University of St. Thomas (Houston)

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University of St. Thomas
Motto	Educating Leaders of Faith and Character
Established	1947
Type	Private university
Endowment	$45 mil. (approx.) (June 2006)
President	Dr. Robert Ivany
Faculty	276 (Fall 2006)
Students	3607 (Fall 2006)
Undergraduates	1805 (Fall 2006)
Postgraduates	1802 (Fall 2006)
Location	Houston, Texas, USA
Colors	Red and Gold[1][2]
Nickname	UST, St. Thomas
Mascot	Celt
Affiliations	NAIA
Website	http://www.stthom.edu

The University of St. Thomas (also referred to as UST or St. Thomas) in Houston, Texas is a Catholic university, whose focus is liberal arts.

Contents 1 History 2 Campus 2.1 Academic Mall 2.2 Chapel of St. Basil 2.3 Doherty Library 2.4 Hackett Field 2.5 Guinan Hall 3 Students and alumni 3.1 Notable former students 3.2 Notable former professors 4 Costs and financial aid 5 Special programs 5.1 Center For Thomistic Studies 5.2 Pre-Professional Programs 5.3 Engineering Program 5.4 Music 5.5 Cameron School of Business 5.6 School of Education 5.7 Glassell School of Art 6 Athletics 7 Social Life 7.1 Neewollah 7.2 Crawfish Boil and Zydeco Fest 7.3 Other Campus Events 8 Student Organizations 8.1 Members of the SOC 8.2 Non-SOC Organizations 9 References 10 External links

[edit] History

On June 24, 1944, the bishop of the Diocese of Galveston-Houston, Christopher E. Byrne, entered into an agreement with the Houston based members of the Congregation of St. Basil to found a co-educational Roman Catholic university in Houston, Texas "as soon as practicable after the War, if possible by 1947."^[3] The Basilian Fathers had previously started several other secondary schools, as well as institutions of higher learning, throughout Texas in the early 20th Century, including St. Thomas High School, also located in Houston.^[4] The first classes at UST began on September 22, 1947 with 57 freshmen and 8 faculty members.^[5] UST graduated its first class on May 31, 1951.^[6]

The university is named after St. Thomas Aquinas. Originally consisting solely of the Link-Lee Mansion on the corner of Montrose and West Alabama, the university has expanded towards the South and West over the last 60 years, establishing itself as a notable landmark in Houston with over 15,000 graduates. The current expansion plan includes the acquisition and development of the majority of the land comprising 25 city blocks.

Former University president J. Michael Miller, C.S.B. was appointed on November 25, 2003 by the Vatican to preside as Secretary of the Congregation of Catholic Education. By virtue of this office, Miller was elevated to archbishop by Pope John Paul II on January 12, 2004.^[7]

[edit] Campus

The University of St. Thomas is located in the Montrose neighborhood. The campus is north of Houston's Museum District and is adjacent to the famous Menil Collection and the Rothko Chapel. The campus is located within 5 miles of The Galleria, Houston's Medical Center, Downtown Houston's Theater District, Minute Maid Park, Toyota Center, George R. Brown Convention Center, Reliant Stadium, The Houston Zoo, and the World Famous Houston Astrodome.

The campus includes several historic buildings including the Link-Lee Mansion, once the largest home in Houston which is currently the home of the university's executive office, and Hughes House, the childhood home of Howard Hughes, housing the Theology and Catholic Studies offices.

[edit] Academic Mall

The campus takes shape is in a square format, with the main focus of buildings on the north side of the campus which is called the Academic Mall. Comprised of rectanglular buildings, the Academic Mall is the symbolic architecture of Philip Johnson. The use of Johnson as the university's architect spawned mild controversy due to the noted architect's open homosexuality and his flirtation with fascism and atheism which clashed with the Church's teachings. This controversy has died down and mostly been forgotten over the years.

On the south end of the Mall is the Doherty library, while the Chapel of St. Basil is located at the opposite end. Four buildings flank these two buildings on each side in a rectangular formation surrounding a courtyard. The setup is designed to display the methods of human knowledge (faith, represented by the Chapel, and reason, represented by the library) in dialogue regarding the various subject matters (represented by the other buildings, most of which are specialized in one or two subjects).

[edit] Chapel of St. Basil

The Chapel of St. Basil is a unique work of art that has won many awards for its architecture^[8]. Named after St. Basil the Great, a fourth century bishop who was a proponent of both education and the monastic life, the Chapel sits at the north end of the UST Academic Mall, representing faith in the Mall's artistic depiction between balance and faith, and reason in dialogue.

The Chapel includes a fascinating play on light, as there is no artificial light inside the main section of building during the daytime. There is sufficient sunlight to fully light the worship space, as a combination of smooth textures and reflective surfaces maximize all light shone in the building. At night, the lights from outside combined with candles inside the Chapel are more than enough to illuminate the worship area.

