Providence College

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This page refers to a college in Rhode Island. For the college in Manitoba, see Providence College and Theological Seminary.

Providence College

Graphic Identity of Providence College

The Providence College Logotype
Motto Veritas
Established 1917
Type Private
President Rev. Fr. Brian J. Shanley, O.P.
Staff 254 full-time ordinary, 51 Dominican Friars and sisters
Undergraduates 4,000
Postgraduates 878
Location Providence, RI, USA
Campus urban 105 acres (.425 km²)
Endowment $117 million USD
Mascot Friars
Website www.providence.edu

Providence College is a Catholic college in Providence, Rhode Island, the state's capital city. With a 2004-2005 enrollment of about 3,900 undergraduate students and about 900 graduate students, the college is known for its programs in the liberal arts and sciences. Founded in 1917, Providence College has been ranked by US News and World Report as one of the top two Regional Colleges in the Northeast for the past nine consecutive years. Furthermore, it is the only college or university in North America administered by the Dominican Order of Friars (Dominican College of California and St. Thomas Aquinas College in New York both have Dominican heritage, but neither are administered on a day-to-day basis by the Dominicans).

The Providence College campus is located near River Avenue about two miles (3.3 km) northwest of downtown Providence.

Providence College offers fifty majors and twenty-four minors and is one of the few schools in the country that requires all its students to complete 20 credits in the Development of Western Civilization, which serves as a major part of the college's core curriculum. As put forth on the college website:

"Widely hailed by educators as one of the finest and most academically ambitious programs in the country, the Development of Western Civilization Program is the cornerstone of the Providence College Core Curriculum. The required two-year interdisciplinary program is taken during the freshman and sophomore years.
Civ is taught chronologically and each course covers the areas of history, philosophy, literature, theology, and the fine arts, throughout all of the most prominent Civilizations in History. It is team-taught by four faculty members from each of these disciplines sharing their thoughts and perspective on the events, art, literature, thoughts, and religious ideals of the time.
Setting high academic standards and featuring intense discussions and frequent writing assignments, the program has become an intellectual rite of passage for Providence College students."


Contents

[edit] School History

Providence College was founded as an all-male school in the year 1917 through the efforts of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence and the Dominican Province of St. Joseph, and with the blessing of Pope Benedict XV. The leading figure in the college's incorporation was Biship Matthew Harkins, D.D. The school opened its doors at the corner of Eaton Street and River Avenue in 1919 with only one building, Harkins Hall, which currently serves as the home of the school's administration and a classroom building. The school's first president was Dennis A. Casey, O.P. The school gradually expanded throughout the years, with their first dormitory, the "first" Guzman Hall (named for St. Dominic de Guzman, the founder of the Dominican Order) (which was later remodeled back into its original Italian villa-style form, and now houses the school's vice-president), opened in 1926. The territory eventually reached the boundary of Huxley Avenue (the current "upper campus," so named because it is the high ground) by the 1950s. By that time, Providence was blossoming as a school. The first true on-campus gymnasium, Alumni Hall, was dedicated in 1955. This, as well as the arrival of Joe Mullaney as basketball coach, catapulted the Friars to national prominence, as they won the 1961 and 1963 NIT tournament titles.

In 1970, the school made its most controversial decision ever. Prior to that time, Providence College had served as the primary men's Catholic college in the state, and its sister school, Salve Regina College in Newport, served as the state's women's Catholic college. This all changed in 1970 when the school, faced with dropping attendance rates (partially provoked by the Vietnam War), voted to admit women to the undergraduate programs. This created a firestorm of protest, which eventually subsided, and the next year saw women on the campus for the first time.

The college continued to grow in the 1970s and 1980s, but not without struggle. In order to accommodate the growing number of students on campus, the school purchased the former Chapin Hospital property across Huxley Avenue from the main campus. This became the "Lower Campus," and has since become the site of some of the college's largest expansion projects to date. It was during the early 1970s that football was finally dropped at the college, both for financial reasons and due to the birth of Title IX, which would play a role in the school's history later. It was also during this time that the women's athletic programs came to fruition.

Tragedy struck the campus on an early December morning in 1977, when fire broke out in the Aquinas Hall dormitory, the oldest continuously used dorm on campus. The fire claimed ten female students, and led to much stricter fire codes on campus and throughout the state of Rhode Island.

