Providence College
Encyclopedia
Providence College is a private, coeducational, Catholic
university
located about two miles west of downtown Providence
, Rhode Island
, United States
, the state
's capital city. With a 2010–2011 enrollment of 3,850 undergraduate students and 735 graduate students, the College specializes in academic programs in the liberal arts
. It is the only college or university in North America administered by the Dominican Order
of Friars.
Founded in 1917, the College offers fifty majors
and thirty-four minors and requires all its students to complete 20 credits in the Development of Western Civilization, which serves as a major part of the college's core curriculum. Fr. Brian Shanley has been the school's president since 2005.
In athletics
, Providence College competes in NCAA
's Division I and is a founding member of the Big East Conference
and Hockey East
.
and the Dominican Province of St. Joseph. The central figure in the college's incorporation was Matthew Harkins
, Bishop
of Providence, who sought an institution which would establish a center of advanced learning for the Catholic youth of Rhode Island.
Opening its doors at the corner of Eaton Street and River Avenue in 1919 and with only one building, Harkins Hall, the College under inaugural president Dennis Albert Casey, O.P. (1917–1921) began with 71 students and nine Dominican faculty members. Under second president William D. Noon, O.P. (1921–1927), the College added its first lay
faculty member and opened its first dormitory, Guzman Hall (now known as Martin Hall
). Under President Lorenzo C. McCarthy, O.P. (1927–1936), Providence College athletics soon received their moniker, as the "Friars" in black and white had early success in basketball
, football
, and baseball
. In 1933, the school received regional accreditation
by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges
. The College conferred its first Master of Arts
, Doctor of Philosophy
, and Master of Science
degrees by 1935, the year when the school's newspaper (The Cowl) was first published.
By 1939, Aquinas Hall dormitory had been built to accommodate more students enrolling in general studies, but with the impact of World War II
upon enrollment, President John J. Dillon, O.P. (1936–1944) instituted a chapter of the Army Specialized Training Program
in 1943 to allow the College to continue operation. A class of approximately 380 soldiers-in-training studied in engineering at Providence for a year before going overseas.
(ROTC) on campus in 1951, and the Liberal Arts Honors Program in 1957.
The athletics program of the College gained acceptance into the National Collegiate Athletic Association
(NCAA) in 1948. Prior to the opening of Alumni Hall in 1955, the men's basketball team played in local Providence high schools. The college also hired Joe Mullaney as the men's basketball coach.
President Vincent C. Dore, O.P. (1961–1965) opened the doors of the College's graduate school as well as a new dormitory building, now called Meagher Hall. President William P. Haas, O.P. (1965–1971) opened Phillips Memorial Library in 1969.
Subsequent president Thomas R. Peterson, O.P. (1971–1985) instituted the Development of Western Civilization program, while in 1974, the College acquired the property of the former Charles V. Chapin Hospital on the other side of Huxley Avenue. The campus was then split in half by Huxley Avenue, providing an "Upper" campus (due to the uphill nature of the landscape on Smith Hill) and "Lower" campus (the new, flatter area of the College). In 1974, the School of Continuing Education awarded the College's first Associate's degree
.
With men's basketball tickets becoming a hot commodity at the 2,600-seat Alumni Hall
gymnasium, and with the opening of the Providence Civic Center
in 1972, the Friars moved downtown in time for their Final Four
appearance behind Providence natives Ernie DiGregorio
and Marvin Barnes
. The same year, the men's hockey team played their first season in their new home on campus, Schneider Arena
.
In the early morning hours of December 13, 1977, a dormitory fire killed ten female residents of Aquinas Hall. Meanwhile, the demographics of the student body continued to change, as women outnumbered men in incoming classes and non-Rhode Island students soon outnumbered in-state students. In 1984, Peterson also opened St. Thomas Aquinas Priory at the entrance of campus to accommodate the growing number of Dominican brethren living on campus.
team win the inaugural Hockey East
Championship the same year over rival Boston College
and reach the championship game of the NCAA Tournament
to lose 2–1 to RPI
. Men's basketball again took center stage on the Providence campus, as coach Rick Pitino
and senior Billy Donovan
took the Friars to their second Final Four appearance in the 1987 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
. Cunningham used the exposure and fundraising opportunities to build two apartment-style residence halls on campus, Davis and Bedford Halls, providing an alternative to dormitory and off-campus housing for upperclassmen.
Philip A. Smith, O.P. (1994–2005) succeeded Cunningham in 1994 and oversaw the new influence of women's athletics at Providence, as several alumni and then-current students won the gold medal for women's ice hockey
as part of the U.S. national team in the 1998 Winter Olympics
in Nagano, Japan.
By 2001, a new on-campus chapel was built, St. Dominic Chapel, followed three years later by the construction of two other major buildings on "Lower" campus: Suites Hall, a suite-style residence hall to provide added upperclassmen housing, and the Smith Center for the Arts. Elected in 2005, President Brian J. Shanley, O.P. (2005–present) has overseen the construction of the Concannon Fitness Center in 2007 as part of an overall renovation to Alumni Hall, as well as renovation and expansion of the Slavin Center in 2009.
Shanley also removed the College's SAT
requirement for admissions in addition to transferring a significant portion of the school's scholarship funds to need-based aid, in order to give more diverse students the opportunity to afford the college. In 2008, Shanley oversaw the founding of the Providence College School of Business (PCSB), creating separate Schools of Arts and Sciences and Professional Studies.
neighborhood atop Smith Hill, the highest point in the city of Providence. The campus is located in a residential urban neighborhood about two miles west of downtown Providence. The Smith Hill neighborhood, which abuts the east end of campus, is a predominantly low-income area with crime rates higher than the city average.
The campus is divided by Huxley Avenue; buildings west of the road, around the summit of Smith Hill, are known as "Upper Campus" and those east, on the former Chapin Hospital property, are known as "Lower Campus." There are three main gates to campus, at Cunningham Square (the intersection of River Avenue and Eaton Street) and on Huxley Avenue to the upper campus, and at the southeast corner of the lower campus, along Eaton Street. The campus consists of nineteen academic and administrative buildings, nine dormitories, five apartment complexes, three residences, four athletic buildings, a power plant, a physical plant, and a security office gate house. There is also a Dominican cemetery, two quads
, four athletic fields, a six-court tennis court, an artificial turf field, and several parking areas (including a structure below the turf field).
In 2011, the College received an overall grade of "C-minus" from The College Sustainability Report Card. Renovations completed in 2009 to the Slavin Center, the campus student union, added solar panels and a bioretention system.
and a board of trustees consisting of 25 to 35 members.
The Corporation consists of four ex officio members: the president of the College, the Prior Provincial of the Dominican Province of St. Joseph, the Bishop
of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence
, and the chairman of the Board of Trustees. In addition, there are eight other members, each of whom serve three-year terms; four are Dominican friars and four are lay
persons. The Corporation has the "ultimate authority to exercise control over ownership of property, to promulgate and amend the by-laws, to accept or reject the recommendation for election to the Presidency of the College by the Board of Trustees, and to elect members of the Corporation and of the Board of Trustees."
