Mercyhurst University

Last updated
Mercyhurst University
Mercyhurst univ logo.png
Former names
Mercyhurst College
(1926–2012) [1]
Motto Latin: Carpe diem
(Seize the day)
Type Private university
Established1926;98 years ago (1926)
Accreditation MSCHE
Religious affiliation
 Roman Catholic (Sisters of Mercy)
Academic affiliations
Conference for Mercy Higher Education
ACCU
NAICU
Endowment $31.8 million [2]
President Kathleen Getz [3]
Academic staff
136 full-time
Administrative staff
434
Students2,759 [4]
Location
Erie
,
Pennsylvania
,
U.S.
CampusUrban, 74 acres (300,000 m2)
Colors    Blue, green, & white
Nickname Lakers
Sporting affiliations
 NCAA Division I – NEC
MascotLuke the Laker
Website mercyhurst.edu
Mercyhurst logo from NCAA.svg

Mercyhurst University is a private Catholic university in Erie, Pennsylvania, United States.

Contents

History

On September 20, 1926, Mercyhurst College opened its doors just a few blocks away from the city's southern boundary. It was founded by the Sisters of Mercy of the Diocese of Erie, who were led by Borgia Egan, who became the first president of Mercyhurst College. The college received its charter on October 5, 1928. [5]

In 1963, the college prep department separated to form Mercyhurst Preparatory School, which is located behind the university. On February 3, 1969, the board of trustees voted to make Mercyhurst a coed college. From its foundation in 1926 until 1972, members of the Sisters of Mercy had been presidents of the college. After 1972, lay presidents led the college. On March 27, 1991, Mercyhurst purchased the 100-year-old Redemptorist Seminary in North East and turned it into a branch campus, offering associate degrees and one-year certificates. [5]

Among its five campuses, enrollment has grown to over 4,000 students instructed by 168 faculty. The endowment has increased to more than $20 million and its budget is more than $85 million. [5]

The Mary D'Angelo Performing Arts Center opened in February 1996. Then, in fall 2002, the $7.5 million Audrey Hirt Academic Center opened on the southeast edge of campus, a building funded largely through the college's $22.8 million capital campaign. [5]

In August 2005, the $5 million Michele and Tom Ridge Health and Safety Building was dedicated at Mercyhurst North East. A $1.3 million residential apartment complex also opened in time for the North East campus' academic year. [5]

Also in 2005, the board of trustees authorized the purchase of 400 acres (1.6 km2) in Girard as the first step towards developing Mercyhurst West, a two-year college serving western Erie County, northwestern Crawford County and northeastern Ohio. The board of trustees elected Dr. Thomas J. Gamble as the 11th president of Mercyhurst College. Dr. Gamble, who previously served as vice president of academic affairs at the college, assumed the presidency March 1, 2006. [5]

The construction of a $14 million freshman residence hall began in fall 2008, and the hall opened in the fall of 2009. Frances Warde Hall, a 100,000 sq ft (9,300 m2) building, houses 318 students. [5]

Opened in September 2012 is the Center for Academic Engagement, a four-story, 31,000-square-foot (2,900 m2) building that will be set into the rolling hill north of Hammermill Library and feature a skywalk over East Main Drive to connect the two facilities. The building, which boasts many green technologies, houses classrooms and lab space for two of Mercyhurst's signature programs—Intelligence Studies and Hospitality Management—as well as the Evelyn Lincoln Institute for Ethics and Society and the Mercyhurst Center for Applied Politics (MCAP). [5] On January 25, 2012, Mercyhurst College officially became Mercyhurst University. [6]

The Board of Trustees of Mercyhurst University appointed Michael T. Victor as the 12th president of Mercyhurst University on May 19, 2015. Victor had served as president of Lake Erie College since 2006. Victor served as dean of the Walker School of Business at Mercyhurst from 2002 to 2006. He took office on August 3, 2015.[ citation needed ]

On August 16, 2018, Mercyhurst University opened a $25 million residence hall. Ryan Hall houses more than 350 student suites. [7] It also includes a dining hall, lounge area, convenience store, and a 150-seat banquet hall. [8]

