College of St. Joseph

The College of St. Joseph

Motto	Lumen Via Veritas
Type	Private
Established	1956
Affiliation	Roman Catholic
Endowment	$5.47 Million
President	Richard B. Lloyd
Undergraduates	418
Location	Rutland , Vermont
Campus	Suburban, 117 acres (360,000 m²)
Colors	Blue and White
Nickname	The Fighting Saints
Website	www.csj.edu

College of St. Joseph is a private, residential, liberal arts Catholic college. Located on 117 wooded acres in Rutland, Vermont, it is located 25 minutes from the Killington Ski Resort and other outdoor recreational facilities and activities. The College's president is Dr. Richard Lloyd.

Mission

The mission of College of St. Joseph is to educate "men and women of varied faiths and backgrounds for lives of continuing personal and professional growth, intellectual development, and service to the community."

History

After years of educating their members within the walls of the motherhouse on Convent Avenue in Rutland, the Sisters of St. Joseph of Rutland purchased the campus of Rutland Junior College to establish a training center for their young novices and continue their education in the sisters’ normal school. In 1956, a core group of courageous women led by Sister Mary Matthew McDevitt, the college’s first president, formed St. Joseph’s Teacher’s College. To foster the growth of the fledgling college she formed an affiliation with The Catholic University of America.

In 1960 the college was approved by the State of Vermont to confer the Bachelor of Science in education and the name of the college was changed to College of St. Joseph the Provider.

In 1962, because of a teacher shortage, the congregation decided to admit lay women interested in Elementary Education. Nine brave lay women enrolled in the fall of 1962. A double trailer was purchased in 1964 and placed near the school building as a residence hall for 8 freshmen. In May 1965, the first lay students, Michelle Anne Ford and Marita Lillian Peters, graduated from the college in a ceremony held in the Mount St. Joseph Academy auditorium.

In fall 1965, Sister Mary Imelda Welch became the second president of the College. The rapid growth of the College resulted in a critical need for both dormitory and classroom space. In 1967 the first dormitory, Roncalli Hall, was completed. The following year, St. Joseph Hall was completed with 8 classrooms, 2 science laboratories, a language laboratory and an auditorium/gymnasium. Continued growth resulted in the need for a second dormitory and in 1969 Medaille Hall was completed. In the late sixties, the college attained candidacy in the New England Association of Schools and College, Inc., New England’s regional accrediting body.

Under Sr. Imelda’s administration, the College became co-ed in the fall of 1971 and enrolled six male students. She also introduced men’s basketball to student services in 1972 and moved the educational programs forward to include programs in special education, early childhood education, library science and the master’s degree in education. In 1972, CSJP became a full member of the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, Inc.

On June 1, 1974 Sr. Mary Polworth, a Burlington, Vermont native and former executive vice-president of CSJP, became the third president. Her focus was on promoting the college within the community to increase its visibility. Under her administration, academic programs in business administration, human services, and liberal studies were added to the CSJP curriculum. In addition, the women’s basketball team, called the Saintinettes, made its official debut in November 1974. By fall of 1976 about half of the faculty were Sisters of St. Joseph, half were lay faculty and there were two priests on the staff. Tuition, room and board that year totaled $3,000.

In 1983, the board of trustees appointed the first lay president in the history of the college, Frank Miglorie. Miglorie had served as a full-time faculty member at the college for nine years and as its Academic Dean for four years under Sr. Mary Polworth. The board also made another significant change in 1983 when it changed the name of the college to College of St. Joseph. From the eighties through the nineties, under Miglorie’s leadership, the college’s curriculum expanded to include 32 majors at the undergraduate and graduate level with special emphasis on programs for adult learners and graduate students. Campus expansion was also a priority.

In 1987, St. Joseph Hall underwent a major redesign changing it from a one-story modern structure to two-story traditional building. In May 1993, the Campaign for CSJ was launched. This was an ambitious 5-year capital campaign that transformed the campus with the addition of two new buildings and the relocation of the library. The first phase of the Campaign included the construction of the CSJ Athletic Center which was completed in 1995. In 1998 Tuttle Hall Student Center was completed.

The turn of the new century saw refinement of the curriculum and the introduction of new programs. These efforts to strengthen CSJ were enhanced by growth in the endowment and the creation of strategic alliances with organizations such as Vermont Department of Corrections, the American Red Cross, and Stafford Technical Center. In addition, efforts also focused on continuing to improve the campus and student services as evidenced by the construction of Giorgetti Library which opened in January 2006 thereby completing a ten-year, $8,000,000 expansion program called ACCESS XXI. As the College of St. Joseph moved into the start of the next fifty years of its history, several new programs were added in response to state and national needs – undergraduate and graduate programs in alcohol and substance abuse counseling and an undergraduate program in criminal justice. Additionally, the college has formed an alliance with Vermont Student Assistance Corporation and the Vermont Department for Children and Families to offer a unique program to assist foster youth transition to college. Since the fall of 2008, the CSJ STEPS program (Students Taking an Effective Path to Success) provides year-round housing and support services for foster youth wanting to complete their college education at CSJ. This program is unique in New England and one of a very few in the U.S. that seeks to make a higher education possible for former foster children. Our program has already attracted attention from other states also trying to solve the problem of enabling former foster children to earn a college degree and become productive citizens and realize their true potential.