All other affairs of the College not reserved to the Corporation are handled by the Board of Trustees, which meets three times a year. These duties include "establishing major institutional goals, engaging in long-range planning and policy-making, overseeing the annual operating budget of the College and overseeing the review process and recommending a Dominican Friar for election to the Presidency of the College." All members of the Corporation and the Executive Vice President of the College serve on the Board of Trustees as ex officio, in addition to candidates elected by the Corporation who serve a maximum of three, three-year terms.
. The average class size is 18 students, with nearly half of all classes including fewer than 20 students. There is a student-to-faculty ratio of 11-to-1.
All classes are taught by full-time professors. The college offers 50 majors and 34 minors. The majority of students declare majors in the liberal arts
or business
. Regardless of major, all students are required to a complete a core curriculum which includes credits in the Development of Western Civilization, mathematics
, philosophy
, theology
, natural science
, English
, fine arts, and social science.
Constructed in 1969, the Phillips Memorial Library consists of 350,000 volumes and is a member of the HELIN library consortium of Rhode Island.
s, mathematics
, the humanities
, and fine arts. It also offers graduate programs with Masters of Arts
in history, biblical studies, mathematics, and theology, as well as a Master of Theological Studies
degree.
process for the AASCB
. The school offers four undergraduate degrees, in management
, finance
, accountancy
, and marketing
, in addition to a Master of Business Administration
(MBA) graduate program. The School also offers a certificate
program in business studies.
and special education
, social work
, and health policy. It also offers a certificate
program in special education administration.
or bachelor's degree
with programs including social sciences, theology, organizational studies, humanities, and liberal studies. In addition, it offers numerous certificate
programs, including a Teacher Certification Program (TCP).
There is a tradition which has grown over time from the course called "civ scream." The event takes place the night before DWC final exams in December and May, and is usually centered on the "quad" area between Aquinas, Meagher, and McDermott Halls. It is intended to be a harmless gathering to let off steam from the long hours of studying for the intense course's final exam, and is completely unsanctioned. As such, the "civ scream" can become loud with wild behavior.
, Massachusetts
, and Connecticut
, as well as New York
, New Jersey
, and other Mid-Atlantic states
. About one-third of incoming students attended Catholic high schools.
A 2007 survey published by The Princeton Review
rated Providence College as having the most homogeneous student population in the country, as well as ranking the College eighth nationally in the survey's "little race/class interaction" category. 91 percent of the student body is white
or unreported, while only three percent of students come from outside of the United States
. In 2011, President Brian Shanley created an Office of Institutional Diversity, while hiring a Chief Diversity Officer, to "help balance the College's socioeconomic representation."
While 94 percent of the student population are residents, 17 percent live in nearby off-campus housing. With the exception of Aquinas Hall, all dormitories are single-sex
, and all students living on campus must comply with "parietals," which limit visitation hours of opposite-sex students in dormitories.
As of 2011, Providence College is ranked first in the country by The Princeton Review
in the "Lots of Hard Liquor" category.
, as well the on-campus television station, PCTV. The student-run campus newspaper since 1935 has been The Cowl.
The College does not officially sanction Greek Life; there are no fraternities or sororities
on- or off-campus.
s, after the Dominican Catholic order that runs the school. They are the only collegiate team to use the name. All teams participate in the NCAA's Division I and in the Big East Conference
, except for the men's and women's ice hockey
programs, which compete in Hockey East
and the women's volleyball program, which competes in the America East Conference
.
The school's current athletic director is Robert Driscoll. The team colors are black and white, the same as the Dominicans
, with silver as an accent color. The school's current logos and identity marks were released in 2002, and feature the profile of a friar wearing the black cappa (hood) of the Dominicans, above the word mark. All teams use the primary logo except the hockey teams, which have used the "skating Friar" logo since 1973. In addition to the Friar mascot, the school's animal mascot was a Dalmatian
named "Friar Boy." The school's closest rivalries are Boston University
and Boston College
in hockey and the University of Connecticut
and the University of Rhode Island
in the school's other sports, especially in soccer, swimming and diving, and basketball.
, which was created in 1979 by a group led by former Providence coach Dave Gavitt
and headquartered in Providence. The Friars play their home games at the 13,000-seat Dunkin' Donuts Center
in downtown Providence, a facility that underwent an $80 million renovation completed in 2008. Despite having the smallest enrollment of any Big East Conference school, the Friars have routinely averaged over 10,000 fans per game during the 30-plus year history of the facility, all while earning postseason berths and placing many players in the National Basketball Association
. In addition to producing NBA players, former Friars players and coaches have also gone on to become basketball icons in the coaching world, such as Rick Pitino
, Billy Donovan
, Lenny Wilkens
, Pete Gillen
, Rick Barnes
, and John Thompson
.
Providence College won the 1961 and 1963 NIT championship and participated in the 1973 and 1987 Final Four
, and the 1997 squad advanced to the NCAA Elite Eight
. Overall, the team has earned 15 NCAA basketball tournament
berths and 18 NIT
berths, as well as having numerous players named All-Americans.
, or Truth, the official college motto. The college motto was borrowed from the Dominican Order
, and has been used since the college's inception.
The official seal of Providence College is an ornate triangle, representing the Trinity
, with the flame of learning and a scroll with the College Motto, Veritas, superimposed on it. The seal is surrounded by a ring with the words Sigillum Collegii Providentiensis ("Seal of Providence College") inside it.
A number of prominent local and national politicians and judges are Providence College alumni. Former United States Senator from Connecticut
Chris Dodd graduated in 1966 with a Bachelors of Arts degree in English literature
, while his father, Thomas J. Dodd
, also a long-serving U.S. Senator from Connecticut, graduated in 1930 with a degree in philosophy. Former United States Representative from Rhode Island
Patrick J. Kennedy
, the son of former United States Senator Ted Kennedy
, earned a Bachelors of Science
degree in 1991.
In addition, 1963 graduate and star basketball player Raymond Flynn
earned a Bachelors of Arts degree in education
-social studies
before serving as a three-term Mayor of Boston and the United States Ambassador to the Holy See
. Six-term Mayor of Chicago
Richard M. Daley
graduated in 1964 from Providence College. Former United States Attorney General
, United States Senator from Rhode Island, and Governor of Rhode Island J. Howard McGrath
was a 1926 graduate of the College.
In athletics, two Basketball Hall of Fame
players or coaches have graduated from Providence College: Lenny Wilkens
and John Thompson
. In addition, two-time NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament champion, Florida Gators men's basketball
head coach Billy Donovan
, graduated from Providence College. Big East Conference
commissioner John Marinatto
is a Providence College graduate, while Toronto Maple Leafs
general manager Brian Burke, New Jersey Devils
CEO/President Lou Lamoriello
, and Boston Celtics
president Rich Gotham
are also alumni.