1979 and 1984 would be proud years in the history of Friar Athletics, as two conferences, the Big East Conference and Hockey East respectively, would be formed in the city by former members of the Providence community. Former men's basketball coach Dave Gavitt was a leading proponent of the Big East, and became its first commissioner. Hockey East would be founded and led by former athletic director and hockey coach Lou Lamoriello, and would see the Friars hockey team have their best year in school history.

In 1988, the school opened their first apartment-style dorms on campus. In 1993, the school received a $5 million grant from the Alan Shawn Feinstein Foundation to create the Feinstein Institute for Public Service and the Public Service Management Program, making Providence the first school to offer a comprehensive degree in public service.

[edit] The Campus

The school lies on 105 acres atop Smith Hill, the highest point in the city of Providence, in the city's Elmhurst neighborhood. The school consists of forty-four buildings on campus. There are twenty-one academic and administrative buildings, nine dormitories, six suite-style apartment buildings, five Domincan residences (including the St. Thomas Aquinas Priory, a residential tower near the main gate) and three athletic buildings, as well as six outdoor athletic facilities, including a new "turf field." The buildings are as follows:

Academic, Administrative and Dominican

  • Harkins Hall (administration, classrooms, and the Blackfriars Theatre)
  • Moore Hall (the former Antoninus Hall, the home of the DWC program)
  • Albertus Magnus Hall, Hickey Laboratory, and Sowa Hall (the science complex)
  • The Feinstein Academic Center (the former Stephens Hall, home to the Feinstein Institute)
  • Phillips Memorial Library
  • Slavin Center (the school's student union, which includes the school bookstore, McPhails Bar, a large meeting hall, the studios of WDOM, 91.3FM, the school's radio station, the offices for the Board of Programmers, BMSA, Friars Club, Veritas, the Cowl, Student Congress and other various student organizations.)
  • Accinno Hall (computer science building, constructed on the site of a former maintenance shed)
  • Smith Center for the Performing Arts (the brand-new home of the music and theatre programs)
  • Hunt-Cavanaugh Hall (visual arts and art history)
  • Ceramics Building (visual arts annex)
  • St. Catherine Of Siena Hall (formerly used for music department classrooms and performance space, now serves as the office building for the Theology and Philosophy departments. Includes a library, chapel, and classroom space.)
  • Howley, Koffler, Sullivan, and the Service Building (used mostly for office space for the school, all located on the former Chapin property)
  • St. Dominic Chapel (the school's main chapel, dedicated in 2001, and also the home of the school's Campus Ministry and Pastoral Service Organization.
The site of the chapel is the former site of the War Memorial Grotto of Our Lady of the Rosary, a large grotto which was built in 1948 as a site for worship and a memorial to the seventy-nine alumi who died in World War II. It served for many years as the site of commencement exercises and ROTC commissionings, but was closed to make way for the chapel. There is a smaller grotto on the side of the chapel which was built with some of the materials from the original.
  • Physical plant and power plant
  • Student Health complex

Residential Halls and Apartments

  • Aquinas Hall (the oldest continuously used dorm on campus, contains the former main chapel and cafeteria of the campus)
  • Meagher and McDermott Halls (located perpendicular to the ends of Aquinas, which makes up the residential quad)
  • McVinney Hall (located to the north of Meagher Hall, a ten-story building on the summit of Smith Hill which has the highest view in the city)
  • St. Joseph Hall (also houses the Residence Life offices, well known as the home to the men's basketball team)
  • Raymond Hall (also contains the school's main cafeteria)
  • Guzman Hall (the second building to carry the name, also contains a small chapel)
  • Dore Hall and Fennell Hall (located on the Chapin property)
  • Cunningham, Mal Brown and DiTraglia Halls (the three original apartment towers, located near the corner of Huxley Avenue and Eaton Street)
  • Davis and Bedford Halls (located on the Chapin property and opened in 1994, the two largest campus apartment buildings)
  • Suites Hall (the newest on-campus residences)

Athletic Facilities

  • Alumni Hall (the original on-campus gymnasium, also contains a popular cafeteria)
  • Schneider Arena (the home of Friars hockey)
  • Peterson Recreation Center (includes an indoor track and the school's natatorium, currently being expanded)
  • In addition, the school has several outdoor fields and tennis courts.