A setup of the architecture also shifts the focus the building. The entry to the outdoor narthex of the Chapel is created with a tent-like flap extending over the entry, creating an enclosed space that is still outdoors. The entrances to the Chapel are faced away from the center of the building and towards the tabernacle as a reminder to all the enter that the central point of the Chapel is not the altar or the crucifix, but rather the location of the Eucharist.

During the 2005-2006 school year, a prayer garden was built on the west side of the chapel, featuring a labyrinth, three fountains (meant to represent the members of the Trinity), and benches for meditation.

[edit] Doherty Library

Completed in September 1972, The Robert Pace and Ada Mary Doherty Library (located at the southern end of the Academic Mall) is one of the premier research libraries in the city of Houston. Housing over 225,000 books, 19,000 periodicals, and 125 databases, Doherty has earned an "A" rating from the American Library Association, the highest possible rating for a library or any other research institution.^[9][10]

[edit] Hackett Field

On April 26, 2006, the university dedicated a new athletic field to the Hackett family, who provided a substantial portion of the funds for the development of the athletic field at the university. The field is a non-regulation size and will not be used for intercollegiate sports in the future.^[11] However, the field will provide a venue for intramurals and other sports programs.

[edit] Guinan Hall

Over the history of UST, there have been two student dormitories that have been christened "Guinan Hall." In September 1970, the original 200 bed dormitory was named after Fr. Vincent J. Guinan, the first president of the university. This first incarnation of Guinan Hall stood until the Fall of 2001 when it was discovered that the building had sustained significant structural damage as a result of Tropical Storm Allison earlier that summer.^[12] The decision was made to move the residents out of the dormatory and into a hotel in the medical center while Guinan Hall was demolished to make way for a new building. The second and current dormatory bearing the name Guinan Hall is a 316 bed facility that opened in August 2003.^[13]

[edit] Students and alumni

The University currently maintains a population of 1900 traditional undergraduate students and 1200 graduate students. Adding to this number are non-traditional, off-campus, study-abroad, special program, and seminary students that bring the grand total to 4875 students.

UST has many diverse ethnicities, as 47% of the total number of students are African-American, Hispanic, or Native American. UST is the only private, Hispanic-serving institute of higher education in Houston, TX; to earn this rating from the U.S. Department of Education, UST maintains a student body that is at least 25% Hispanic. 62% of the student body is Catholic. University students come from over 30 states throughout the U.S. as well as over a dozen countries around the world.

[edit] Notable former students

• Garnet Coleman - Texas State Representative
• Sean Patrick Flanery - actor
• Michael Fleming - Former Harris County, Texas County Attorney
• Chau Nguyen - first Vietnamese American news anchor, currently employed with KHOU-TV
• Barbara Olson - author and political commentator
• Mayo Thompson - psychedelic rock musician of Red Crayola
• Mark Calaway - better known as the professional wrestler "The Undertaker" (attended)

There is a memorial to Olson, a victim of the September 11, 2001 Terrorist Attacks, on the main campus mall.

[edit] Notable former professors

• Marshall Applewhite (Music Professor) - leader of the Heaven's Gate cult

[edit] Costs and financial aid

As of the 2006-2007 Academic Year, tuition costs for the University are set at $590 per credit hour with an $84 per semester activity fee, placing UST in the middle of colleges of similar caliber in terms of tuition costs and towards the lower end with regards to fees. Total estimated cost of undergraduate tuition and fees is $17,880 for one year (30 credit hours). Room and board costs are $6,800 for one year, bringing a total cost of roughly $25,000 a year with books and parking.

The University also maintains a strong scholarship and financial aid program that provides over $20 million in scholarships annually in addition to much more in university loans. Many eligible students receive half-tuition scholarships as well as 5 top students receiving full-tuition scholarships annually.

[edit] Special programs

UST offers several special programs within its curriculum, consisting of undergraduate degrees, graduate degrees, and special preparation programs.

[edit] Center For Thomistic Studies

The Philosophy Department of the University of St. Thomas offers masters and doctoral degrees in Philosophy, specializing in the thought of St. Thomas Aquinas and his commentators. In addition, they publish works on thomist philosophy.

[edit] Pre-Professional Programs

UST maintains an extensive Health Professional Programs (including pre-dental, pre-medical, pre-optometry, pre-pharmacy, pre-veterinary, allied health) as well as a Pre-Law Program. These programs, while not a major in themselves, can easily be tied to any undergraduate degree program. Students who complete these programs have a 90% acceptance rate to the graduate school of their choosing.

[edit] Engineering Program

UST also maintains a strong engineering program in conjunction with several other universities. Students entering the program will complete three years of study at the University of St. Thomas (earning a degree in Mathematics) before moving on to the University of Notre Dame, Texas A&M University, or the University of Houston to complete their engineering degree. Students who complete this program have a 100% acceptance rate to the engineering school of their choosing.

[edit] Music

UST has a well-respected music program, offering courses ranging from the appreciation and history of music to courses of instruction and performance with various instruments. Pioneering psychedelic rock band Red Crayola and opera enthusiast / mystic Marshall Applewhite both have extensive ties to the esteemed program. Prior to his dismissal for improprieties with a student, Marshall Applewhite was the first chair of the music department.