Actor John O'Hurley
and film director Peter Farrelly
are graduates of Providence College, as are ESPN
women's basketball commentator Doris Burke
and sports journalist Sean McAdam
.
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
university
University
A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...
located about two miles west of downtown Providence
Providence, Rhode Island
Providence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...
, Rhode Island
Rhode Island
The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, the state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
's capital city. With a 2010–2011 enrollment of 3,850 undergraduate students and 735 graduate students, the College specializes in academic programs in the liberal arts
Liberal arts
The term liberal arts refers to those subjects which in classical antiquity were considered essential for a free citizen to study. Grammar, Rhetoric and Logic were the core liberal arts. In medieval times these subjects were extended to include mathematics, geometry, music and astronomy...
. It is the only college or university in North America administered by the Dominican Order
Dominican Order
The Order of Preachers , after the 15th century more commonly known as the Dominican Order or Dominicans, is a Catholic religious order founded by Saint Dominic and approved by Pope Honorius III on 22 December 1216 in France...
of Friars.
Founded in 1917, the College offers fifty majors
Academic major
In the United States and Canada, an academic major or major concentration is the academic discipline to which an undergraduate student formally commits....
and thirty-four minors and requires all its students to complete 20 credits in the Development of Western Civilization, which serves as a major part of the college's core curriculum. Fr. Brian Shanley has been the school's president since 2005.
In athletics
Providence Friars
The Providence Friars is the name of the athletic teams of Providence College. They compete in the Big East Conference for every sport except for ice hockey, where they compete in Hockey East and in women's volleyball, where they compete in the America East Conference...
, Providence College competes in NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
's Division I and is a founding member of the Big East Conference
Big East Conference
The Big East Conference is a collegiate athletics conference consisting of sixteen universities in the eastern half of the United States. The conference's 17 members participate in 24 NCAA sports...
and Hockey East
Hockey East
Hockey East Association is a NCAA Men's Division I Ice Hockey conference which operates in New England. It participates in the NCAA's Division I as a hockey-only conference....
.
Founding
In 1917, Providence College was founded as an all-male school through the efforts of the Roman Catholic Diocese of ProvidenceRoman Catholic Diocese of Providence
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence is a diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the United States. The diocese was erected by Pope Pius IX on February 17, 1872 and originally comprised the entire state of Rhode Island and the counties of Bristol, Barnstable, Dukes and Nantucket in the state...
and the Dominican Province of St. Joseph. The central figure in the college's incorporation was Matthew Harkins
Matthew Harkins
Matthew Harkins was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Providence from 1887 until his death in 1921.-Biography:...
, Bishop
Bishop (Catholic Church)
In the Catholic Church, a bishop is an ordained minister who holds the fullness of the sacrament of Holy Orders and is responsible for teaching the Catholic faith and ruling the Church....
of Providence, who sought an institution which would establish a center of advanced learning for the Catholic youth of Rhode Island.
Opening its doors at the corner of Eaton Street and River Avenue in 1919 and with only one building, Harkins Hall, the College under inaugural president Dennis Albert Casey, O.P. (1917–1921) began with 71 students and nine Dominican faculty members. Under second president William D. Noon, O.P. (1921–1927), the College added its first lay
Laity
In religious organizations, the laity comprises all people who are not in the clergy. A person who is a member of a religious order who is not ordained legitimate clergy is considered as a member of the laity, even though they are members of a religious order .In the past in Christian cultures, the...
faculty member and opened its first dormitory, Guzman Hall (now known as Martin Hall
George M. Bradley House
The George M. Bradley House, now known as Saint Martin Hall, is a historic house on the upper campus of Providence College.The house was built in 1850 by Thomas Tefft in an Italian Villa style. In 1926, the house and properties were purchased by Providence College...
). Under President Lorenzo C. McCarthy, O.P. (1927–1936), Providence College athletics soon received their moniker, as the "Friars" in black and white had early success in basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
, football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
, and baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
. In 1933, the school received regional accreditation
Regional accreditation
Regional accreditation is a term used in the United States to refer to educational accreditation conducted by any of several accreditation bodies established to serve six defined geographic areas of the country for accreditation of schools, colleges, and universities...
by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges
New England Association of Schools and Colleges
The New England Association of Schools and Colleges, Inc. is the U.S. regional accreditation association providing educational accreditation for all levels of education, from pre-kindergarten to the doctoral level, in the six-state New England region. It also provides accreditation for some...
. The College conferred its first Master of Arts
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
, Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
, and Master of Science
Master of Science
A Master of Science is a postgraduate academic master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is typically studied for in the sciences including the social sciences.-Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay:...
degrees by 1935, the year when the school's newspaper (The Cowl) was first published.
By 1939, Aquinas Hall dormitory had been built to accommodate more students enrolling in general studies, but with the impact of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
upon enrollment, President John J. Dillon, O.P. (1936–1944) instituted a chapter of the Army Specialized Training Program
Army Specialized Training Program
The Army Specialized Training Program was a military training program instituted by the United States Army during World War II at a number of American universities to meet wartime demands for junior officers and soldiers with technical skills...
in 1943 to allow the College to continue operation. A class of approximately 380 soldiers-in-training studied in engineering at Providence for a year before going overseas.
Post-World War II expansion
Robert J. Slavin, O.P. served as president from 1947 to 1961. During his tenure in 1955, Providence acquired the House of Good Shepard property that pushed the original boundaries of campus to Huxley Avenue. Slavin also oversaw the establishment of the Reserve Officers' Training CorpsReserve Officers' Training Corps
The Reserve Officers' Training Corps is a college-based, officer commissioning program, predominantly in the United States. It is designed as a college elective that focuses on leadership development, problem solving, strategic planning, and professional ethics.The U.S...
(ROTC) on campus in 1951, and the Liberal Arts Honors Program in 1957.
The athletics program of the College gained acceptance into the National Collegiate Athletic Association
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
(NCAA) in 1948. Prior to the opening of Alumni Hall in 1955, the men's basketball team played in local Providence high schools. The college also hired Joe Mullaney as the men's basketball coach.
President Vincent C. Dore, O.P. (1961–1965) opened the doors of the College's graduate school as well as a new dormitory building, now called Meagher Hall. President William P. Haas, O.P. (1965–1971) opened Phillips Memorial Library in 1969.
Co-educational shift
In 1967, the College added its first lay faculty members in its Departments of Theology and Philosophy, as well as its first full-time female faculty member. Two years later, the student dress code was abolished. In 1970, the College decided to admit women starting with the 1971–1972 school year. The same year, the first female administrator was hired.Subsequent president Thomas R. Peterson, O.P. (1971–1985) instituted the Development of Western Civilization program, while in 1974, the College acquired the property of the former Charles V. Chapin Hospital on the other side of Huxley Avenue. The campus was then split in half by Huxley Avenue, providing an "Upper" campus (due to the uphill nature of the landscape on Smith Hill) and "Lower" campus (the new, flatter area of the College). In 1974, the School of Continuing Education awarded the College's first Associate's degree
Associate's degree
An associate degree is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by community colleges, junior colleges, technical colleges, and bachelor's degree-granting colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study usually lasting two years...