Other Buildings

  • St Thomas Aquinas Priory (a Dominican residence)
  • Dominic Hall (the President's residence)
  • Martin Hall (the former Guzman Hall, now an executive residence)
  • Thomas Hall and Antoninus Hall (on-campus guest residences; Thomas Hall is traditionally where the Commencement speaker stays)

[edit] Current Projects

In the spring of 2006, Providence College began construction on a 23,000-square-foot, two-level fitness center addition to the Peterson Recreation Center and Alumni Hall. The fitness center will feature a three-story glass atrium and a new, unified main entrance to the Slavin Center (student union building), Alumni Hall (athletic offices and Mullaney Gymnasium), the Peterson Recreation Center (field house), and the center itself. The project's architect is SMMA/Hoskins Scott, which designed the College's Master Space Plan and the Suites Hall residence facility.

Intended for use by the general student body, student-athletes, faculty, and staff, the new fitness center will provide approximately 11,500 square feet of space on the first level for cardiovascular and aerobic exercise equipment. One area of the first level will be reserved for varsity student-athletes. The remainder of the first floor and the entire second floor will be for general campus use.

The second level will contain approximately 4,600 square feet of space for cardiovascular and aerobic exercise equipment and for a glass meeting room. Another approximately 2,700 square feet of space will be utilized for free weights exercise and an observation room that will overlook the new athletic turf field.

The three-story atrium will be approximately 4,000 square feet. Its primary purpose is to promote fluid passage to and from the four buildings from a single entrance. The focus of the new design of both the atrium and the fitness center will be an abundant use of glass.

The project also will include significant improvements and renovations in Alumni Hall to include an expanded and modernized sports medicine facility, a newly relocated ticket office, a new locker room for visiting teams, and new athletic laundry facilities.

Discussions about a new fitness center have been ongoing for the past several years. The project has the full support of Providence College President Rev. Brian J. Shanley, O.P. "As someone who regularly uses the facilities in the Peterson Recreation Center, I know how much we need to improve them," stated Father Shanley. "Our intention is to create a true state-of-the-art facility."

Father Shanley cited three reasons why he believes the fitness center is essential to the College's future. "Most importantly," he said, "we need to improve the facilities for the health and wellness of the entire College community, our students, faculty, and staff. The changes also will enhance our athletic programs by improving the facilities used by our student-athletes. In addition, we need to undertake this project in order to remain competitive in the health and fitness services we offer."

The project is scheduled to start on or about June 1, 2006, and is expected to last approximately 65 weeks, with the opening planned for the beginning of the fall 2007 semester. Its projected cost is $12 million to $13 million. Financing for the project will be provided through bonded indebtedness with the Rhode Island Health and Educational Building Corporation and the College's own resources. Consigli Construction Co., Inc. was the general contractor awarded for the project.

[edit] The DWC Program

The Development of Western Civilization program is what separates Providence College from other liberal arts schools, and indeed, most colleges. The DWC program is a two year long program, required of all students attending the school. The class meets 5 days a week for the average student, less for those in the honors program at the school, since they are required to attend a two-hour seminar once a week. The class is taught by a team of professors, usually four - one who specializes in literature, one in theology, one in philosophy and one in history. Beginning at the beginning of history, students move through history, ending at present time when they have finished the two year course. Original texts of philosophy, theology, and literature are used as the course progresss, and there are occasional music and art lectures as well. The goal is to give students a general well rounded knowledge of cultures development through history. The program is a very strong bond for students, as all students have experienced "civ," and can thus gripe together. The school even has a "civ scream" the night before the civ exams are held. The intention is that at midnight all the civ students take a break from studying and relieve some stress together, although in later years it has become a far more chaotic event, ending in close to riot-like behavior.

[edit] Athletics

The school's men's and women's sports teams are called the Friars, after the Dominican Catholic order that runs the school. They are the only collegiate team to use the name. All teams participate in the NCAA's Division I and in the Big East Conference, except for the Men's and Women's Hockey program, which competes in Hockey East and the Men's Lacrosse program, which competes in the MAAC.


