University of Scranton

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University of Scranton is a private, co-educational Jesuit university. Located in Scranton, Pennsylvania, it was founded in 1888 as Saint Thomas Aquinas College by the Bishop William G. O'Hara and by 1938, achieved university status. This same year, Saint Thomas College adopted the name University of Scranton, and in 1942, the university came under the administration of the Society of Jesus. Today, the University of Scranton is one of 28 member institutions of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities.

University of Scranton is composed of five colleges: The College of Arts and Sciences, the largest, Dexter Hanley College for adult and part-time students, The Graduate School, Arthur J. Kania School of Management and the J.A. Panuska, S.J., College of Professional Studies.

Campus Buildings and Landmarks

The University of Scranton is situated on a 58 acre (.235 km²) urban campus in downtown Scranton, Pennsylvania. Since 1984, the university has built some 25 new buildings and renovated over 24 others.

• Alumni Memorial Hall, formerly the university library, houses the psychology department as well as offices for the school's technology administration and computer maintenance center. The Molecular Biology and Medicine Institute is adjacent to Alumni Memorial Hall. A large statue of Dante stands near the entrance.

• Brennan Hall, built in 2000, is named for John E. Brennan, a university alumnus of the Class of 1968 and a large contributer to the project. It boasts 71,000 square feet (7,000 m²) of space of classroom and office space. Included is a 148-seat auditorium and the McShane Executive Conference Center on the top floor, named in honor of former University President and current President of Fordham University, Joseph McShane, S.J. One of the newest academic buildings on campus, it is home to the Kania School of Management (KSOM).

• Campion Hall provides housing for the Jesuit community. Campion Hall is named in honor of Saint Edmund Campion, S.J. Many of the priests teach or hold administrative positions at the University of Scranton or nearby Scranton Preparatory School, a local Jesuit high school. Campion Hall was first opened in 1987 and stands next to the Alumni Green.
• *Martyrs Grove, a stone memorial to victims of a massacre that took place on November 16, 1989, at the University of Central America in San Salvador, El Salvador stands near the entrance to Campion Hall. Martyrs Grove was formerly dedicated on November 16, 2000, according to the plaque. The memorial remembers the murder of six Jesuit priests, their housekeeper and her daughter. The inscription on the memorial plaque reads, "What does it mean to be a Jesuit today? To commit yourself under the standard of the Cross to the crucial struggle of our time, the struggle for faith and the struggle for justice which that same faith demands. G.C. 32" The names of those killed by Salvadoran soldiers are listed:
• **Juan Ramon Moreno Pardo, S.J.
• **Ignacio Ellacuria, S.J.
• **Joaquin Lopez y Lopez, S.J.
• **Amando Lopez Quintana, S.J.
• **Ignacio Martin-Baro, S.J.
• **Segundo Montes Mozo, S.J.
• **Elba Julia Ramos
• **Celina Maricet Ramos
• *Just behind Martyrs Grove stands another memorial depicting Christ's cruxifixion. It is a memorial to all deceased alumni of the University of Scranton.

• The Christ The Teacher sculpture stands at the foot of the Commons, near the corner of Linden Street and Monroe Avenue. The statue, depicting Jesus and Mary, was formerly dedicated in 1998. It was designed and sculpted by San Francisco based artist, Trevor Southey. This is not Southey's only contribution to the campus. He is also responsible for thirty-nine panel paintings in the Weinberg Memorial Library's Heritage Room, on the top floor. Christ The Teacher is popular place for students to meet. However, this did not stop the sculpture from being vandalized in 2005 when the Mary statue was toppled off its base. The sculpture has since been repaired.

• Ciszek Hall, formerly known as The Center For Eastern Christian Studies was founded and built to promote the study and understanding of Eastern Christianity, specifically the various Orthodox, Byzantine and Coptic Churches. The buidling, located next to the Wellness Center on Mulberry Street, contains a library with over 15,000 books and a Byzantine Rite chapel. Ciszek Hall also currently houses the Office of Career Services, after moving from its former location in Brennan Hall.