.
With men's basketball tickets becoming a hot commodity at the 2,600-seat Alumni Hall
Alumni Hall (Providence)
Alumni Hall is the on-campus basketball gymnasium at Providence College in Providence, Rhode Island. It was built in 1955 and was the home court for the school's men's basketball program until 1972...
gymnasium, and with the opening of the Providence Civic Center
Dunkin' Donuts Center
The Dunkin' Donuts Center , is an indoor arena, located in downtown Providence, Rhode Island, United States...
in 1972, the Friars moved downtown in time for their Final Four
1973 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1973 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 25 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA University Division college basketball. It began on March 10, 1973, and ended with the championship game on March 26 in St. Louis, Missouri...
appearance behind Providence natives Ernie DiGregorio
Ernie DiGregorio
Ernest DiGregorio is a retired American National Basketball Association player.DiGregorio played on the 1968 Rhode Island champions at North Providence High School....
and Marvin Barnes
Marvin Barnes
Marvin Jerome Barnes is a former professional American basketball player.As a 6'8" forward for Providence College, Barnes led the nation in rebounding in 1973-74. On December 15, 1973, Barnes scored 52 points against Austin Peay, breaking the single-game school record...
. The same year, the men's hockey team played their first season in their new home on campus, Schneider Arena
Schneider Arena
Schneider Arena is a 3,030-seat hockey arena in Providence, Rhode Island. It is home to the Providence College Friars men's and women's ice hockey teams....
.
In the early morning hours of December 13, 1977, a dormitory fire killed ten female residents of Aquinas Hall. Meanwhile, the demographics of the student body continued to change, as women outnumbered men in incoming classes and non-Rhode Island students soon outnumbered in-state students. In 1984, Peterson also opened St. Thomas Aquinas Priory at the entrance of campus to accommodate the growing number of Dominican brethren living on campus.
Recent expansion
John F. Cunningham, O.P. (1985–1994) succeeded Peterson as president in 1985 and saw the Friars men's hockeyProvidence Friars men's ice hockey
The Providence Friars men's ice hockey team is a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I college ice hockey program that represents the Providence College. The Friars are a member of Hockey East. They play at the 3,030-seat Schneider Arena in Providence, Rhode Island.-External links:*...
team win the inaugural Hockey East
Hockey East
Hockey East Association is a NCAA Men's Division I Ice Hockey conference which operates in New England. It participates in the NCAA's Division I as a hockey-only conference....
Championship the same year over rival Boston College
Boston College
Boston College is a private Jesuit research university located in the village of Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, USA. The main campus is bisected by the border between the cities of Boston and Newton. It has 9,200 full-time undergraduates and 4,000 graduate students. Its name reflects its early...
and reach the championship game of the NCAA Tournament
NCAA Men's Ice Hockey Championship
The annual NCAA Men's Ice Hockey Championship tournament determines the top men's ice hockey team in NCAA Division I and Division III. The semi-finals and finals of the Division I Championship are branded as the Frozen Four, a passing nod to the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship - known...
to lose 2–1 to RPI
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Stephen Van Rensselaer established the Rensselaer School on November 5, 1824 with a letter to the Rev. Dr. Samuel Blatchford, in which van Rensselaer asked Blatchford to serve as the first president. Within the letter he set down several orders of business. He appointed Amos Eaton as the school's...
. Men's basketball again took center stage on the Providence campus, as coach Rick Pitino
Rick Pitino
Rick Pitino is an American basketball coach. Since 2001, he has been the head coach at the University of Louisville. He has also served as head coach at Boston University, Providence College and the University of Kentucky, leading that program to the NCAA championship in 1996...
and senior Billy Donovan
Billy Donovan
William John "Billy" Donovan, Jr. is an American college basketball coach and a former college and professional basketball player. Donovan is the current head coach of the Florida Gators men's basketball team of the University of Florida...
took the Friars to their second Final Four appearance in the 1987 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
1987 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1987 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 64 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 12, 1987, and ended with the championship game on March 30 in New Orleans, Louisiana...
. Cunningham used the exposure and fundraising opportunities to build two apartment-style residence halls on campus, Davis and Bedford Halls, providing an alternative to dormitory and off-campus housing for upperclassmen.
Philip A. Smith, O.P. (1994–2005) succeeded Cunningham in 1994 and oversaw the new influence of women's athletics at Providence, as several alumni and then-current students won the gold medal for women's ice hockey
Providence Friars women's ice hockey
The Providence Friars women's ice hockey team is a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I college ice hockey program that represents the Providence College. The Friars are a member of Hockey East...
as part of the U.S. national team in the 1998 Winter Olympics
1998 Winter Olympics
The 1998 Winter Olympics, officially the XVIII Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event celebrated from 7 to 22 February 1998 in Nagano, Japan. Seventy-two nations and 2,176 participans contested in seven sports and 72 events at 15 venues. The games saw the introduction of Women's ice...
in Nagano, Japan.
By 2001, a new on-campus chapel was built, St. Dominic Chapel, followed three years later by the construction of two other major buildings on "Lower" campus: Suites Hall, a suite-style residence hall to provide added upperclassmen housing, and the Smith Center for the Arts. Elected in 2005, President Brian J. Shanley, O.P. (2005–present) has overseen the construction of the Concannon Fitness Center in 2007 as part of an overall renovation to Alumni Hall, as well as renovation and expansion of the Slavin Center in 2009.
Shanley also removed the College's SAT
SAT
The SAT Reasoning Test is a standardized test for college admissions in the United States. The SAT is owned, published, and developed by the College Board, a nonprofit organization in the United States. It was formerly developed, published, and scored by the Educational Testing Service which still...
requirement for admissions in addition to transferring a significant portion of the school's scholarship funds to need-based aid, in order to give more diverse students the opportunity to afford the college. In 2008, Shanley oversaw the founding of the Providence College School of Business (PCSB), creating separate Schools of Arts and Sciences and Professional Studies.
Campus
The College is located on a gated 105 acre (0.4249203 km²) campus in the city's ElmhurstElmhurst, Providence, Rhode Island
Elmhurst is a primarily residential neighborhood in the northwest quadrant of Providence, Rhode Island. Douglas Avenue and Admiral Street bound Elmhurst to the northeast, Academy Avenue and Smith Street bound it to the west, while Chalkstone Avenue marks the southern border.-History:In the...
neighborhood atop Smith Hill, the highest point in the city of Providence. The campus is located in a residential urban neighborhood about two miles west of downtown Providence. The Smith Hill neighborhood, which abuts the east end of campus, is a predominantly low-income area with crime rates higher than the city average.
