Mount Aloysius College
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| Mount Aloysius College | |
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| Established: | 1853 |
| Type: | Private |
| President: | C Sr. Mary Ann Dillon, Ph.D |
| Undergraduates: | 1,600 (1,200 full-time) |
| Location: | Cresson, Pennsylvania, USA |
| Campus: | Rural, 165-acre (0.67 km²) mountaintop campus |
| Athletics: |  |
| Nickname: | Mounties |
| Affiliations: | Roman Catholic |
| Website: | [1] |
Mount Aloysius College is a private college that is located in Cresson, Pennsylvania. Mount Aloysius is affiliated with the Roman Catholic Church and is sponsored by the Sisters of Mercy.
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[edit] History & Tradition
The history of the College is rooted in the life of the Religious Sisters of Mercy who founded and sponsor Mount Aloysius. Catherine McAuley founded the Religious Sisters of Mercy in Dublin, Ireland, in 1831 as a congregation devoted to service. It was one of the first active congregations of women religious in Ireland.
Today, Sisters of Mercy serve in North and South America, Africa, Asia and Australia continuing their original charism of service to the needy through advocacy and direct service in health care, educational and social service agencies and institutions. The spirit of the congregation, dedicated to honoring the mercy of God, is one of enterprising response to need, coupled with compassion and hospitality, a spirit, which is a goal of the Mount Aloysius family.
Mount Aloysius College traces its Mercy heritage to the small community of sisters who were sent to Pittsburgh in 1843. From Pittsburgh, they established a community in Chicago in 1845 and by 1848 they settled in nearby Loretto. On St. Mary's Street in Loretto, the Sisters built a school in a tinner's shop, which was to be the forerunner of St. Aloysius Academy. The Academy, built in 1853, was moved to its present site in 1897. In 1939 Mount Aloysius Junior College was founded through the initiative of Sister M. de Sales Farley, R.S.M. In 1991, Mount Aloysius amended its charter and scope of programs to include bachelor degrees. In the Spring of 2000, the College's charter was again amended to include master's degrees. The U.S. News & World Report college guide ranks Mount Aloysius as one of the top comprehensive colleges in the northern U.S.
[edit] The College
Mount Aloysius College is a small, private, comprehensive, Catholic liberal arts college sponsored by the Sisters of Mercy. Established in 1853, the College today specializes in both undergraduate and graduate education. Since the founding of the College, more than 11,000 students have become proud Mount Aloysius College graduates. The College is committed to small classroom size, providing a highly structured environment. Mount Aloysius College students come from the commonwealth of Pennsylvania, but many other states are represented on campus, including Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Vermont, Virginia, and West Virginia. Sixty-five percent of the College's students are women. There are approximately 1,100 full-time students and 500 students enrolled part-time.
Mount Aloysius College is one of eighteen Mercy Colleges nationwide. As part of the Mercy College curriculum, students are encouraged to evaluate ethical issues and form a sound character consistent with traditional, Judeo-Christian values. Social growth is seen as a vital element of a complete liberal arts education, encompassing the important ability to relate closely to people.
The College recognizes that student activities play a distinctive role in the total campus educational program. There are approximately 100 organized clubs, groups, honor societies, and intramural sports programs, including a newspaper, residence hall associations, student government, cheerleading, dance team, step team, scholarship-funded theater and choir programs, and a student activities planning board. Student activities include many social events, intramural sports programs, NCAA Division III sporting events, comedians, cultural and educational events, campus forums, and lectures by guest speakers.
Mount Aloysius College is a provisional member of NCAA Division III. The following athletic programs are available to both women and men: basketball, cross-country, golf, and soccer. Men's baseball and women's softball and volleyball are also offered. Both intercollegiate and intramural athletes benefit from the new Ray S. and Louise S. Walker Athletic Field Complex, which includes a softball field along with one of the finest soccer fields in the area. A baseball field and a multipurpose field are soon to be added.
Twelve buildings make up the 165-acre (0.67 km²) campus. The main building is a picturesque structure dating to 1897; it houses the admissions, financial aid, security, health, and academic offices, along with the Office of the President, classrooms, telenursing research facilities, and the Wolf-Kuhn art gallery. Cosgrave Center is the main hub on campus, serving as the Student Union. The building contains the dining hall, snack bar, bookstore, child-care center (part of the elementary education/early childhood program at the College), lounges, recreational rooms, student affairs offices, career services, and meeting rooms. The College's Health and Physical Fitness Center is adjacent to Cosgrave Center. Its main athletic arena has a seating capacity of approximately 2,000 and serves as the home to all Mounties fans. The facility provides space for three basketball courts, three volleyball courts, a tennis court, a weight and exercise room equipped with a sauna, two locker rooms, office areas, changing rooms for sports officials, public restrooms, a lobby, and a vestibule. Misciagna Residence Hall was first occupied by 100 resident students in 2006. This residence hall is comprised of twenty-five suites. Each suite has a living room area, kitchenette area, and two bedrooms. The three-story building has laundry facilities and common space on each floor. Ihmsen Halls are key housing facilities for residential students. Alumni Hall is a historic, multipurpose room that is used for College drama, musicals, and many performing arts events. The College operates twelve months per year and opens its facilities to the outside community.
Mount Aloysius is a comprehensive college that is fully accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools and approved by the Pennsylvania Department of Education. All nursing programs and health studies programs are fully accredited by their professional accrediting bodies, including the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission, the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education, the American Association of Medical Assistants, and the Joint Commission on Accreditation for Programs of Surgical Technology.