[edit] Cameron School of Business

The Cameron Foundation has donated thousands of dollars to the university in order for UST to set up a business school capable of rivaling programs across the nation. The result is the Cameron School of Business, which promotes 5-year degree plans that will allow students to complete both a Bachelor's and Master's degree in several fields of business, including accounting, finance, management information systems, business administration, and international business.

[edit] School of Education

UST also offers programs for teacher certification. Students enter a 2 year rotation in their final 2 years at UST. They learn the skills needed in the classroom and in the final semester, they do student teaching. After the completion of the program, almost all the students get a teaching job for the following school term.

[edit] Glassell School of Art

UST also maintains a connection with the Glassell School of Art for its Studio Arts program, which links the university to the Museum of Fine Arts Houston, one of the top art museums in the world.

[edit] Athletics

In Fall 2006, the NAIA informed UST that its application to join had been accepted, bringing varsity intercollegiate athletics back to campus for the first time in 20 years.^[14] On November 7, 2006, university administrators announced that beginning in 2007, UST would field both a women's volleyball team and men's soccer team to compete in Red River Athletic Conference, pending acceptance of its application to be admitted to the conference. The following year, UST will add women's soccer and men's basketball.^[15]

[edit] Social Life

[edit] Neewollah

An annual tradition at the University of St. Thomas, the "Neewollah" Party (Halloween spelled backwards) is held every year in October. Hundreds of students dress up in costume and party on the lawn and patios of the spacious Link-Lee Mansion as various local bands and DJ's alternate providing music. According to university publications it is one of the largest parties of its kind in the city, drawing over 600 students annually ^[16].

[edit] Crawfish Boil and Zydeco Fest

On April 19, 2002 the University of Saint Thomas Black Student Union held its first Crawfish Boil and Zydeco Fest featuring Step Rideaux and the Zydeco Outlaws. It has since become an annual event. The event provides an excellent opportunity for recreation and fellowship. Hundreds of students, faculty, staff, alumni and members of the surrounding community enjoy imported crawfish and a zydeco dance contest.

[edit] Other Campus Events

• Oktoberfest
• I-FEST
• Cinco de Mayo Celebration
• FSA Date Auction
• Spring Formal
• St. Augustine Birthday Celebration
• Family Weekend

[edit] Student Organizations

The Student Organizations Committee is a collective of student leaders from six major organizations that oversee many areas of student life. The SOC holds no legislative powers, but does possess limited judicial power over certain decisions made by the Student Government Association, such as major funding bills and bills affecting SOC membership. There is no presiding officer of the SOC. All SOC members have an administrative or facutly adviser. SOC members are allowed to petition for operating budgets before other organizations and/or clubs can request funds for the following school year.

[edit] Members of the SOC

• The Student Government Association is the legislative student body at UST. The senate body consists of up to four representatives from each class (freshman, sophomore, junior, senior, and graduate) who are elected into office. An executive board led by an elected president and an elected vice president oversee the SGA. The SGA president can appoint a secretary, treasurer, historian, and webmaster. The SGA's main function is to allocate funds collected by the Student Activity Fee. It holds regular meetings every Tuesday in the Council of Clubs meeting room in Crooker Center.

• The Student Activities Board is the main programming organization at UST. SAB is led by an elected president and an elected vice president. It is responsible for planning traditional events like Neewollah and Spring Formal, as well as occasional open mic and bingo nights.

• The Council of Clubs is an umbrella organization that represents clubs on campus. It is led by an elected chair and an appointed vice chair. The CoC provides funding for various clubs at UST. Interested clubs may request membership into the CoC and may be approved with a simple majority vote by eligible clubs, called the board of directors. The board currently includes:

• The Sport Clubs Associations is responsible for the sport clubs on campus. It is led by an elected president. Like the CoC, it is an umbrella organization that funds athletic-oriented clubs and teams at UST. Current members of the Sport Clubs include:

• The Cauldron newspaper is the student-run newspaper serving the UST community. It is led by an appointed editor and an appointed assistant editor, as well as various section editors and staff members. The staff is responsible for usually nine regular issues and two special editions (a student elections voter's guide and The Scauldron). The newspaper also maintains a Web site.

• The Laurels literary magazine publishes poems, short fiction, and other creative writing submitted by enrolled students. It is led by three appointed editors. During the fall, the three editors are responsible for the administration and editing of the issue. However, a curriculum-approved Literary magazine class, in cooperation with the editors, is responsible for the spring issue.

[edit] Non-SOC Organizations

The university acknowledges a total of 70 student organizations, most of which fall within SOC jurisdiction, but other organizations are overseen by other departments of the university. Honor Societies and Academic Clubs are often overseen by their departments, but some seek COC approval for financial purposes. Other organizations are under the directorship of administrative offices such as Campus Ministry.^[17]

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• University of St. Thomas Official Site
• UST at a Glance
• Virtual Tour
• Chapel of St. Basil
• UST Cauldron
• Museum of Fine Arts Houston
• University of St. Thomas Fencing Club