The campus is divided by Huxley Avenue; buildings west of the road, around the summit of Smith Hill, are known as "Upper Campus" and those east, on the former Chapin Hospital property, are known as "Lower Campus." There are three main gates to campus, at Cunningham Square (the intersection of River Avenue and Eaton Street) and on Huxley Avenue to the upper campus, and at the southeast corner of the lower campus, along Eaton Street. The campus consists of nineteen academic and administrative buildings, nine dormitories, five apartment complexes, three residences, four athletic buildings, a power plant, a physical plant, and a security office gate house. There is also a Dominican cemetery, two quads
Quadrangle (architecture)
In architecture, a quadrangle is a space or courtyard, usually rectangular in plan, the sides of which are entirely or mainly occupied by parts of a large building. The word is probably most closely associated with college or university campus architecture, but quadrangles may be found in other...
, four athletic fields, a six-court tennis court, an artificial turf field, and several parking areas (including a structure below the turf field).
In 2011, the College received an overall grade of "C-minus" from The College Sustainability Report Card. Renovations completed in 2009 to the Slavin Center, the campus student union, added solar panels and a bioretention system.
Organization and administration
Since 1934, Providence College has been governed by a 12-member corporationCorporation
A corporation is created under the laws of a state as a separate legal entity that has privileges and liabilities that are distinct from those of its members. There are many different forms of corporations, most of which are used to conduct business. Early corporations were established by charter...
and a board of trustees consisting of 25 to 35 members.
The Corporation consists of four ex officio members: the president of the College, the Prior Provincial of the Dominican Province of St. Joseph, the Bishop
Bishop (Catholic Church)
In the Catholic Church, a bishop is an ordained minister who holds the fullness of the sacrament of Holy Orders and is responsible for teaching the Catholic faith and ruling the Church....
of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence
Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence is a diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the United States. The diocese was erected by Pope Pius IX on February 17, 1872 and originally comprised the entire state of Rhode Island and the counties of Bristol, Barnstable, Dukes and Nantucket in the state...
, and the chairman of the Board of Trustees. In addition, there are eight other members, each of whom serve three-year terms; four are Dominican friars and four are lay
Laity
In religious organizations, the laity comprises all people who are not in the clergy. A person who is a member of a religious order who is not ordained legitimate clergy is considered as a member of the laity, even though they are members of a religious order .In the past in Christian cultures, the...
persons. The Corporation has the "ultimate authority to exercise control over ownership of property, to promulgate and amend the by-laws, to accept or reject the recommendation for election to the Presidency of the College by the Board of Trustees, and to elect members of the Corporation and of the Board of Trustees."
All other affairs of the College not reserved to the Corporation are handled by the Board of Trustees, which meets three times a year. These duties include "establishing major institutional goals, engaging in long-range planning and policy-making, overseeing the annual operating budget of the College and overseeing the review process and recommending a Dominican Friar for election to the Presidency of the College." All members of the Corporation and the Executive Vice President of the College serve on the Board of Trustees as ex officio, in addition to candidates elected by the Corporation who serve a maximum of three, three-year terms.
Overview
As of 2010, Providence College has an admissions acceptance rate of 59.8 percent and is considered to be "more selective" by the U.S. News & World ReportU.S. News & World Report
U.S. News & World Report is an American news magazine published from Washington, D.C. Along with Time and Newsweek it was for many years a leading news weekly, focusing more than its counterparts on political, economic, health and education stories...
. The average class size is 18 students, with nearly half of all classes including fewer than 20 students. There is a student-to-faculty ratio of 11-to-1.
All classes are taught by full-time professors. The college offers 50 majors and 34 minors. The majority of students declare majors in the liberal arts
Liberal arts
The term liberal arts refers to those subjects which in classical antiquity were considered essential for a free citizen to study. Grammar, Rhetoric and Logic were the core liberal arts. In medieval times these subjects were extended to include mathematics, geometry, music and astronomy...
or business
Business
A business is an organization engaged in the trade of goods, services, or both to consumers. Businesses are predominant in capitalist economies, where most of them are privately owned and administered to earn profit to increase the wealth of their owners. Businesses may also be not-for-profit...
. Regardless of major, all students are required to a complete a core curriculum which includes credits in the Development of Western Civilization, mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
, philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
, theology
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
, natural science
Natural science
The natural sciences are branches of science that seek to elucidate the rules that govern the natural world by using empirical and scientific methods...
, English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, fine arts, and social science.
Constructed in 1969, the Phillips Memorial Library consists of 350,000 volumes and is a member of the HELIN library consortium of Rhode Island.
School of Arts & Sciences
The School of Arts & Sciences was created in 2008 as part of the College's addition of a stand-alone School of Business. The School offers undergraduate degrees in social sciences, natural scienceNatural science
The natural sciences are branches of science that seek to elucidate the rules that govern the natural world by using empirical and scientific methods...
s, mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
, the humanities
Humanities
The humanities are academic disciplines that study the human condition, using methods that are primarily analytical, critical, or speculative, as distinguished from the mainly empirical approaches of the natural sciences....
, and fine arts. It also offers graduate programs with Masters of Arts
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
in history, biblical studies, mathematics, and theology, as well as a Master of Theological Studies
Master of Theological Studies
A Master of Theological Studies is a general academic degree that gives students an introduction to advanced theological studies. The M.T.S usually requires two years of program study to complete. The Latin equivalent for M.T.S...
degree.
School of Business
The School of Business was created in 2008 and immediately began the accreditationEducational accreditation
Educational accreditation is a type of quality assurance process under which services and operations of educational institutions or programs are evaluated by an external body to determine if applicable standards are met...
process for the AASCB
Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business
The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business was founded in 1916 to accredit schools of business worldwide. The first accreditations took place in 1919. The stated mission is to advance quality management education worldwide through accreditation and thought leadership. It is regarded...
. The school offers four undergraduate degrees, in management
Management
Management in all business and organizational activities is the act of getting people together to accomplish desired goals and objectives using available resources efficiently and effectively...
, finance
Finance
"Finance" is often defined simply as the management of money or “funds” management Modern finance, however, is a family of business activity that includes the origination, marketing, and management of cash and money surrogates through a variety of capital accounts, instruments, and markets created...
, accountancy
Accountancy
Accountancy is the process of communicating financial information about a business entity to users such as shareholders and managers. The communication is generally in the form of financial statements that show in money terms the economic resources under the control of management; the art lies in...
, and marketing
Marketing
Marketing is the process used to determine what products or services may be of interest to customers, and the strategy to use in sales, communications and business development. It generates the strategy that underlies sales techniques, business communication, and business developments...
, in addition to a Master of Business Administration
Master of Business Administration
The Master of Business Administration is a :master's degree in business administration, which attracts people from a wide range of academic disciplines. The MBA designation originated in the United States, emerging from the late 19th century as the country industrialized and companies sought out...
