| St. Ambrose University | |
|---|---|
| Motto | Faith Learning Justice |
| Established | 1882[1] |
| Type | Private, Roman Catholic Coeducational liberal arts |
| Religious affiliation | Roman Catholic Diocese of Davenport |
| President | Sr. Joan Lescinski, CSJ |
| Academic staff | 337[1] |
| Admin. staff | 299[1] |
| Students | 3794 |
| Undergraduates | 2922[1] |
| Postgraduates | 872[1] |
| Location | Davenport, Iowa, United States |
| Campus | Small city[2] |
| Colors | |
| Nickname | Fighting Bees/QueenBees |
| Affiliations | National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics |
| 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.
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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.[3]
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.
The university enrolls approximately 3,800 students, as of Fall 2007. 2,829 of these students were undergraduates and 951 were graduate students. The student body is approximately 60 percent female and 68 percent of students study full time. Nearly half of the undergraduate 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 university employs 338 faculty members, and 228 staff. The student-faculty ratio is approximately 14 to 1.
Sr. Joan Lescinski, CSJ replaced Dr. Edward Rogalski as president in 2007 becoming the first woman to hold that office.
For a university of its size, St. Ambrose boasts a strong variety of undergraduate and graduate academic programs. With a strong emphasis on the liberal arts, undergraduate students must take a wide variety of general education courses in philosophy, theology, arts/humanities, and the sciences. Notable programs include one of the only undergraduate criminalistics programs in Iowa, an ACCEL program for adult learners. Among the school's graduate degree programs are master's degrees in occupational therapy (the only one of its kind in Iowa), social work, and doctorate degrees in physical therapy and business administration.
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.
St. Ambrose is home to 11 women's and 11 men's intercollegiate sports. Varsity teams are known as the St. Ambrose Queen Bees or the Saint Ambrose Fighting Bees, respectively. Women's programs include Basketball, Cross Country, Dance, Golf, Soccer, Softball, Tennis, Track, Volleyball, Cheerleading, and Bowling. Men's programs include Baseball, Basketball, Cross Country, Football, Golf, Soccer, Tennis, Track, Volleyball, Cheerleading, and Bowling. Saint 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.
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