In 2012, Dr. Richard Lloyd took over as president. Dr. Lloyd has a distinguished record in higher education and has served in a variety of administrative posts including vice president for academic affairs, dean of the faculty and director of special programs. As vice president for college initiatives at Hastings College, he directed admissions, communications and marketing, and financial aid. College of St. Joseph continues to seek national recognition as a New England Catholic College that transforms its students into leaders who are competent, caring and service-oriented persons and professionals.

Accreditation

The College is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC-CIHE), the State of Vermont Department of Education, the Council of Applied Master's Programs in Psychology and the Board of Psychological Examiners of Vermont.

Campus

Main Campus

The main building is St. Joseph Hall, which houses the admissions office, financial aid office, the Giorgetti Library, classrooms, faculty offices, computer labs, the registrar, and campus bookstore. Tuttle Hall houses the student services offices, a student lounge/waiting room, a 200-seat theater, a chapel, and the Campus Ministry. The Athletic Center on campus has a 1,000-seat gymnasium, a weight and cardio room, a racquetball court, and a dance studio. There are also two undergraduate dormitories built in 1957, Roncalli Hall, for male students, and Medaille Hall, which houses female students.

West Campus

In 2008 the College purchased the 27-acre (110,000 m²) Clementwood estate from the Sisters of St. Joseph, consisting of the Clementwood Mansion, the Carriage House, Avilia Hall, Marion Hall, and St. Francis Hall. Clementwood Mansion, built in 1863 by Charles Clement as a private home and later used by the Sisters of St. Joseph as their novitiate, was remodeled over the course of two years, and in spring 2010, the president's office, academic dean's office, and development and alumni relations office moved into Clementwood.

Academics

Undergraduate

The College offers 28 different degree programs in the arts & sciences, business, criminal justice, education, and psychology & human services. New in 2014, the College introduced a social media certificate program and concentration.

Graduate

The College offers three graduate degree programs: Education with specializations in Elementary Education, General Education, Reading, Secondary Education English, Secondary Education Social Studies, Special Education, and a Post Baccalaureate Teacher Certification. Also, an online course in Educational Leadership; Psychology & Human Services with specialization in Alcohol & Substance Abuse Counseling, Clinical Mental Health, Counseling, Clinical Psychology, Community Counseling, School Counseling, and a Graduate Certificate in Alcohol and Substance Abuse Counseling; and Business with a Master of Business Administration (MBA).

Beginning in 2016, CSJ will be offering a Master of Medical Science Physician Assistant Studies program. Upon accreditation, it will be the first PA program in Vermont.

Demographics

In 2007 the freshman class consisted of 59% men and 41% women. 94% were full-time and 6% were part-time. 51% were undergraduates and 49% were graduate students. The racial composition was 96% white, 2% black, and 2% Hispanic.[8]

Student life

The College offers many intramural and recreational activities including basketball, racquetball, softball, volleyball, and flag football. Clubs and organizations on campus include Residence Hall Council, the Student Government Association, the Business Club, the Human Services Club, the Education Club, the Student National Education Association, the Outdoor Hiking Club, and the Drama Club. There are a number of International Honor Societies on campus including societies for English, Human Services, History, Business, and Education. In addition to the Campus Ministry there are various student services on campus including Career Services and the Project Success Learning Center.

Provider Scholarship

College of St. Joseph is furthering its mission and addressing national concern over the rising cost of higher education by offering the Provider Scholarship Program. The scholarship for full-time undergraduate students, worth more than $60,000 over four years, incorporates a commitment to academic excellence, personal and professional growth, and community service. Students are asked to remain in good academic standing, participate in one campus activity, and complete 15 hours of community engagement each semester. As of 2015, the College has passed the 5,000 service hour mark since the beginning of the program in the fall of 2013.

STEPS Program

STEPS, Students Taking an Effective Path to Success, is a full-time residential program for Vermont youth transitioning out of foster care. The STEPS program is the first of its kind in New England. It provides a supportive campus environment for students so they can earn a college degree, develop work skills, and experience optional counseling and guidance support. CSJ also solves logistical programs foster youth traditionally face by offering year-round housing and meal service.

Athletics

The College of St. Joseph is a United States Collegiate Athletic Association Division II school and plays within the Yankee Small College Conference, with programs in men's and women's basketball, men's and women's soccer, baseball and softball, and men's and women's cross country. St. Joseph's nickname is the Fighting Saints and the school's colors are Royal Blue and White. They were previously a member of the NAIA and a member of the Sunrise Conference.

Notable alumni

Rich Ortega, a professional basketball player for the Palestinian Professional Basketball League in Israel, graduated from the college.

See also

• List of colleges and universities in the United States
• List of colleges and universities in Vermont

External links

• College of St. Joseph