(MBA) graduate program. The School also offers a certificate
Academic certificate
An academic certificate is a document that certifies that a person has received specific education or has passed a test or series of tests.In many countries, certificate is a qualification attained in secondary education. For instance, students in the Republic of Ireland sit the Junior Certificate...
program in business studies.
School of Professional Studies
Created as a separate school in 2008, the School of Professional Studies includes undergraduate and graduate degree programs in educationEducation
Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
and special education
Special education
Special education is the education of students with special needs in a way that addresses the students' individual differences and needs. Ideally, this process involves the individually planned and systematically monitored arrangement of teaching procedures, adapted equipment and materials,...
, social work
Social work
Social Work is a professional and academic discipline that seeks to improve the quality of life and wellbeing of an individual, group, or community by intervening through research, policy, community organizing, direct practice, and teaching on behalf of those afflicted with poverty or any real or...
, and health policy. It also offers a certificate
Academic certificate
An academic certificate is a document that certifies that a person has received specific education or has passed a test or series of tests.In many countries, certificate is a qualification attained in secondary education. For instance, students in the Republic of Ireland sit the Junior Certificate...
program in special education administration.
School of Continuing Education
The School of Continuing Education offers courses to complete an associate's degreeAssociate's degree
An associate degree is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by community colleges, junior colleges, technical colleges, and bachelor's degree-granting colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study usually lasting two years...
or bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
with programs including social sciences, theology, organizational studies, humanities, and liberal studies. In addition, it offers numerous certificate
Academic certificate
An academic certificate is a document that certifies that a person has received specific education or has passed a test or series of tests.In many countries, certificate is a qualification attained in secondary education. For instance, students in the Republic of Ireland sit the Junior Certificate...
programs, including a Teacher Certification Program (TCP).
Liberal Arts Honors Program
The Liberal Arts Honors Program was created in 1957 and accepts approximately the top 125 students in each freshman class, offering three levels of academic scholarships for participation in the program. Honors students take separate Development of Western Civilization courses with smaller classes, in addition to one or two honors-level classes in other programs and a capstone honors "colloquium" course.Development of Western Civilization
The Development of Western Civilization (commonly referred to by students as "Civ" or "DWC") is a two year-long program of courses required of all students attending the school, taken in students' first four semesters at the school. Meeting in Moore Hall, a lecture hall specifically redesigned for the course, the class meets five days a week, with one day being typically reserved for seminar work and/or exams. The class is taught by a team of professors, usually four - one who specializes in literature, one in theology, one in philosophy and one in history. Students move through Western history, studying original texts in each of the four course disciplines.There is a tradition which has grown over time from the course called "civ scream." The event takes place the night before DWC final exams in December and May, and is usually centered on the "quad" area between Aquinas, Meagher, and McDermott Halls. It is intended to be a harmless gathering to let off steam from the long hours of studying for the intense course's final exam, and is completely unsanctioned. As such, the "civ scream" can become loud with wild behavior.
Student life
The Providence College student population is made up of about 3,850 undergraduates and 735 postgraduate students. As of 2010, 57 percent of the student body is female, while 43 percent is male. The student population is drawn mostly from the southern New England states of Rhode IslandRhode Island
The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, and Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
, as well as New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, and other Mid-Atlantic states
Mid-Atlantic States
The Mid-Atlantic states, also called middle Atlantic states or simply the mid Atlantic, form a region of the United States generally located between New England and the South...
. About one-third of incoming students attended Catholic high schools.
A 2007 survey published by The Princeton Review
The Princeton Review
The Princeton Review is an American-based standardized test preparation and admissions consulting company. The Princeton Review operates in 41 states and 22 countries across the globe. It offers test preparation for standardized aptitude tests such as the SAT and advice regarding college...
rated Providence College as having the most homogeneous student population in the country, as well as ranking the College eighth nationally in the survey's "little race/class interaction" category. 91 percent of the student body is white
White people
White people is a term which usually refers to human beings characterized, at least in part, by the light pigmentation of their skin...
or unreported, while only three percent of students come from outside of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. In 2011, President Brian Shanley created an Office of Institutional Diversity, while hiring a Chief Diversity Officer, to "help balance the College's socioeconomic representation."
While 94 percent of the student population are residents, 17 percent live in nearby off-campus housing. With the exception of Aquinas Hall, all dormitories are single-sex
Single-sex education
Single-sex education, also known as single-gender education, is the practice of conducting education where male and female students attend separate classes or in separate buildings or schools. The practice was predominant before the mid-twentieth century, particularly in secondary education and...
, and all students living on campus must comply with "parietals," which limit visitation hours of opposite-sex students in dormitories.
As of 2011, Providence College is ranked first in the country by The Princeton Review
The Princeton Review
The Princeton Review is an American-based standardized test preparation and admissions consulting company. The Princeton Review operates in 41 states and 22 countries across the globe. It offers test preparation for standardized aptitude tests such as the SAT and advice regarding college...
in the "Lots of Hard Liquor" category.
Clubs and activities
Students run the College's radio station, WDOMWDOM
WDOM is a radio station licensed to Providence, Rhode Island, United States. The station is currently owned by Providence College.-Station history:...
, as well the on-campus television station, PCTV. The student-run campus newspaper since 1935 has been The Cowl.
The College does not officially sanction Greek Life; there are no fraternities or sororities
Fraternities and sororities
Fraternities and sororities are fraternal social organizations for undergraduate students. In Latin, the term refers mainly to such organizations at colleges and universities in the United States, although it is also applied to analogous European groups also known as corporations...
on- or off-campus.
Athletics
The school's 19 varsity men's and women's sports teams are called the FriarFriar
A friar is a member of one of the mendicant orders.-Friars and monks:...
s, after the Dominican Catholic order that runs the school. They are the only collegiate team to use the name. All teams participate in the NCAA's Division I and in the Big East Conference
Big East Conference
The Big East Conference is a collegiate athletics conference consisting of sixteen universities in the eastern half of the United States. The conference's 17 members participate in 24 NCAA sports...
, except for the men's and women's ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
programs, which compete in Hockey East
Hockey East
Hockey East Association is a NCAA Men's Division I Ice Hockey conference which operates in New England. It participates in the NCAA's Division I as a hockey-only conference....
and the women's volleyball program, which competes in the America East Conference
America East Conference
The America East Conference is a NCAA Division I college athletic conference whose members are located mainly in the northeastern United States. The conference was known as the ECAC North from 1979 to 1988 and the North Atlantic Conference from the fall semester of 1988 to the end of the spring...
.
The school's current athletic director is Robert Driscoll. The team colors are black and white, the same as the Dominicans
Dominican Order
The Order of Preachers , after the 15th century more commonly known as the Dominican Order or Dominicans, is a Catholic religious order founded by Saint Dominic and approved by Pope Honorius III on 22 December 1216 in France...
