500 and Homecoming, there will be locations set up on campus that will serve alcohol to those of legal age.
Athletics
SJC competes in NCAA Division II athletics and is a member of the Great Lakes Valley Conference. The school mascot is the Puma. It is the only post-secondary institution in the United States with the Puma as its mascot, although several have mountain lions, which is a different name for the same species.
In 1956, the SJC football team won a share of the NAIA national football championship, playing Montana State to a 0-0 tie in the Aluminum Bowl at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock, Arkansas, .
The school's baseball team was runner-up to the Division II National Championship in 1996. The same year, the women's soccer team was the runner-up to the Division II National Championship. The school's women's tennis team captured 6 GLVC conference titles since 1985; including 3 undefeated seasons. The Pumas football team has been dominant in their conference in recent years, winning the Great Lakes Football Conference Championship in the 2005, 2006, and 2009 seasons. In 2010, the Men's Basketball team led by Coach Richard Davis put together a remarkable string of 3 wins in the National Tournament to reach the Elite Eight for the second time in school history.
Notable people
- Major League Baseball player Gil Hodges played college football and baseball at Saint Joseph's College, and later went on to play for the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers and the New York Mets. The Mets traded him to the Washington Senators, he retired and became the Senators manager. Following 5 seasons in Washington (1963-67), he returned to New York and led the Mets to their first World Series title in 1969. The baseball field is named in his honor.
- Philip F. Deaver, writer and poet, graduated from St. Joseph's College in 1968. He went on to win O. Henry and Flannery O'Connor awards for short fiction, and to publish poetry and fiction in dozens of literary journals.
- Former Canadian Member of Parliament and Speaker of the Canadian House of Commons Gilbert Parent.
- Former Chicago Alderman Edward Vrdolyak
- National Football League player John McGarry.
- Current Ohio State University women's basketball coach Kevin McGuff
- Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of McDonald's Peter Bensen.
- Mark S. Doss, Grammy Award-winning African-American bass-baritone, specializing in opera, concert and recital.
- John Morikis, President and Chief Operating Officer of the Sherwin-Williams Company
- J. Patrick Lewis, American poet and prose writer noted for his children's poems and other light verse.
- Kevin White, Athletic Director, Duke University, former Athletic Director at the University of Notre Dame.
References
External links
- Official website
- Official athletics website