Saint Michael's College

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Saint Michael's College
Image:sm_tower.gif
Motto Quis ut Deus
Established 1904
Type Private
President Dr. Marc vanderHeyden
Faculty 144
Undergraduates 2,062
Postgraduates 650
Location Colchester, Vermont, United States
Campus Rural, 440 acres (1.82 km²)
Athletics NCAA/ECAC Division II
11 men's varsity teams
12 women's [1]
Colors Purple and Gold
Mascot Purple Knights
Affiliations Roman Catholic
Website www.smcvt.edu

Saint Michael's College is a private, residential, liberal arts Catholic college. The 440 acre campus is located in Colchester, Vermont. The college is adjacent to Burlington, a popular college town and cultural center in Vermont. Saint Michael's College was founded in 1904 by the Society of Saint Edmund, a French order of Catholic priests. The main campus is on a hill that provides views of the Green Mountains to the east and the Adirondack Mountains of New York to the west. The mission of the college is "to contribute through higher education to the enhancement of the human person and to the advancement of human culture in the light of the Catholic faith." [2]

Contents

[edit] History

Aerial view of the campus.
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Aerial view of the campus.

In 1889, priests from the Society of Saint Edmund fled to the United States after widespread anticlericism seized France. In 1904, they opened Saint Michael's Institute with an initial investment of $5,000. 34 students aged 10 to 22 enrolled, with a tutition and board fee of $105. Slowly, the school discontinued its high school program. Gradually, the school transistioned from an academy with old military barracks as dorms to a traditional residential college. In 1939, graduate programs were offered for the first time. Saint Michael’s Playhouse opened in 1947, bringing professional summer theatre to Vermont and giving students the chance to work behind the scenes.

Before the 1950's, classes at Saint Michael's were small, just a few dozen Michaelmen in any accepted class. In the 1950s, President Gerald Dupont SSE lead the college as it expanded to hundreds of students per class. The College also began an ambitious building program which established the face and architectural style which permiates the College today.

The current School of International Studies was started in 1954, focusing on teaching English to students from around the world. In 2003, Harold Bloom, a leading literary scholar, announced his plans to donate his personal library to the College, and an anonymous donor granted the money to build the Dupont Library to house the collection. In 2004, Saint Michael's celebrated its centennial aniversary in an 18-month long event featuring special lectures, musical performances and convocations. The college has been co-educational since 1970.

[edit] Campus

Students walking across the quad. Durick Library is in the background.
Students walking across the quad. Durick Library is in the background.

The college consists of two campuses, Main (also called South) and North.

The main campus is the original and largest campus; it houses most classrooms, administration buildings and residence halls. The Quad is anchored by Durick Library to the west and the Chapel of Saint Michael the Archangel to the east. The three academic halls, Cheray Hall, Jeanmarie Hall, and Saint Edmund's Hall, along with the McCarthy Arts Center line the Quad to the south. The Alliot Student Center and the four underclass residence halls wall the Quad on the north.

Also located on the main campus are the Doc Jacobs Athletic Fields, Ross Sports Center and Tarrant Recreation Center, Founder's Hall, which houses the administrative offices, and the Hoehl Welcome Center, which houses the Admissions office. Standing at the main gateway of the school, admission interviews with prospective students are held in Hoehl. Tours and other events for prospective students also leave from Hoehl.

North Campus, one mile from the Main campus, features additional residence halls, some apartments, and studio arts facilities.

[edit] Housing

Students at Saint Michael's College live in a variety of different housing facilities. Freshman generally live in traditional dormitory halls. Upperclassmen have an option to live in suite-style living, North Campus apartments, or townhouses.

[edit] Academics

Undergraduate students receiving instruction from a professor.
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Undergraduate students receiving instruction from a professor.

Classes are small and hands-on learning is emphasized, with a student to teacher ratio of 12:1 [3] Saint Michael's houses the following honors: Phi Beta Kappa; Delta Epsilon Sigma, the Catholic honor society; Pi Sigma Alpha for Political Science; Omicron Delta Epsilon for Economics; Phi Alpha Theta for History; Kappa Delta Pi for Education; Psi Chi for Psychology; Sigma Xi for Science and Technology; Pi Mu Epsilon for Mathematics; Kappa Tau Alpha for Journalism and Mass Communication; and Sigma Beta Delta for Business, Management and Administration. For three of the last six years, a Saint Michael’s professor has been named Vermont Professor of the Year. Saint Michael's College is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges.

[edit] Undergraduate

Undergraduate programs include 29 major fields of study and 37 minors, combined with a liberal studies curriculum [4]. Emphasis is placed on independent study, independent research, internships and foreign study. Eligible students can also participate in the College's Honors Program.