, with silver as an accent color. The school's current logos and identity marks were released in 2002, and feature the profile of a friar wearing the black cappa (hood) of the Dominicans, above the word mark. All teams use the primary logo except the hockey teams, which have used the "skating Friar" logo since 1973. In addition to the Friar mascot, the school's animal mascot was a Dalmatian
Dalmatian (dog)
The Dalmatian is a breed of dog whose roots are often said to trace back to Dalmatia, a region of Croatia where the first illustrations of the dog have been found. The Dalmatian is noted for its unique black- or brown-spotted coat and was mainly used as a carriage dog in its early days...
named "Friar Boy." The school's closest rivalries are Boston University
Boston University
Boston University is a private research university located in Boston, Massachusetts. With more than 4,000 faculty members and more than 31,000 students, Boston University is one of the largest private universities in the United States and one of Boston's largest employers...
and Boston College
Boston College
Boston College is a private Jesuit research university located in the village of Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, USA. The main campus is bisected by the border between the cities of Boston and Newton. It has 9,200 full-time undergraduates and 4,000 graduate students. Its name reflects its early...
in hockey and the University of Connecticut
University of Connecticut
The admission rate to the University of Connecticut is about 50% and has been steadily decreasing, with about 28,000 prospective students applying for admission to the freshman class in recent years. Approximately 40,000 prospective students tour the main campus in Storrs annually...
and the University of Rhode Island
University of Rhode Island
The University of Rhode Island is the principal public research university in the U.S. state of Rhode Island. Its main campus is located in Kingston. Additional campuses include the Feinstein Campus in Providence, the Narragansett Bay Campus in Narragansett, and the W. Alton Jones Campus in West...
in the school's other sports, especially in soccer, swimming and diving, and basketball.
Men's basketball
The Friars men's basketball team is an original member of the Big East ConferenceBig East Conference
The Big East Conference is a collegiate athletics conference consisting of sixteen universities in the eastern half of the United States. The conference's 17 members participate in 24 NCAA sports...
, which was created in 1979 by a group led by former Providence coach Dave Gavitt
Dave Gavitt
David "Dave" Gavitt was a American college basketball coach and athletic director at Providence College in Providence, Rhode Island...
and headquartered in Providence. The Friars play their home games at the 13,000-seat Dunkin' Donuts Center
Dunkin' Donuts Center
The Dunkin' Donuts Center , is an indoor arena, located in downtown Providence, Rhode Island, United States...
in downtown Providence, a facility that underwent an $80 million renovation completed in 2008. Despite having the smallest enrollment of any Big East Conference school, the Friars have routinely averaged over 10,000 fans per game during the 30-plus year history of the facility, all while earning postseason berths and placing many players in the National Basketball Association
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
. In addition to producing NBA players, former Friars players and coaches have also gone on to become basketball icons in the coaching world, such as Rick Pitino
Rick Pitino
Rick Pitino is an American basketball coach. Since 2001, he has been the head coach at the University of Louisville. He has also served as head coach at Boston University, Providence College and the University of Kentucky, leading that program to the NCAA championship in 1996...
, Billy Donovan
Billy Donovan
William John "Billy" Donovan, Jr. is an American college basketball coach and a former college and professional basketball player. Donovan is the current head coach of the Florida Gators men's basketball team of the University of Florida...
, Lenny Wilkens
Lenny Wilkens
Leonard Randolph "Lenny" Wilkens is a retired American basketball player and coach in the NBA...
, Pete Gillen
Pete Gillen
Pete Gillen is an American former college basketball head coach of the Division I Xavier Musketeers, Providence Friars and Virginia Cavaliers and is a member of the New York City Basketball Hall of Fame...
, Rick Barnes
Rick Barnes
Richard Dale Barnes is the current head coach of the University of Texas Longhorns men's basketball team. He has coached Texas for the last twelve seasons, taking the team to the NCAA Tournament each year, including a Final Four appearance led by T. J. Ford in 2003...
, and John Thompson
John Thompson (basketball)
John R. Thompson, Jr. is an American former basketball coach for the Georgetown University Hoyas. He is now a professional radio and TV sports commentator...
.
Providence College won the 1961 and 1963 NIT championship and participated in the 1973 and 1987 Final Four
Final four
Final Four isa sports term that is commonly applied to the last four teams remaining in a playoff tournament, most notably NCAA Division I college basketball tournaments. The term usually refers to the four teams who compete in the two games of a single-elimination tournament's semi-final round...
, and the 1997 squad advanced to the NCAA Elite Eight
Elite Eight
The term Elite Eight, or less commonly called "Great Eight", refers to the final eight teams in the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship or the NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Championship; and, thus, represents the national quarterfinals. In Division I, the Elite Eight consists of the...
. Overall, the team has earned 15 NCAA basketball tournament
NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
The NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is a single-elimination tournament held each spring in the United States, featuring 68 college basketball teams, to determine the national championship in the top tier of college basketball...
berths and 18 NIT
National Invitation Tournament
The National Invitation Tournament is a men's college basketball tournament operated by the National Collegiate Athletic Association. There are two NIT events each season. The first, played in November and known as the Dick's Sporting Goods NIT Season Tip-Off , was founded in 1985...
berths, as well as having numerous players named All-Americans.
Marks and seals
The college's graphic identity represents the shape of a window in Harkins Hall with a flame inside, representing VeritasVeritas
In Roman mythology, Veritas, meaning truth, was the goddess of truth, a daughter of Saturn and the mother of Virtue. It was believed that she hid in the bottom of a holy well because she was so elusive. Her image is shown as a young virgin dressed in white...
, or Truth, the official college motto. The college motto was borrowed from the Dominican Order
Dominican Order
The Order of Preachers , after the 15th century more commonly known as the Dominican Order or Dominicans, is a Catholic religious order founded by Saint Dominic and approved by Pope Honorius III on 22 December 1216 in France...
, and has been used since the college's inception.
The official seal of Providence College is an ornate triangle, representing the Trinity
Trinity
The Christian doctrine of the Trinity defines God as three divine persons : the Father, the Son , and the Holy Spirit. The three persons are distinct yet coexist in unity, and are co-equal, co-eternal and consubstantial . Put another way, the three persons of the Trinity are of one being...
, with the flame of learning and a scroll with the College Motto, Veritas, superimposed on it. The seal is surrounded by a ring with the words Sigillum Collegii Providentiensis ("Seal of Providence College") inside it.
Notable alumni
A number of prominent local and national politicians and judges are Providence College alumni. Former United States Senator from Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
Chris Dodd graduated in 1966 with a Bachelors of Arts degree in English literature
English literature
English literature is the literature written in the English language, including literature composed in English by writers not necessarily from England; for example, Robert Burns was Scottish, James Joyce was Irish, Joseph Conrad was Polish, Dylan Thomas was Welsh, Edgar Allan Poe was American, J....