In addition to its undergraduate programs, Mount Aloysius offers master's degrees in criminal justice management in correctional administration, health and human services administration, and psychology. Location
Mount Aloysius College is located in the scenic southern Allegheny Mountains of west-central Pennsylvania. The College is located in the small town of Cresson, which is adjacent to U.S. Route 22. The College's setting is rural, with two middle-sized cities, Altoona and Johnstown, within a very short distance. The area has warm, beautiful summers; brisk, breathtaking autumns; invigorating, snowy winters; and cool, blooming springs. Facilities in the area are available for outdoor activities, including biking, golfing, swimming, horseback riding, waterskiing and water activities, hiking, spelunking, picnicing, and amusement and water parks.
[edit] Majors and Degrees
Mount Aloysius College awards bachelor's and associate degrees in the arts, sciences, and health-studies fields in both career-oriented and traditional liberal arts programs. Baccalaureate degrees are available in accounting, behavioral and social science, business administration, computer science, criminology, elementary/early childhood education, English, general science, history/political science, humanities, information technology, math/science, medical imaging, nursing (RN-B.S.N. program), nursing (2-2), occupational therapy (3-2), physical therapy (4-2), physician assistant studies (3-2), prelaw, psychology, sign language/interpreter education, and undecided/exploratory. Associate degrees are offered in applied technology, business administration, criminology, early childhood studies, general studies, legal studies, liberal arts, medical assistant studies, nursing, nursing (LPN to RN), physical therapist assistant studies, radiography/medical imaging, and surgical technology.
[edit] Academic Programs
Whether preparing students for careers upon graduation or for graduate school, Mount Aloysius recognizes the importance of a broad and liberal education. Thus, in addition to receiving solid preparation for a chosen career, every student at the College receives a foundation in the arts, sciences, and humanities through an outstanding core curriculum. Strong emphasis is placed on the specialized courses within each program of study, and many academic programs combine classroom experience with internships and related training at area clinical sites, agencies, and institutions. In addition to its regular academic programs, Mount Aloysius offers independent and directed study with a commitment to service, which is a key ingredient in a Mercy education. The College has an excellent honors program and Educational Enrichment Center. The academic calendar has two traditional semesters and two or three optional summer sessions.
[edit] Off-Campus Programs
An important feature of many academic programs is off-campus training. The majority of the College's programs of study require credit-yielding practicums, through which students work and receive training at local and regional hospitals, public and private schools, or health or human service agencies. Students in all health programs participate in required on-the-job training during their time at the College.
[edit] Academic Facilities
In 1995, Mount Aloysius College opened both a new library and a new era, signifying greater access to information for the College community. This state-of-the-art facility is the campus hub for technology and studying. With a Buhl Electronic Classroom and more than 70,000 print and nonprint titles, the library is an impressive, 31,000-square-foot (2,900 m²) facility with ample seating space, four group-study rooms, a reading lounge, a law library and classroom, and additional room for future expansion. This facility is also completely automated, with an online catalog and access to remote libraries and the World Wide Web at more than thirty public workstations. Also located in the library is the Information Technology Center, home to fifteen multimedia computer workstations and some of the latest offerings in educational software.
Pierce Hall serves as the science center on campus and is a state-of-the-art, 31,000-square-foot (2,900 m²) facility that was completed in 1997 and houses all science laboratories, health science centers, and offices of faculty members in the health studies programs. Academic Hall is an impressive facility that is home to the College Honors Program. It also has classrooms, labs, seminar rooms, faculty offices, and electronic rooms. The College is proud of its bridge to the past and its progress in providing twenty-first-century buildings.
[edit] Costs
Annual tuition and fees for the 2005-06 academic year for full-time students are $14,220, and room and board are $6190.
[edit] Financial Aid
Mount Aloysius recognizes the expense involved in acquiring a liberal arts education and encourages all students to apply for all available aid. Through the Office of Financial Aid, the College assists students in applying for state and federal grants, loans, work-study awards, and College merit scholarships and grants. The College awards academic monies based on GPA and SAT or ACT scores; these awards are renewable over a four-year period and range from $1000 to $8000 per year. Mount Aloysius College participates in all federal and state programs. In 2003, the College awarded more than $10 million in student financial aid. Ninety percent of the College's students receive some form of financial aid. U.S. News & World Report ranked Mount Aloysius College number one among private liberal arts colleges in the Northeast for the least amount of loan debt among students as they graduate and for having one of the best prices for a private liberal arts college.
[edit] Faculty
The Mount Aloysius faculty consists of approximately 60 full-time members, whose primary responsibility is teaching and advising students. Most full-time faculty members hold advanced or terminal degrees and are expected to maintain close instructional ties with students. Many professors hold national professional certificates in such disciplines as criminology, law, nursing, and occupational therapy. The Mount Aloysius student-faculty ratio of 14:1 allows close contact between students and faculty members, providing personal attention in a highly structured environment key ingredient in the College's academic philosophy.
[edit] Student Government
The Student Representative Government (SRG) represents students on all issues that concern the College. The SRG appoints student representatives to all student-oriented College committees. The College encourages active student participation in the general governance structure and in other matters concerning the development and implementation of policies on residential student life.
[edit] Admission Requirements
The College admits a freshman class of approximately 300 students, which amounts to a total class of 470 with transfer students. Admission is selective and is based on academic promise, as indicated by a student's secondary school performance and activities, standardized test scores, and special experience and talents. Applicants are required to have, or expect to earn, a diploma from an approved secondary school or a GED diploma. Submission of official transcripts and SAT or ACT scores is required. In addition to the general admission requirements, specific admission requirements exist for the health programs; students may visit the College's Web site, listed below, for further information. Prospective students are highly encouraged to visit the scenic 165-acre (0.67 km²) campus. The College is open Monday to Friday from 8:30 to 4 and on select Saturdays.
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 Campus Overview |
[edit] External links
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