Providence College teams which participate in the Big East Conference:

  • Men's and Women's Basketball
  • Men's and Women's Cross Country
  • Field Hockey
  • Men's and Women's Soccer
  • Softball
  • Men's and Women's Swimming and Diving
  • Women's Tennis
  • Men's and Women's Track and Field
  • Women's Volleyball

PC has one national championship, the 1996 Cross Country championship. The school has won several Big East, Hockey East, ECAC and MAAC titles. Individual team honors include:

  • The women's basketball team won the first-ever Big East Tournament in 1983. Notable alumni include Doris Burke, current ESPN basketball commentator.
  • The men's hockey team has won two Hockey East (including the inaugural 1985 title) and two ECAC titles, and has been in the NCAA Division I hockey tournament ten times, most recently in 2000. Their best finish in the tournament was as national runner-up in 1985.
  • The women's hockey team has consistently been one of the best in the country. In 1998, seven member of the gold-medal winning U.S. Women's Ice Hockey team were alumni or current students.
  • The school's cross country team has been a consistently successful team. In fact, they have participated in the NCAA championships 17 straight years (as of 2005). The women's team won the 1996 Cross Country championship. Keith Kelley '00 was the first Friar to win the individual national cross country championship. Kim Smith '05 was the first Friar woman to win the individual national championship in the sport.
  • The men's swimming and diving team looks very strong as its class of 2010 is the one of the best in the programs history. They look to make a strong showing at the Big East Championship Meet in February. The women's swimming and diving team also looks strong led by the class of 2007. They will also look to have a strong showing at the BIg East Championship Meet.

The school formerly also sponsored football and baseball, both of which played at Hendricken Field to the north of Harkins Hall. The football team was disbanded in the early 1970s due to dwindling attendance and budget. Baseball met the same fate in 1999, amid controversy, as it fell victim to the budget constraints and the limitations put in place due to Title IX. At the time, the student ratios for men's to women's athletes versus the same ratio for overall students was skewed towards the men. Rather than attempt to sponsor another women's sport, the school opted to eliminate baseball, the school's original sport (1920). They would later drop men's golf and men's tennis as well for the same reasons, and the incident indirectly lead to the resignation of former athletic director John Marinatto.

The school's current athletic director is Robert Driscoll. The team colors are black and white, the same as the Dominicans, with silver as an accent color. 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. All teams use the primary logo except the hockey teams, which have used the famous "skating Friar" logo since 1973. In addition to the Friar mascot, the school's animal mascot was a dog named "Friar Boy." (The Latin roots for Dominican stem from the words: "Domini" and "Canus", watch dogs of the Lord. A dog was the animal seen in a vision by St. Dominic's mother prior to his birth.) The schools biggest rivalries are Boston University, and Boston College as major hockey rivals while UCONN and URI are major rivals for the schools other sports, especially in soccer, swimming, and basketball.

[edit] Marks and seals

The college's graphic identity represents the shape of a window in Harkins Hall with a flame inside, representing Veritas, or Truth, the official College Motto.

The official seal of Providence College is an ornate triangle, representing the trinity, with the flame of learning and a scroll with the College Motto, Veritas, superimposed on it. The seal is surrounded by a ring with the words Sigillum Collegii Providentiensis ("Seal of Providence College") inside it.

[edit] Notable Alumni

Business and Law


Entertainment and Communications


Athletics


Men's Basketball

Hockey

Track

  • John Treacy,'78 1984 Silver Medal Winner at LA Olympic Marathon

Baseball

[edit] Trivia

[edit] References

  • Providence College - Home. (2003). Retrieved June 14, 2005, from Providence College Web site:
  • Family Guy "Death is a Bitch".
  • In the first episode of the first season of Showtime's Brotherhood, Providence College flags can be seen in Michael Caffee's room.

[edit] See Also

Providence College alumini

[edit] External links


Big East Conference
Football: Cincinnati • Connecticut • Louisville • Pittsburgh • Rutgers • South Florida • Syracuse • West Virginia
Non-football: DePaul • Georgetown • Marquette • Notre Dame • Providence • St. John's • Seton Hall • Villanova
Hockey East
Men's Division: Boston College • Boston University • Maine • Massachusetts • UMass Lowell • Merrimack • New Hampshire • Northeastern • Providence • Vermont
Women's Division: Boston College • Boston University • UConn • Maine • New Hampshire • Northeastern • Providence • Vermont
Colleges and Universities in Rhode Island
Brown • Bryant • Johnson & Wales • Naval War College • New England Institute of Technology
Providence College • Rhode Island College • RISD • Roger Williams • Salve Regina • URI
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