Sexual assault allegations

On October 10, 2004, the Erie Times-News published a story stating that former president William Garvey molested grade school boys while serving as a basketball coach at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Erie. The article further stated that "two current Erie residents told the Erie Times-News that Garvey paid them to have sex with him in the early to mid-1980s, when both men were minors." [9] On December 17 the paper reported that Garvey "abruptly announced his retirement Thursday, months before the completion of a college-ordered investigation Garvey had predicted would exonerate him." [10]

Several months after Garvey retired, an investigation conducted by retired Erie County Judge Michael Palmisano, at the instruction of the board of trustees, determined that the allegations against Garvey "appear[ed] to have merit". [11] The campus' central park was once named "Garvey Park" in honor of Garvey, but following the allegations was renamed to "Trinity Green". [12]

Campus

The university formerly had a branch campus located 18 miles (29 km) away in North East, Pennsylvania at the site of the former St. Mary's Seminary. [13] It offered associates degrees, but was closed at the end of the 2020-2021 academic year. [14]

The university has also operated Mercyhurst Corry, a school offering an associate degree in business administration, for over 25 years.

The university's fifth campus, Mercyhurst West, was located in Girard, Pennsylvania, at the site of the former Faith Lutheran Church. Classes began at this location in fall 2006. [15] Due to low enrollment, the campus closed at the end of the 2013–2014 school year. [16]

Academics

Enrollment at Mercyhurst University's Erie campus is nearly 4,500 students. The university formerly was on a trimester calendar and moved to a 4–1–4 calendar for the 2013–2014 school year. Currently, the university is on a traditional semester calendar. [17] It has more than 57 undergraduate degrees and almost 25 percent of the student body chooses to study abroad. [18] [19] Undergraduate students at Mercyhurst all complete the REACH curriculum, which stands for Reason and Faith, Expression and Creativity, Analytical Thought, Contexts and Systems, and Humans in Connection. [20]

The university is organized into four colleges:

Athletics

Mercyhurst University competes in the Northeast Conference. Around 15 percent of the student body consists of student-athletes.

National championships

Non-varsity sports

American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) – Divisions I and III

Alumni

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bucknell University</span> Private college in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, U.S.

Bucknell University is a private liberal-arts college in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1846 as the University at Lewisburg, it now consists of the College of Arts and Sciences, the Freeman College of Management, and the College of Engineering. It offers 65 majors and 70 minors in the sciences and humanities. Located just south of Lewisburg, the 445-acre (1.80 km2) campus rises above the West Branch of the Susquehanna River.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Emmanuel College (Massachusetts)</span> Private college in Boston, Massachusetts, US

Emmanuel College is a private Roman Catholic college in Boston, Massachusetts. The college was founded by the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur as the first women's Catholic college in New England in 1919. In 2001, the college officially became a coeducational institution. It is a member of the Colleges of the Fenway consortium. In addition to the Fenway campus, Emmanuel operates a living and learning campus in Roxbury, Massachusetts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Edward's University</span> Catholic university in Austin, Texas, US

St. Edward's University is a private, Catholic university in Austin, Texas. It was founded and is operated in the Holy Cross tradition.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Monroe Community College</span> Public college in Rochester, New York, US

Monroe Community College(MCC) is a public community college in Monroe County, New York. It is part of the State University of New York. The college has two campuses; the main campus in the town of Brighton, and the Downtown Campus in the City of Rochester. The college also has off-site learning at the Applied Technologies Center, Monroe County Public Safety Training Facility, and offers online classes. As of 2023, MCC has enrolled more than a half a million students.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gannon University</span> Private university in Erie, Pennsylvania, U.S.

Gannon University is a private Catholic university with campuses in Erie, Pennsylvania, and Ruskin, Florida. Established in 1925, Gannon University enrolls approximately 4,600 undergraduate and graduate students annually and has over 47,000 alumni. Its intercollegiate athletics include 18 athletic programs for men and women competing at the NCAA Division II level.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">California State University Channel Islands</span> Public university near Camarillo, California, U.S.

