St. Edward's University

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St. Edward's University
Motto	Learn to think
Established	1885
Type	Private
Endowment	USD $ 54.3 million[1]
President	George E. Martin
Undergraduates	3,282
Postgraduates	995
Location	Austin, Texas, USA
Campus	Urban
Mascot	Topper the Hilltopper
Website	www.stedwards.edu

St. Edward's University is a small, private Roman Catholic institution of higher learning located south of Town Lake in Austin, Texas. The university is known for offering a quality liberal arts education and for its picturesque campus situated on a hill overlooking the city of Austin. The campus's most notable landmark is the recognizable Main Building.

Contents 1 History 2 New Vision 3 Student body 4 Academic programs 5 Athletics 6 Notable alumni 7 Gallery 8 External links

[edit] History

The school was founded by the Rev. Edward Sorin, CSC , Superior General of the Congregation of Holy Cross, who also founded the University of Notre Dame in Indiana. Father Sorin established the institution on farmland south of Austin in 1878 and named it St. Edward's Academy in honor of his patron saint, Edward the Confessor and King. It is affiliated with the Congregation of Holy Cross.

In 1885, the president, Rev. P.J. Franciscus, strengthened the prestige of the Academy by securing a charter, changing its name to St. Edward's College, assembling a faculty, and increasing enrollment. Subsequently, St. Edward's began to grow, and the first school newspaper, the organization of baseball and football teams, and approval to erect an administration building all followed. Well-known architect Nicholas J. Clayton of Galveston, Texas was commissioned to design the College's Main Building. The structure was built four-stories tall in the Gothic Revival style and was constructed with local white limestone.

In the spring of 1903, a mysterious fire destroyed the majority of the Main Building, but it was restored by the fall. In 1922, the Main Building sustained damage from a tornado that caused significant damage all over the campus. The Main Building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.

In 1925, St. Edward's received its university charter. Most of the personnel at the time were Holy Cross priests. Women arrived at St. Edward's in 1966 as students for Maryhill College, a coordinate institution. By 1970, Maryhill was absorbed and St. Edward's became co-educational.

By 1971, the university carried bachelor's and master's degrees in business administration. Also added were the College Assistance Migrant Program (1972); a professionally oriented theatre arts curriculum (1972); an innovative degree program for adults called New College (1974); and Freshman Studies (1975).

In 1984, Dr. Patricia Hayes became the first woman and only the second layperson to lead St. Edward's University. In 1990, enrollment reached 3,000 for the first time. This decade also ushered in a revised undergraduate curriculum, and capital and technological improvements. In 1999, Dr. George E. Martin became the 23rd president of St. Edward's University.

[edit] New Vision

In 2000, St. Edward’s University, under the leadership of President George E. Martin and the Board of Trustees, identified seven strategic priorities to achieve its vision. These include objectives for enrollment growth, faculty and staff recruitment and retention, curricular and co-curricular program development, facility and technology development, financial management, endowment growth, and marketing.

Progress on the priorities began immediately. Enrollment has grown from 3,669 in Fall 1999 to 5,224 in Fall 2006, yet St. Edward’s still offers a low 15:1 student-faculty ratio. New academic programs have been added, including undergraduate majors in Bioinformatics, Entrepreneurship, Forensic Chemistry, Nonprofit Management and Graphic Design, as well as graduate programs in Computer Information Systems, Project Management, Teaching, and Organizational Leadership and Ethics.

The university’s master plan, which details how St. Edward’s will construct new facilities while maintaining the overall architectural character of campus, supports the strategic priorities for academic excellence, enrollment growth, and recruiting and retaining the best students, faculty and staff. Trustee Hall, a 33,000-square-foot academic facility, was the first building completed under the plan. It opened in Fall 2002. The completion of Basil Moreau Residence Hall in 2003 and Jacques Dujarié Hall in 2005 further enhanced residence life. The John Brooks Williams Natural Sciences Center, a 65,000-square-foot facility that opened in Fall 2006, is the first phase of a two-building science complex housing all programs of the School of Natural Sciences except for Computer Science,Mathematics and Physics; the second phase will house these programs. Plans for a new chapel are being drawn up by architect Rick Joy, winner of the 2004 National Design Award from the Smithsonian Institution’s Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum. Fleck Hall is currently undergoing major renovations, and future plans also include a major renovation of Andre Hall.

