Saint Ambrose University
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| Saint Ambrose University | |
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| Motto: | Faith Learning Justice |
| Established: | 1882 |
| Type: | Private, Roman Catholic Coeducational since 1968 |
| President: | Sr. Joan Lescinski, CSJ |
| Faculty: | 338 |
| Students: | 3,780 called Ambrosians |
| Undergraduates: | 2,829 |
| Postgraduates: | 951 |
| Location: | Davenport, Iowa, U.S. |
| Campus: | Residential |
| Colors: | Navy blue, baby blue, white |
| Mascot: | Fighting Bee |
| Affiliations: | Roman Catholic Church Diocese of Davenport |
| Website: | www.sau.edu |
St. Ambrose University is a private, coeducational, liberal arts university affiliated with the Roman Catholic Diocese of Davenport. It is located in a residential area of Davenport, Iowa.
St. Ambrose's mission statement is: St. Ambrose University — independent, diocesan, and Catholic — enables its students to develop intellectually, spiritually, ethically, socially, artistically, and physically to enrich their own lives and the lives of others. Its core mission values and guiding principles are those of Catholicity, Integrity, The Liberal Arts, Life-long Learning, and Diversity.
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[edit] History
St. Ambrose was founded as a seminary and school of commerce for young men in 1882. It owes its beginning to the first bishop of Davenport, The Most Reverend John McMullen, DD, who founded it under the auspices of the Diocese of Davenport. The affiliation remains strong today.
For its first three years, classes were held in two rooms of the old St. Marguerite’s School, located on the grounds of what is now Sacred Heart Cathedral in Davenport. Bishop McMullen died in 1883, and Reverend "A.J." Aloysius Schulte, a mere 23 years old, was named St. Ambrose’s first president.
The school was moved to the Locust Street campus in 1885, when the central part of the present Ambrose Hall was built. Located in a secluded grove of oak trees, the site was far removed from the city itself, intentionally far it seems, from the “corrupting effects of town life.” That same year, St. Ambrose was incorporated as “a literary, scientific and religious institution.” The articles of incorporation stated, “No particular religious faith shall be required of any person to entitle him to admission to said seminary.”
By the turn of the century a clearer division was being made between the high school program, or the “academy,” and the college program. In 1908 the name of the institution was officially changed to “St. Ambrose College” to more clearly reflect the institution's mission. Night school classes were inaugurated in 1924, and the first session of summer school was held in 1931.
During World War II, the United States Navy chose St. Ambrose College as a location for the training of many of its officers. For a short time regular classes ceased, and the campus became a training ground for the Navy’s V-12 squads.
The high school program, St. Ambrose Academy, moved to new quarters at Assumption High School in 1958, providing additional space on campus for continued growth.
In 1968 St. Ambrose became fully coeducational, although women had been taking classes on campus ever since the 1930s.
St. Ambrose began offering graduate classes in 1977 with the master of business administration program. Its graduate programs have expanded to 15 graduate programs.
On April 23, 1987, St. Ambrose College became St. Ambrose University at the direction of the Board of Directors. The university was organized into the Colleges of Business, Human Services and Arts and Sciences.
In 1997 St. Ambrose began offering its first doctoral program, the doctor of business administration.
[edit] Students and faculty
The university enrolls approximately 3,800 students, as of Fall 2007. 2,829 of these students were undergraduates, 951 were graduate students. The student body is 60 percent female and 68 percent of students study full time. Approximately half of the students live on campus. 64 percent of incoming students are Roman Catholic, and 8.8 percent identify themselves as belonging to a minority group.
The college employs 338 faculty members, and 228 staff. The student-faculty ratio is approximately 16 to 1.
Sr. Joan Lescinski, CSJ replaced Dr. Edward Rogalski as president in 2007 becoming the first woman to hold that office.
[edit] Accreditation
St. Ambrose University is accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. In its review of 2008, the Association recommended a 10-year approval for St. Ambrose.
[edit] Athletics
St. Ambrose is home to nine women's and nine men's intercollegiate sports. Varsity teams are known as the Saint Ambrose Queen Bees or the Saint Ambrose Fighting Bees, respectively. Women's programs include Basketball, Cross Country, Dance, Golf, Soccer, Softball, Tennis, Track, and Volleyball. Men's programs include Baseball, Basketball, Cross Country, Football, Golf, Soccer, Tennis, Track, and Volleyball. St. Ambrose is a member of the Midwest Collegiate Conference. Football teams participate in the Mid-States Football Association; Men's Volleyball participate in the Mid-America Men's Volleyball Intercollegiate Conference.
[edit] Miscellaneous
St. Ambrose's annual operating budget is approximately $55,000,000. The university's patron is St. Ambrose of Milan.
The mascot for St. Ambrose teams is the Fighting Bees. Bees and beehives are symbolic of St. Ambrose. There is a legend that as an infant, a swarm of bees settled on the saint's face while he lay in his cradle, leaving behind a drop of honey. His father considered this a sign of his future eloquence and honeyed-tongue.
The school song is Ambrosian Oaks set to the tune of the Finlandia Hymn.
The institution's motto is: Faith, Learning, and Justice.
St. Ambrose is a member of the Pacem in Terris Coalition that awards the prestigious Pacem in Terris Award.
[edit] Notable Alumni
- Fr. Edward Catich
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
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