Dominican is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC). More than 60 academic majors, minors and concentrations, including 11 graduate programs are offered with an average class size of 16.[citation needed] During the 2023-24 school year, Dominican had 1182 undergraduate students and 844 graduate students. Enrollment by gender is 72% female and 28% male.[1]
In 1850, Joseph Sadoc Alemany was appointed Bishop of Monterey. While in France that year, Alemany sought Dominican sisters to join him in California to establish a convent and school in Monterey. Years later, Mother Mary Goemaere and Mother Louis O'Donnell moved the congregation from Monterey to Benicia, and then to San Rafael in 1889. In 1890, the Dominican Sisters of San Rafael formally registered their school with the State of California. The school became a junior college in 1915. In 1917, it became known as Dominican College.[3]
Dominican College became the first Catholic college in California to grant the bachelor's degree to women. Originally a female-only institution, Dominican College became coeducational in 1971. In 2000, the school changed its name from Dominican College to Dominican University of California.[3]
Campus
Dominican occupies approximately 80 acres (32ha) in central Marin County in the City of San Rafael. It is situated in a residential neighborhood at the base of San Pedro Mountain.[4][5]
Notable buildings
Angelico Hall
Angelico Hall
Angelico Hall features an auditorium with seating for 800 people. It was designed by Morris Brude and completed in 1921. It currently houses the Liberal Arts & Education offices, music practice rooms and the auditorium.[6] The auditorium regularly hosts concerts, symphonies, and lecture series.[7][8] The 2010 California gubernatorial debate between Jerry Brown and Meg Whitman took place at Angelico Hall.[9]
Meadowlands Hall
Meadowlands Hall
Meadowlands Hall currently serves as the offices and classrooms for the Departments of Nursing, Occupational Therapy, Public Health and Health Sciences. The building was originally built in 1888 as a summer home for Michael de Young, a San Francisco journalist and businessman. It was acquired by the Dominican Sisters in 1918. At that time the first floor was converted into classrooms, while the upper floors served as student residences.[6] In 2015, the building underwent major renovations to create space for labs and offices, while maintaining its historical integrity and improving its fire safety.[10]
Points of interest
In 2002, Dominican University of California exhibited a long-unseen cache of more than 70 Ansel Adams photographs that had been found on campus years earlier. The images, originally created by Adams for the college, became part of Dominican’s collection.[11]
Forest Meadows Amphitheater is an amphitheater on Dominican's Campus. It has been used to hold the university's Commencement ceremonies.[citation needed] The amphitheater is now used by the Marin Shakespeare Company during the Shakespeare Festival in the fall. The company has been using the amphitheater since 1989.[12]
Academics
Dominican focuses on interdisciplinary studies. In the sciences, the university involves undergraduates in sophisticated research projects, and encourages students to present at national academic conferences and publish in peer-reviewed journals. In the humanities, students can combine dance and musical performance with the study of philosophy, literature, world cultures, and religion. Dominican also offers undergraduate and graduate programs in business, education, counseling psychology, occupational therapy and nursing. It follows a semester system: Fall (August–December) and Spring (January–May). Classes are also offered in the summer.[citation needed]
In 2019, Dominican University of California introduced a test-optional policy, allowing first-year students applying for admission to have the option to submit SAT or ACT scores, beginning with the fall 2020 cohort.[citation needed]
Partnership with Make School
In 2018, Dominican University of California and San Francisco-based Make School submitted an application to the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC) to enter an incubation relationship. The partnership enabled Dominican to offer a minor in Computer Science and Make School to offer an accelerated bachelor's degree in Applied Computer Science (ACS) under Dominican's oversight. In 2021, Dominican assumed direct delivery of the ACS program.[citation needed]
Schools/departments
The university is organized into three schools with the following departments:
Teacher Education: State of California Commission on Teacher Credentialing
Business: The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB)[citation needed]
Organization and administration
