The University of the Incarnate Word (UIW) is a private
CatholicThe 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...
universityA 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 within the cities of San Antonio and
Alamo HeightsAlamo Heights is an incorporated town that is completely surrounded by the City of San Antonio, Texas, in Bexar County. At the time of the 2000 U.S. Census, this town's population was just 7,319, and 7,477 by 2009. However, its location as an enclave in San Antonio causes it to be a part of the...
in
TexasTexas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
,
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
The campus is located on 154 acre (0.62321644 km²) with notable campus extensions in the
People's Republic of ChinaChina , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
also called "China Incarnate Word" and in
MexicoThe United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
called the "Centro Universitario Incarnate Word". The University has over 93 Sister schools around the world and its study abroad program is unmatched in the San Antonio area. One of the more popular programs is the John Cabot University study abroad program in Rome, Italy. As of Fall 2009, the university was the largest Catholic university and the fourth largest private university in the state of
TexasTexas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
.
Incarnate Word was founded in 1881 by the
Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate WordThe Congregation of the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word is the name of two Roman Catholic religious orders based in the state of Texas.- Houston Order :...
who came to San Antonio at the request of Bishop Claude Dubuis. They founded several schools, hospitals, and academies.
In keeping with the spirit of charity all students who graduate from UIW are required to volunteer a certain number of hours in the community before graduating.
The University is home to the Feik School of Pharmacy, the AT&T Math, Science, & Engineering center, The Dreeben School of Education, The H.E.B. School of Business, The Christus Santa Rosa Nursing School, and the School of Interactive Media & Design. The University also participates with E-Army-U, the U.S. Army's online portal for e-learning, and offers the Universe Online program for online adult education.
The University also operates an all-girls high school,
Incarnate Word High SchoolIncarnate Word High School, established in 1881, is a private, Roman Catholic, all-girls high school in San Antonio, Texas. It is located in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Antonio. It is a division of the University of the Incarnate Word. -History:...
, as well as a co-educational high school, St. Anthony Catholic. It also operates two Elementary schools, St. Anthony's and St. Peter Prince of the Apostles, through its brainpower connection program.
Newly constructed buildings include the
PharmacyPharmacy is the health profession that links the health sciences with the chemical sciences and it is charged with ensuring the safe and effective use of pharmaceutical drugs...
school and the "Hillside" dormitory, opened in fall of 2007. The Tom Benson Field House and Stadium, the Hillside II (later re-named Joeris) dormitory and the new Ancira Tower parking garage opened and were dedicated in fall of 2008. The remodeling of the Fine arts building, Administration building, and Construction of a new Student Center were completed in 2010. An
OptometryOptometry is a health care profession concerned with eyes and related structures, as well as vision, visual systems, and vision information processing in humans. Optometrists, or Doctors of Optometry, are state licensed medical professionals trained to prescribe and fit lenses to improve vision,...
School was opened in 2009. The school is in the Medical Center Area on Datapoint Drive,San Antonio.
The University of the Incarnate Word also offers a program called ADCAP (Adult Degree Completion Program) that meets at nights and on weekends, helping those who work full time or who are unable to attend during the day achieve their degrees in an accelerated environment. Most classes last 8 - 10 weeks. The ADCAP classes are also eligible for financial aid such as Pell Grants and student loans.
The Cardinals at the University of the Incarnate Word began playing American
footballCollege football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
in the fall of 2009; it is the only NCAA Division II team with a football program in the San Antonio metropolitan area. Furthermore, UIW has expressed interest in moving to the NCAA Division I Lone Star Conference in 2014, pending approval by students and faculty.
History
UIW was founded by the
Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate WordThe Congregation of the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word is the name of two Roman Catholic religious orders based in the state of Texas.- Houston Order :...
, who came to San Antonio in 1869 to assist with treating a
choleraCholera is an infection of the small intestine that is caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. The main symptoms are profuse watery diarrhea and vomiting. Transmission occurs primarily by drinking or eating water or food that has been contaminated by the diarrhea of an infected person or the feces...
outbreak. The order follows the
AugustinianThe term Augustinians, named after Saint Augustine of Hippo , applies to two separate and unrelated types of Catholic religious orders:...
rule. The institution began as the Incarnate Word School in 1881 and was originally chartered as a college for women. It became fully coeducational in 1971. The university first became accredited in 1925 and its accreditation was reaffirmed in 2005 by the
Southern Association of Colleges and SchoolsThe Southern Association of Colleges and Schools is one of the six regional accreditation organizations recognized by the United States Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation...
.
Campuses
The university has five campuses: The main campus in north central San Antonio, satellite campuses at the
South Texas Medical CenterThe South Texas Medical Center consists of of medical-related facilities in northwest San Antonio.The STMC, which directly serves 38 counties, consists of forty-five medically related institutions; separate medical, dental and nursing schools, five higher educational institutions, twelve...
and Goodyear, Arizona, UIW Mexico in Mexico City, and UIW China in Guangzhou.
Rankings
The university is rated among the Southwest's top liberal arts schools. The U.S. News and World Report ranked Incarnate Word 59th in its 2011 edition of Best Colleges in Regional Universities (West)
Athletics
In 2010 the UIW Men's Swim team won 2nd Place at the NCAA Division II National Championships in Canton, Ohio. Conrado Chede won 1st Place in the 500 meter freestyle.
UIW's
synchronized swimmingSynchronized swImming is a hybrid form of swimming, dance and gymnastics, consisting of swimmers performing a synchronized routine of elaborate moves in the water, accompanied by music....
team placed in the 2006 U.S. Collegiate Championships.
UIW men's and women's soccer teams continue to also be nationally recognized winning many of the
Heartland ConferenceThe Heartland Conference is an NCAA Division II college athletic conference founded in 1999. The majority of members are in Texas, with additional members in Arkansas, Kansas, and Oklahoma.-Member schools:...
championships.
UIW men's Cross Country, for the first time in school history, placed first in the 2008 Heartland Conference meet with a score of 29 points, 32 points ahead of second place; 6 of the members were All-Conference.
The UIW men's Cross Country defended their 2008 Heartland Conference win in 2009; they won with a score of 26 points, 27 points ahead of second place. In addition, Shayn Weidner won the race individually and became the first Cardinal man to ever do so. 6 of the members were All-Conference: Shayn Weidner - 1st; Howard Gill - 3rd; Adrian Carillo - 6th; Solomon Rotich - 7th; Robert Hawes - 9th; Chris Flores - 10th.
Notable alumni
- Ricardo Chavira, actor from Desperate Housewives
Desperate Housewives is an American television comedy-drama series created by Marc Cherry and produced by ABC Studios and Cherry Productions. Executive producer Cherry serves as Showrunner. Other executive producers since the fourth season include Marc Cherry, Bob Daily, George W...
- Jesse Borrego
Jesse Borrego is an American actor. Better knownfor playing Cruz Candelaria in Blood in, Blood out and later guest starring as George King in Dexter. Borrego, a Mexican American, was born in San Antonio, Texas. He considered going into the US Air Force to become a pilot...
, actor from Dexter
- Linda Stouffer
Cinnamon Linda Stouffer is an American television news correspondent. She was a weekday and later a weekend anchor for CNN Headline News. She had been with the network since 1997, but was among several laid off in December 2008, her last day being December 14, 2008...
, former CNN Headline NewsHLN, formerly known as CNN Headline News and CNN2, is a cable television news channel based in the United States and a spinoff of the cable news television channel, CNN. Initially airing tightly-formatted 30-minute newscasts around the clock, since 2005, the channel has increasingly aired long-form...
anchor and anchor at WSB-TV In Atlanta.
External links