[edit] Graduate

There are five master's degree programs: Administration and Management, Clinical Psychology, Education, Teaching English as a Second/Foreign Language and Theology and Pastoral Ministry. There are three post-master's certificates and Vermont teacher licensure programs.

[edit] International Students

Special English as a Second Language programs are offered for international students through the School of International Studies, including a progam that assists international students in the transition to college-level course work.

[edit] Study Abroad

Many students participate in study abroad programs, which cost the same as a semester on campus, airfare included. Students can choose a program by location or language, or can choose from a variety of special Saint Michael's programs. [5]

[edit] Demographics

Saint Michael's has 1,900 undergraduate students who come from 28 states and 20 countries. 79% of students are from outside Vermont. There are 150 faculty members, 94 percent with a Ph.D. or highest appropriate degree. The student-faculty ratio is 12:1. There are approximately 500 graduate students each term; over 90 percent are from Vermont.

[edit] Student Life

Saint Michael's Fire Department conducting a training on campus.
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Saint Michael's Fire Department conducting a training on campus.

Nearly 90% of students live on campus in residence halls, theme houses and townhouses. There are over 40 student organizations, 21 varsity sports (10 for men, 11 for women) and 28 intramural teams. There are no fraternities or sororities. Other activities include the Student Association, Wilderness Program, Campus Ministry, the campus radio station WWPV, club sports, student musical and play productions, the Saint Michael’s Chorale, Open Mike nights and the Wind and Jazz Ensembles. Christmas and spring semi-formal dances are held. Big-name bands such as “Train” have performed on campus in recent years. Student publications include The Echo (online magazine), The Defender (weekly newspaper), and the Onion River Review (literary magazine). Athletics facilities include a fitness room, racquetball and an indoor track and swimming pool. Trails surround the campus for cross-country running or mountain biking.

[edit] Ski & Ride Program

Beginning in fall of 2004, Saint Michael's students became the first in the nation to have unlimited access to a major winter resort as part of their college experience. For a $25 fee, undergraduates are provided with a season pass to Smuggler's Notch in Jeffersonville, VT (50 minutes from campus). The pass also includes discounts on group lessons and rental equipment, as well as weekend bus transportation from campus.

[edit] Fire and Rescue

One of the most unique extracurricular activities at Saint Michael's is the Fire and Rescue program, which was founded in 1969 after a student died on an athletic field. Entirely student run, the department provides fire protection and emergency medical treatment to campus and the surrounding community.

[edit] Athletics

Saint Michael's sports teams are called the Purple Knights and the school colors are purple and gold. Varsity teams participate in the NCAA's Division II Northeast Ten Conference. Approximately 25% of students participate in a varsity sport. For men: Basketball, baseball, cross country, golf, hockey, lacrosse, skiing (alpine, nordic), soccer, swimming and diving, and tennis. For women: basketball, cross country, field hockey, lacrosse, skiing, soccer, softball, swimming and diving, tennis, ice hockey, and volleyball. Student-led programs include billiards, ping pong, volleyball and indoor soccer. Tournaments are also scheduled throughout the academic year. Yoga, jazzercise, kickboxing, cardio step and pilates courses are offered weekly. First Aid and CPR training/certification is also offered. [6]

[edit] Art and Culture

Saint Michael's College is a strong supporter of the arts in Vermont. Saint Michael's Playhouse, for example, draws talent from Broadway and Off-Broadway, giving local actors the opportunity to work with established stars. The College is also a sponsor of the Vermont Mozart Festival, the state's largest classical music festival.

[edit] Awards

Saint Michael's has been labeled by Newsweek magazine as a “hidden treasure” that “deserves more national recognition.” [7] Additionally, Saint Michael's has been identified by U.S. News and World Report for 16 consecutive years as one of the 15 finest master’s universities in the North.[8]

[edit] Notable alumni

[edit] See also

[edit] External links


Northeast Ten Conference
American International • Assumption • Bentley • Bryant • Franklin Pierce • Le Moyne • Long Island Post† • Massachusetts Lowell • Merrimack • Pace • Saint Anselm • Saint Michael's • Saint Rose • Southern Connecticut State • Southern New Hampshire • Stonehill
† football-only member
Higher Education in Vermont
UVM • Bennington • Burlington • Champlain • CSJ • Goddard • Green Mountain • Landmark • Marlboro • Middlebury • Norwich • St. Michael's • School for International Training • Southern Vermont College • VT Law
Vermont State Colleges
Castleton • CCV • Johnson • Lyndon • Vermont Technical College
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