Dominican is a non-profit organization governed by a privately appointed board of trustees along with the university president, provost, vice-presidents and deans. The board currently has 30 voting members who serve three three-year terms and meet four times annually. The trustees elect a president to serve as the general manager and chief executive of the university. Dr. Nicola Pitchford was appointed the tenth president of the university in July 2021.[citation needed]
Student government
The Associated Students of Dominican University (ASDU) is the student government for Dominican and helps students plan and provide campus activities, distribute activity funds, initiate changes in policy, and represent themselves to the university's administration and the broader community. This group of elected student representatives serves both as the student activities association and the student government board. The members of the ASDU Senate are composed of representatives from all four class levels of regular day program students.[citation needed]
Student life
Residence halls
Almost 90% of freshmen live on-campus. Freshmen are automatically guaranteed a residency on campus while sophomores, juniors and seniors receive on-campus housing through a lottery.[citation needed] All residence halls are co-ed with gender specific bathrooms. Each hall has a resident advisor who oversees the students.[citation needed]
Traditions
Shield Ceremony
Shield Ceremony at Dominican University of California
Each fall, the university holds a Shield Ceremony, a tradition that started in the 12th century when Saint Dominic Guzman created the Dominican order. It now continues every fall during Convocation, when the Dominican seniors officially greet the incoming freshmen with a special gift: an illustration of a shield that reflects an inspirational motto. The motto, written by the seniors, is intended to help guide the freshmen throughout their college years and beyond. Four years later at Commencement, a hand-crafted wood carving of the illustrated shield is presented to the graduating class. All of Dominican's shields, dating back to the early 1920s, are displayed on campus in the Meadowlands Residence Hall, Guzman Lecture Hall and the Shield Room.[citation needed]
Convocation/Family Weekend (formerly Spirit Week)
Once a year, Dominican invites all students and their families for a celebration of the university and its students. It opens with Convocation, a celebration of the academic achievements of Dominican students. Throughout the celebration, all are invited to explore the campus, attend special classes, meet with the President and faculty and cheer on the Dominican Penguins at competitive games. Family Weekend concludes on Sunday with an athletic scrimmage and tailgate party.[citation needed]
Senior Thesis
Most academic departments at Dominican require a senior thesis/project. The major determines the nature of the thesis/project, which can take many forms: a research document, a novel, a business plan, a portfolio of poetry, or original works of art.[citation needed]
Baccalaureate Mass and Commencement
Held the day prior to Commencement, Baccalaureate Mass is a unique tradition that reflects Dominican's Catholic heritage. The Mass, planned and led by members of the graduating classes, is held at St. Raphael's Church in downtown San Rafael. Students and their families, faculty, staff and friends of the university are invited to attend.[citation needed]
On a Saturday morning in May, the campus community joins graduating students, their families and friends for Commencement. The Dominican tradition includes a procession led by a bagpiper.[citation needed]
Clubs and organizations
There are more than forty student clubs and organizations at Dominican with categories including Athletics, Campus Diversity, Religious, Social and Major-Related.
Dominican fields 15 intercollegiate athletic teams (6 men's and 9 women's). The facilities for sports and recreations programs are the Conlan Center and the John F. Allen Sports Complex - which includes Kennelly Field, Castellluci Family Tennis Center, and Penguin Field.[16]
Etel Adnan, Lebanese writer and artist, philosophy professor, 1952–1972[17]
Melba Beals, journalist, was among the nine African-American teenagers who over 50 years ago advanced the civil rights movement with the integration of Little Rock Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas.[18] Today, Beals lives in the San Francisco Bay Area, and teaches journalism at Dominican University of California, where she is the chair of the communications department.[19]
Marion Irvine, "The Flying Nun", broke numerous age-group records in distance running events.
Abigail Kinoiki Kekaulike Kawānanakoa, member of the House of Kawānanakoa. She is commonly referred to as a princess despite never officially being granted such a title.
Killian Larson, American professional basketball player who currently plays in Europe.
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