• The Estate, the former home of the William Scranton family designed by noted architect Russell Sturgis includes the president's dining room and offices for the university's public initiative departments. The university's catering department is also housed here.

• The lighted Fitzpatrick Field offer a turf playing surface for soccer, lacrosse, and field hockey.

• The Gunster Memorial Student Center, which opened in 1960, includes several of the university's student services offices as well as two food court-style cafeterias. The third floor Pocono Northeast Room offers a salad bar, traditional home-style meals, grilled and cold sandwiches and foreign meals. The second floor food court, renovated in 2004, includes a Quizno's sub and stations dedicated to Mexican food and grilled items as well as a small store.

The University announced plans in early 2006 to construct a new $30 million Campus Center to replace the Gunster Center, which is slated to be demolished for green space upon the new building's completion in fall 2007. (See entry below)

• The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Memorial Library was built and completed in 1992. It features a 24-hour study area with a Java City Coffee Bar. The library has wireless and wired Internet access throughout the entire building.

• The Houlihan-McLean Center is a large former church that was built in 1912. In the past is has been owned and operated by both the Immanuel Baptist Church and Trinity Baptist Church. When it was acquired by the University of Scranton it was renamed for Professors Daniel J Houlihan and John J. McLean. It boasts a magnificently-restored concert hall and organ.

• Hyland Hall includes the university bookstore on the ground floor and The Hope Horn Art Gallery on the fourth floor, as well as general-use classrooms.

• The John J. Long, S.J., Center and adjoining William J. Byron, S.J., Recreation Complex house the Department of Exercise Science as well as intercollegiate and intramural basketball, wrestling, handball, tennis, racquetball, volleyball and swimming facilities.

• Joseph A. Rock Hall previously served as the home of the Reformed Episcopalian Assembly of God Church. It was acquired by the University of Scranton in 1983 and was renovated in 1984. It was officially reopened with a mass on October 10, 1984. It contains the University's main chapel, the Madonna Della Strada Chapel, which seats about 300 people. Student masses and services are held in the Madonna Della Strada especially on Sundays.

• Leahy Hall includes an auditorium, single-style student residence rooms and physical therapy department.

• Loyola Hall of Science was built in 1956 during the major campus buidling expansion of the late 1950s and early 1960s. It underwent a renovation and expansion in June 1986, as part of a $4.7 million dollar construction project that included the building of nearby Campion Hall. IT includes state-of-the-art science laboratories.

• The McDade Center for Literary and Performing Arts includes the theatre and English departments, as well as a 300-seat theater with a modified thrust stage and "black box" studio theatre.

• McGurrin Hall is located at the edge of the University on Jefferson Avenue next to Leahy Hall. Construction on McGurrin Hall began in the summer of 1997. The buidling was officially opened and dedicated on Sepetmber 11, 1998. McGurrin Hall houses classrooms, laboratories and offices for the counseling and human services, health administration, education, human resources and nursing departments. McGurrin Hall currently houses 84 offices, 21 classroooms, 10 conference rooms, and 44 "other" rooms. The building is apporximately 81,000 sqaure feet.

• O'Hara Hall is named for Bishop William G. O'Hara. It contains includes the offices for Graduate School and Dexter Hanley College as well as other university administration offices including the annual fund, public relations and alumni relations. Some programs for the College of Arts and Science are also based in O'Hara Hall, including the Department of Political Science. The buidling was essentially gutted in 2000 and 2001 when it underwent major renovations.

• The Rupert Mayer House was built in 1928 and was once used as a squash court by the Scranton family. It was purchased by the University of Scranton from the Worthington Scranton estate in 1958. Today, the building serves as the University of Scranton's office of admissions and the university visitor center. The Quain Memorial Conservatory Greenhouse is located nearby. Also next to the Rupert Mayer House is the Alumni Memorial Rose Garden.

