Benedictine College

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article needs additional citations for verification.
Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (December 2007)

Benedictine College

Established:	1971 by the merger of Mount St. Scholastica College (founded 1923) and St. Benedict's College (founded 1858)
Type:	Private, Undergraduate
President:	Stephen D. Minnis
Location:	Atchison, KS, USA
Campus:	Urban
Colors:	Black █ and Red █
Mascot:	Ravens
Website:	www.benedictine.edu

Benedictine College is a small university in Atchison, Kansas. It is a Roman Catholic, Benedictine, liberal arts, and residential college located on bluffs overlooking the Missouri River about forty-five minutes northwest of Kansas City, Missouri. One of a number of U.S. Benedictine colleges, it is sponsored by St. Benedict's Abbey and Mount St. Scholastica. The abbey has a current population of some thirty-five monks.

1 Beginnings
2 Four Pillars
3 Education
4 Athletics
5 Faith life
6 Administration
7 Notable alumni
8 Notable facts
9 References
10 External links

[edit] Beginnings

The predecessors for the modern university were Mount St. Scholastica College, an all-women's campus named for Benedict of Nursia's twin sister Scholastica, and St. Benedict's College, an all-men's campus named for Benedict of Nursia, founder of modern western monasticism. In 1970, Fr. Alcuin Hemmen, OSB, president of St. Benedict's College, announced that St. Benedict's would become a co-educational college, causing Sr. Mary Noel Walter, OSB, president of Mount St. Scholastica College to organize discussion of a merger of the two colleges.^[1] It was agreed upon, and the universities merged on July 1, 1971 to form the current Benedictine College. At the time of this merger, the college was also known as "The Co-Educational College of Mount St. Scholastica and St. Benedict's Colleges". The usage of this name has disappeared since the college closed the South Campus, the former Mount St. Scholastica College, in 1989.

[edit] Four Pillars

The college builds its core values around four "pillars" which exemplify the Benedictine experience: Catholic, Benedictine, Liberal Arts, and Residential.

[edit] Education

Undergraduate programs include Art, Astronomy, Business, Finance, Mass Communications, Theatre, Philosophy, Theology, Music, Biology, Computer Science, Education, History, English, Sociology (including Criminology), Math and Physics. Masters degree programs include Education and Business.

In a recent survey of approximately 162,000 students at 472 four-year colleges and universities (National Survey of Student Engagement), Benedictine College scored in the top 5 percent nationally for student-faculty interaction, supportive campus environment, and enriching educational experiences.^[2] The university staff to student ratio is 16:1.

[edit] Athletics

The school's athletic teams, the Ravens, wear black, red and white uniforms. St. Benedict is usually pictured with his pet raven, because of the legend that his raven saved him from eating poisoned bread.

The Ravens compete in fifteen varsity intercollegiate sports (NAIA and Heart of America Athletic Conference), with men’s teams in baseball, basketball, cross country, football, soccer, and track and field. Women’s athletics, "The Lady Ravens", include teams in basketball, cross-country, soccer, softball, track, and volleyball. Benedictine’s cheerleading and spirit squads have been recognized nationally.

[edit] Faith life

Mass is offered to students four times daily in several places, including St. Benedict's Abbey in its Abbey Church, St. Benedict's Parish, and St. Martin's Chapel. There are many opportunities for retreats, Bible study, evangelization, mission trips, service projects, youth ministry, music ministry, and pro-life work. The Fellowship of Catholic University Students (FOCUS), a collegiate leadership apostolate, was founded at Benedictine College by Curtis Martin.

The college is located within the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas, though it is not officially affiliated with the Archdiocese.

[edit] Administration

Stephen D. Minnis, President
Kimberly C. Shankman, Dean of the College
Sr. Mary Blaise Cillissen, OSB, Associate Dean of the College
Phil Baniewicz, Vice-President of College Relations, co-founded Life Teen^[3]
Linda Henry, Dean of Students

[edit] Notable alumni

Irv Comp, former starting quarterback of the Green Bay Packers, member of the 1944 NFL Championship team.
Terrance W. Gainer, Sergeant-at-Arms of the U.S. Senate for the 110th United States Congress (January 4, 2007 – present)
Scott Hieger, Famous teacher of world history at Berkner High School and formerly (and fondly) at Lake Highlands High School, expert on the Byzantine Empire
Thomas Hoenig, President, Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, earned his bachelors degree in economics at St. Benedicts College in 1968.
Wangari Maathai, 2004 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, earned her bachelors degree in biology at the Mount St. Scholastica College from 1960 to 1964.
Jamie Mueller, Former professional NFL running back of the Buffalo Bills (1987-1990).
Donn B. Murphy Ph.D., longtime professor of theatre at Georgetown University, and president of The National Theatre in Washington D.C.

[edit] Notable facts

Benedictine College is one of the few colleges to continue the tradition of making incoming freshmen wear a beanie atop their heads for the first week of orientation. If an upperclassman or alumni spots a freshman without the beanie, they are required to "kaw like a raven" on top of the highest point in the area.