The university has maintained a balanced operating budget — currently about $80 million — for 30 years. The endowment has steadily increased to more than $54 million. Total university assets exceed $184 million. Fundraising has grown each year as well, and 87 percent of faculty and staff contributed to the annual fund last year — more than triple the giving levels of benchmark universities.

St. Edward's University has been named by U.S. News & World Report as being one of the "best colleges" in the western region since 2004 in the category of master's-granting institutions[2].

[edit] Student body

More than 5,200 students attend St. Edward's, with undergraduates coming from 37 states and 38 countries. The average SAT score of 1126 for the 2006 freshman class has risen more than 80 points since 1999. More than 51 percent of incoming freshmen rank in the top 25 percent of their high school class.

More than 1,100 students live on campus in five residence halls and two apartment communities. Students at St. Edward's University are also involved in more than 80 campus organizations, including: student government, service organizations, academic honor societies, cultural clubs and intramural sports.

[edit] Academic programs

St. Edward's offers five bachelor's degrees in more than 50 areas of study through the schools of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Education, Humanities, Management and Business, and Natural Sciences. New College, called one of the "Top 30" adult education programs in the country by William Maehl in his book Lifelong Learning at Its Best, offers similar bachelor's degrees for adults 24 years of age and older. St. Edward's also offers eight master's degrees.

St. Edward's boasts an impressive Theater Arts program department, which features a U/RTA contract with the Actors' Equity Association, allowing students who successfully complete the requirements of a Membership Candidate Program to become eligible to join Actors' Equity Association. St. Edward's has one of the only undergraduate programs in the country with this affiliation. In 2005, actor Ed Begley Jr. brought his play, César & Ruben to St. Edward's University for its Texas premiere.

[edit] Athletics

NCAA Division II athletic teams include men's and women's baseball/softball, basketball, cross country, golf, soccer and tennis. Women also compete in Division II volleyball. The 2004-2005 season resulted in conference championships for the men's and women's basketball teams, the men's golf team, and the women's soccer, tennis and volleyball teams.

The university's student-athlete graduation rate of 76 percent is 13th in the country out of 278 Division II institutions. The university mascot is the Hilltopper. St. Edward's is a founding member of the Heartland Conference.

The Dallas Cowboys football team has used the campus for pre-season training, from 1990 to 1997.

[edit] Notable alumni

• John H. Bauer - executive vice president of Nintendo of America Inc.
• Russell Byrd - video game designer for Iguana Entertainment, co-founder of Inevitable Entertainment
• John Carlsen - video game tools engineer for Iguana Entertainment, founder of Syncopated Software
• Taj McWilliams-Franklin - Connecticut Sun forward/center
• Roger Metzger - Former Houston Astros Shortstop and 1973 Gold Glove Winner
• Tim Russ - actor, Security Chief Tuvok on Star Trek: Voyager
• Silvestre Revueltas - Mexican composer, attended in 1917 and 1918.
• Jorge Quiroga - Former President of Bolivia.

[edit] Gallery

Main building	Southeast view of the main building	Historical marker on the main building	Ragsdale Plaza
The grotto	Closeup of the statue of the Virgin Mary at the grotto	Soccer field

[edit] External links

• St. Edward's University
• St. Edward's University undergraduate recruitment
• St. Edward's University adult recruitment
• St. Edward's University Financial Services
• St. Edward's University from the Handbook of Texas Online
• Maps and aerial photos Coordinates: 30.22890° -97.75290°
  • Street map from Google Maps or Yahoo! Maps
  • Topographic map from TopoZone
  • Aerial image or topographic map from TerraServer-USA
  • Satellite image from Google Maps or Microsoft Virtual Earth

Heartland Conference
Dallas Baptist • Incarnate Word • Lincoln (MO) • Montana State - Billings • Oklahoma Panhandle State • St. Edward's • St. Mary's (TX)

Congregation of Holy Cross Colleges and Universities
Holy Cross College • King's College • Our Lady of Holy Cross College • St. Edward's University • Saint Mary's College • Stonehill College • University of Notre Dame • University of Portland