• St. Thomas Hall was built in 1962 and dedicated on September 16, 1962. It's architect was Robert P. Moran of the class of 1925. The buidling houses many major administration offices as well as many departments of the College of Arts and Sciences, including communication, physics, theology, philosophy, foreign languages and history. St. Thomas Hall also has a small chapel that is the site of daily mass. It underwent renovations in Sepetmber 1986 and May 1989. There are smaller renovations in individual rooms and offices from time to time.

• Scranton Hall currently houses the Office of the President. It formerly served as a stable for the Scranton Family.

• The Smurfit Arts Center is located one block away from the main campus, on the corner of Vine Street and Madison Avenue. Smurfit was built in 1897 as a church and was formerly home to John Raymond Memorial Church. The buidling was purchesed in 1987 for $125,000. It is one of the least used academic buidlings on campus. The Smurfit Arts Center is named for an Irish benefactor, Michael W.J. Smurfit. Two of his sons, Anthony and Michael, attended the University of Scranton. At various times, Smurfit has housed the university's arts and fine arts programs and classes. It even served as a temporary campus mosque until a permanent site for the mosque was located.

Conference and Retreat Center at Chapman Lake

The site originally had one old retreat house (rumored by university students to have been converted from an old bordello!). The old house featured several bedrooms upstairs, each with bunkbeds, used by students on retreats. There was also a small chapel on the second floor. There was a main room with a fireplace, a kitchen, and dining area featuring some very large, comfortable old couches downstairs.

In 1999 a second retreat and conference center was completed at Chapman Lake. It was designed by Fr. Thomas "Bat" Masterson, S.J. The new building featured a large dining room, a meeting room nicknamed the Lake Room and five or six "small group rooms" to be used on some of the university's popular retreat programs. There are several floors of shared bedrooms upstairs with private bathrooms.

• A groundbreaking ceremony for an addition to the 1999 building was held in the fall of 2005. The addition includes bedrooms, meeting rooms and a chapel. It is expected to be completed by the fall of 2006.
• Retreats offered at Chapman Lake are usually offered and run by staff and students from the University of Scranton's Office of Campus Ministries. They are very popular with the student body and are usually held several times a year, with around 40 students participating at a time. The Freshman Retreat and the Search Retreats are among the most popular and are held multiple times each semester. The Senior Retreat is usually held once a year during the Spring Semester for graduating seniors.

Student Housing

• The university has 13 traditional residences, housing mostly for freshmen. Francis E. Redington Hall and John R. Gavigan Hall provide housing for upperclassmen students. The university owns over 20 additional houses and apartment buildings in the areas surrounding the campus, offering over 30 housing options for students, including Mulberry Plaza and Madison Square, two townhouse-style complexes featuring air conditioning, full kitchens, living areas and bedrooms.

Lower Quad

Freshman housing only

• McCourt Hall - Freshman male
• Fitch Hall - Freshman female
• Martin Hall - Freshman Co-ed
• Casey Hall - Freshman female

Upper Quad

Freshman housing only

• Hafey Hall - Freshman male
• Denis Edwards Hall - Freshman female
• Lynett Hall - Freshman male
• Hannan Hall - Freshman female

Lavis Hall, Gannon Hall, McCormick Hall

• Three adjoining residence halls opened in 1991
• All three buildings house female residents only, although Lavis has been used to house male students in the past.

Linden Street Apartments

3 dormintory buidlings with Linden Plaza. They were purchased from Lackawanna Junior College in 1999 or 2000.

• Dorothy Day House
• Elizabeth Ann Seton House
• Katherine Drexel House

Mulberry Street Apartments

Opened in the Fall of 2000 - Mulberry Plaza located in the center

• Keating House
• Timlin House

Madison Square Apartments

• Opened in Fall 2004
• Similar to the Mulberry Street Apartments
• Incredible architecture

Other Residence Halls

• Driscoll Hall
• Nevils Hall
• Gavigan Hall and Gavigan College
• Redington Hall
• Leahy Hall includes an auditorium, single-style student residence rooms and physical therapy department.
• Herold Hall opened in 2005. It is housing for graduate students located on Mulberry Street and Kessler Court.