California State University Channel Islands is a public university in Ventura County, California. Located near the city of Camarillo, it opened in 2002 as the 23rd campus in the California State University system. CSUCI is located on the Central Coast of California, at the intersection of the Oxnard Plain and northernmost edge of the Santa Monica Mountains range. The Channel Islands are nearby where the university operates a scientific research station on Santa Rosa Island.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mercer University</span> Private university in Macon, Georgia, US

Mercer University is a private research university with its main campus in Macon, Georgia. Founded in 1833 as Mercer Institute and gaining university status in 1837, it is the oldest private university in the state and enrolls more than 9,000 students in 12 colleges and schools. Mercer is a member of the Georgia Research Alliance. It is classified as a "R2: Doctoral Universities — High research activity".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jacksonville University</span> Private university in Jacksonville, Florida, US

Jacksonville University (JU) is a private university in Jacksonville, Florida, United States. Located in the city's Arlington district, the school was founded in 1934 as a two-year college and was known as Jacksonville Junior College until September 5, 1956, when it shifted focus to building four-year university degree programs and later graduated its first four-year degree candidates as Jacksonville University in June 1959. It is a member of the Independent Colleges and Universities of Florida and is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) and the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). JU's student body currently represents more than 40 U.S. states and approximately 45 countries around the world. As a Division I institution, it fields 18 varsity athletics teams, known as the JU Dolphins, as well as intramural sports and clubs. Among the top majors declared by JU students are aviation management, biology, nursing, business, and marine science.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Girard College</span> Independent boarding school in Philadelphia, PA, USA

Girard College is an independent college preparatory five-day boarding school located on a 43-acre campus in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The school was founded and permanently endowed from the shipping and banking fortune of Stephen Girard upon his death in 1831.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Southwestern University</span> Private university in Georgetown, Texas, US

Southwestern University is a private liberal arts college in Georgetown, Texas. Formed in 1873 from a revival of collegiate charters granted in 1840, Southwestern is the oldest college or university in Texas. Southwestern offers 40 bachelor's degrees in the arts, sciences, fine arts, and music as well as interdisciplinary and pre-professional programs. It is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and the National Association of Schools of Music and historically affiliated with the United Methodist Church.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pennsylvania State University</span> Public university in State College, Pennsylvania, US

The Pennsylvania State University is a public state-related land-grant research university with campuses and facilities throughout Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1855 as Farmers' High School of Pennsylvania, Penn State was named the state's first land-grant university eight years later, in 1863. Its primary campus, known as Penn State University Park, is located in State College and College Township.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pennsylvania Western University, Edinboro</span> Public university in Edinboro, Pennsylvania, US

Pennsylvania Western University, Edinboro in Edinboro, Pennsylvania, United States, is a campus of Pennsylvania Western University.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Winthrop University</span> Public university in Rock Hill, South Carolina, US

Winthrop University is a public university in Rock Hill, South Carolina. It was founded in 1886 by David Bancroft Johnson, who served as the superintendent of Columbia, South Carolina, schools. He received a grant from Robert Charles Winthrop, a philanthropist from Boston, Massachusetts and chair of the Peabody Education Board in Massachusetts, to establish the school.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Penn State Erie, The Behrend College</span> Satellite campus of Penn State University

Penn State Erie, The Behrend College, officially Pennsylvania State University at Erie, The Behrend College and often shortened to Penn State Behrend, is a public satellite campus of Penn State University and is located just outside Erie, Pennsylvania. It is among the largest of Penn State's commonwealth campuses, with about 4,400 students enrolled in Behrend programs on campus and online. The college offers more than 40 undergraduate majors in four academic schools: The Sam and Irene Black School of Business, the School of Engineering, the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, and the School of Science, which includes the Nursing Program. Penn State Behrend also offers five master's degrees, as well as a range of continuing education trainings through its Community and Workforce Programs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Delaware Valley University</span> Private university in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, US

Delaware Valley University (DelVal) is a private university in Doylestown, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1896, it enrolls approximately 1,900 students on its suburban, 570-acre campus. DelVal offers more than 28 undergraduate majors, seven master's programs, a doctoral program, and adult education courses.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Millersville University of Pennsylvania</span> Public university in Millersville, Pennsylvania, U.S.

Millersville University of Pennsylvania is a public university in Millersville, Pennsylvania. It is one of the ten schools that comprise the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE). Founded in 1855 as the first Normal School in Pennsylvania, Millersville is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools and the Pennsylvania Department of Education.