, while his father, Thomas J. Dodd
Thomas J. Dodd
Thomas Joseph Dodd was a United States Senator and Representative from Connecticut, He was the first Senator censured by the US Senate since Joseph McCarthy in 1954, and was one of only six people censured by the Senate in the 20th century. He is the father of former U.S. Senator Christopher Dodd...
, also a long-serving U.S. Senator from Connecticut, graduated in 1930 with a degree in philosophy. Former United States Representative from Rhode Island
Rhode Island
The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...
Patrick J. Kennedy
Patrick J. Kennedy
Patrick Joseph Kennedy II is the former U.S. Representative for , serving from 1995 until 2011. He is a member of the Democratic Party. The district includes all of Bristol County and Newport County, and parts of Providence County. Kennedy did not seek re-election in 2010.A member of the Kennedy...
, the son of former United States Senator Ted Kennedy
Ted Kennedy
Edward Moore "Ted" Kennedy was a United States Senator from Massachusetts and a member of the Democratic Party. Serving almost 47 years, he was the second most senior member of the Senate when he died and is the fourth-longest-serving senator in United States history...
, earned a Bachelors of Science
Bachelors Of Science
Bachelors of Science is the stage name of Phil "Rene", Chris and Lukeino. They met in California and formed a successful act, quickly becoming one of the top drum and bass producers in the electronic music scene...
degree in 1991.
In addition, 1963 graduate and star basketball player Raymond Flynn
Raymond Flynn
Raymond Leo Flynn , also known as Ray Flynn, served as Mayor of Boston, Massachusetts from 1984 until 1993. He was later appointed United States Ambassador to the Holy See by President Bill Clinton.-Early life:...
earned a Bachelors of Arts degree in education
Education
Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
-social studies
Social studies
Social studies is the "integrated study of the social sciences and humanities to promote civic competence," as defined by the American National Council for the Social Studies...
before serving as a three-term Mayor of Boston and the United States Ambassador to the Holy See
United States Ambassador to the Holy See
A U.S. Ambassador serves as that country's official representative to the Holy See since formal diplomatic relations began in 1984. Before the establishment of official relations, Myron Taylor served during World War II as an emissary for President Franklin D. Roosevelt. In 1951, President Harry S....
. Six-term Mayor of Chicago
Mayor of Chicago
The Mayor of Chicago is the chief executive of Chicago, Illinois, the third largest city in the United States. He or she is charged with directing city departments and agencies, and with the advice and consent of the Chicago City Council, appoints department and agency leaders.-Appointment...
Richard M. Daley
Richard M. Daley
Richard Michael Daley is a United States politician, member of the national and local Democratic Party, and former Mayor of Chicago, Illinois. He was elected mayor in 1989 and reelected in 1991, 1995, 1999, 2003, and 2007. He was the longest serving Chicago mayor, surpassing the tenure of his...
graduated in 1964 from Providence College. Former United States Attorney General
United States Attorney General
The United States Attorney General is the head of the United States Department of Justice concerned with legal affairs and is the chief law enforcement officer of the United States government. The attorney general is considered to be the chief lawyer of the U.S. government...
, United States Senator from Rhode Island, and Governor of Rhode Island J. Howard McGrath
J. Howard McGrath
James Howard McGrath was an American politician and attorney from the U.S. state of Rhode Island.McGrath, a Democrat, served as U.S. Attorney for Rhode Island before becoming Governor, U.S. Solicitor General, U.S...
was a 1926 graduate of the College.
In athletics, two Basketball Hall of Fame
Basketball Hall of Fame
The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, located in Springfield, Massachusetts, United States, honors exceptional basketball players, coaches, referees, executives, and other major contributors to the game of basketball worldwide...
players or coaches have graduated from Providence College: Lenny Wilkens
Lenny Wilkens
Leonard Randolph "Lenny" Wilkens is a retired American basketball player and coach in the NBA...
and John Thompson
John Thompson (basketball)
John R. Thompson, Jr. is an American former basketball coach for the Georgetown University Hoyas. He is now a professional radio and TV sports commentator...
. In addition, two-time NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament champion, Florida Gators men's basketball
Florida Gators men's basketball
The Florida Gators men's basketball team represents the University of Florida in the sport of basketball. The Gators compete in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I and the Southeastern Conference...
head coach Billy Donovan
Billy Donovan
William John "Billy" Donovan, Jr. is an American college basketball coach and a former college and professional basketball player. Donovan is the current head coach of the Florida Gators men's basketball team of the University of Florida...
, graduated from Providence College. Big East Conference
Big East Conference
The Big East Conference is a collegiate athletics conference consisting of sixteen universities in the eastern half of the United States. The conference's 17 members participate in 24 NCAA sports...
commissioner John Marinatto
John Marinatto
John Marinatto is the commissioner of the Big East Conference. He served as senior associate commissioner of the Big East from 2002 until he began his tenure as third commissioner of the conference on July 1, 2009....
is a Providence College graduate, while Toronto Maple Leafs
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
general manager Brian Burke, New Jersey Devils
New Jersey Devils
The New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey, United States. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
CEO/President Lou Lamoriello
Lou Lamoriello
Louis "Lou" Lamoriello is the CEO, president, and general manager of the New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League...
, and Boston Celtics
Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics are a National Basketball Association team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. Founded in 1946, the team is currently owned by Boston Basketball Partners LLC. The Celtics play their home games at the TD Garden, which...
president Rich Gotham
Rich Gotham
Rich Gotham is an alumnus of Providence College and resident of Medfield, Massachusetts. On April 18, 2007 he was named President of the National Basketball Association team Boston Celtics...
are also alumni.
Actor John O'Hurley
John O'Hurley
John George O'Hurley is an American actor, voice actor, and television personality. He is known for the role of J. Peterman on the NBC sitcom Seinfeld and was the host of the game show Family Feud from 2006 to 2010.-Early life:...
and film director Peter Farrelly
Peter Farrelly
Peter John Farrelly is an American film director, screenwriter, producer and novelist. The Farrelly Brothers are mostly famous for directing and producing gross-out humor romantic comedy films such as, Dumb and Dumber, Me, Myself and Irene, There's Something About Mary and The Heartbreak...
are graduates of Providence College, as are ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
women's basketball commentator Doris Burke
Doris Burke
Doris Burke is a sideline reporter and color analyst for ESPN college basketball, as well as NBA on ESPN and NBA on ABC games. Burke handles both men's and women's basketball at the college and pro level. She is primarily an analyst on Big East games for men's college basketball, often teaming...
and sports journalist Sean McAdam
Sean McAdam (journalist)
Sean McAdam is a sports writer for FoxSports.com, CSNNE.com, and the Boston Herald and a former writer for The Providence Journal and ESPN.com...
.
See also
- Dominicans in the United StatesDominicans in the United StatesThe Dominican Order was first established in the United States by Edward Fenwick in the early 19th century. The Dominican province of Saint Joseph was established in 1805, and originally covered the whole United States...
- Saint Martin de Porres a sculpture by Fr. McGlynn that is in the College's collection.