The University Houses

• Blair House
• Cambria House - business themed house
• Fayette House - also known as the Spanish House
• Gallery House
• Gonzaga House - education themed house
• Hill House
• Hopkins House - community service themed house
• Kostka House - wellness
• Liva Arts House
• Luzerne House
• McGowen House - formerly known as Westmoreland House (???????)
• McKenna House
• Montgomery House
• Wayne House - United Colors club house (multicultural)

Off Campus Student Housing

• Despite the presence of on campus housing, the majority of the University of Scranton's juniors and seniors reside in off campus apartments and houses. The majority of these students live in the neighborhood immediately surrounding the University between Madison and Taylor Avenues and between Linden Street and Vine Street. Other streets in this neighborhood include Monroe Avenue, Quincy Avenue, Clay Avenue, N Webster Ave., McKenna Court, Hitchcock Court, Costello Court, Mahon Court and Kellum Court. It is considered to be a section of a Scranton neighborhood known as the Hill Section. Mulberry Street runs directly through this off campus neighborhood and also forms the border for the University of Scranton's campus and the off campus houses. Increasingly older homes in the student section of the Hill Section are being purchased by the University and torn down to make way for new parking lots or converted to university run houses. Street lights were added by the University of Scranton on several streets in this neighborhood in 2002, including Clay and Linden, to make it safer at night for its on and off campus student population.

Areas of Academic Study

The university's largest majors are biology, communication, business and physical therapy. Students in the university's premedical program frequently find internships at any of the three hospitals located in Scranton. The university also has an SJLA (Special Jesuit Liberal Arts) Program in which select students complete courses in moral philosophy, ethics, theology, and rhetoric in addition to their normal courseload.

National Recognition

• The university has been honored with over 100 Fulbrights and recognized in several national publications, including U.S. News & World Report, Kaplan's Publishing and Forbes Magazine. In addition's the school's acceptance rates for medical and law schools are well above the national averages.

• U.S. President George W. Bush paid a visit to the university on January 16, 2003 to give a speech on "liability reform" solutions to the major dilemma of medical malpractice, a problem that Bush said was hurting "communities like Scranton, Pennsylvania."

Curriculum

The university offers a comprehensive liberal arts program. Students are required to take the core courses in public speaking, computer literacy and composition. Students are also required to take two theology courses, two philosophy courses, as well as an elective in one of these two areas. Filling out the general education requirements are 6 credits in science courses, 6 credits in writing intensive courses, 6 credits in cultural diversity courses, 3 credits in a math course, 12 credits in humanities courses and 3 credits in physical education.

The Future of The University of Scranton

The University announced plans in early 2006 to construct a new $30 million Campus Center to replace the Gunster Center, which is slated to be demolished for green space upon the new building's completion in fall 2007. The new Campus Center would house the cafeteria, a book store, administrative offices, a 260 seat theater, and a 7,000 sq. foot ballroom, as well as a number of other facilities. The announcement has spurred much debate in the University's student newspaper, the Aquinas. Proponents of the plan have maintained that Gunster is an outdated building that can no longer meet the needs of an expanded University, while opponents have claimed that the University did not make enough of an effort to communicate with students to find out what was truly needed in a new center. Some have also questioned the wisdom of razing a building only three years after renovating it.

More information about the proposed Campus Center can be found at http://matrix.scranton.edu/campuscenter/

In 2005 the University of Scranton declined an offer to purchase the nearby Radission Lackawanna Station Hotel for an estimated $10 million dollars.

Notable University of Scranton Alumni

• Peter Sidari - Two-time Emmy award winner.
• Jason Miller - late film actor; Academy Award nominee and Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright (That Championship Season), best known for playing Father Damien in The Exorcist.

External links

• [University of Scranton]
• [University of Scranton Alumni Community]
• [Scranton Student Magazine]

 

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