Missouri Baptist University (MBU) is a private Southern Baptist university in Creve Coeur, Missouri. It is one of three universities of the Missouri Baptist Convention. The main campus is located on a 68-acre site near Creve Coeur and Town and County in West St Louis County, off highway 64-40. There are currently 12 MBU locations including its regional learning centers throughout the St. Louis region and Illinois. The school enrolled 5,309 students in 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marymount University</span> Catholic university in Arlington County, Virginia, US

Marymount University is a private Catholic university with its main campus in Arlington County, Virginia. It was founded as Marymount College in 1950. Marymount offers bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees. It has approximately 4,257 students enrolled, representing 50 states and 70 countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Corban University</span> Christian university in Salem, Oregon, US

Corban University is a private Christian university in Salem, Oregon. There are about 1,000 full-time students enrolled on the Salem campus and 2,800 worldwide. Athletically, it is a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics competing in the Cascade Collegiate Conference.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mercyhurst North East</span> Catholic college in Pennsylvania, U.S.

Mercyhurst North East was a two-year Catholic liberal arts college in North East, Pennsylvania. It was a branch campus of Mercyhurst University. The college was established in 1991 when Mercyhurst College purchased the former St. Mary's College from Redemptorist Fathers, a property first established as Lake Shore Seminary in 1870. Mercyhurst North East offered one-year certificates and two-year associate degrees in a variety of majors. The school campus closed at the end of the 2020–2021 term, consolidating all programs into the larger Mercyhurst campus in Erie.

References

  1. ↑ "OUR HISTORY". mercyhurst.edu. Mercyhurst University. Retrieved 1 December 2022.
  2. ↑ As of October 30, 2013. "U.S. and Canadian Institutions Listed by Fiscal Year 2009 Endowment Market Value and Percentage Change in Endowment Market Value from FY 2008 to FY 2009" (PDF). 2009 NACUBO-Commonfund Study of Endowments. National Association of College and University Business Officers. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 14, 2017. Retrieved February 9, 2010.
  3. ↑ "Mercyhurst University names Kathleen Getz 13th president". Mercyhurst University (Press release). May 11, 2021. Retrieved 5 August 2021.
  4. ↑ "College Navigator – Mercyhurst University".
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "History | Mercyhurst University". Mercyhurst.edu. Retrieved 2015-08-07.
  6. ↑ McCracken, Sean (January 26, 2012). "Former Mercyhurst College now Mercyhurst University". Erie Times-News . Retrieved January 26, 2012.
  7. ↑ "Mercyhurst University Officially Opens Ryan Hall". erienewsnow.com.
  8. ↑ "Mercyhurst dedicates Ryan Hall Aug. 16". Mercyhurst University.
  9. ↑ Palatella, Ed (October 10, 2004). "Garvey Past Questioned". Erie Times-News . Retrieved October 24, 2012.
  10. ↑ Palatella, Ed (December 17, 2004). "Garvey to Retire". Erie Times-News . Retrieved October 24, 2012.
  11. ↑ Palattella, Ed (August 21, 2005). "Garvey's accusers say memo is 'vindication'". Erie Times-News . Retrieved October 24, 2012.
  12. ↑ Archived May 8, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
  13. ↑ "Mercyhurst North East | A two-year college". Northeast.mercyhurst.edu. Retrieved 2015-08-07.
  14. ↑ "Mercyhurst moves up North East campus move - News - GoErie.com - Erie, PA". web.archive.org. 2021-05-14. Retrieved 2024-11-07.
  15. ↑ "About West | Mercyhurst College - West Campus". Archived from the original on 2009-02-27. Retrieved 2009-05-01.
  16. ↑ "Mercyhurst University closing branch 'west' campus in Girard due to low enrollment - Daily Journal". www.dailyjournal.net. Archived from the original on 21 November 2013. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
  17. ↑ "News". mercyhurst.edu. Retrieved 2015-08-07.
  18. ↑ "Fast Facts". Mercyhurst University.
  19. ↑ "Academics". Mercyhurst University.
  20. ↑ "REACH Curriculum". mercyhurst.edu. Retrieved 2020-04-23.
  21. ↑ "Matthew Hatchette Past Stats, Statistics, History, and Awards". databaseFootball.com. 1974-01-05. Archived from the original on 2015-03-19. Retrieved 2015-08-07.

42°06′19″N80°03′13″W / 42.10520°N 80.05373°W / 42.10520; -80.05373

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.