Stonehill College
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| Stonehill College | |
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| Motto: | Lux et Spes ("Light and Hope") |
| Established: | 1948 |
| Type: | Private Roman Catholic |
| Endowment: | $140 million (2007) |
| President: | Rev. Mark T. Cregan, CSC |
| Faculty: | 255 (approximately) |
| Undergraduates: | 2,371 |
| Location: | North Easton, Massachusetts, USA |
| Campus: | 375 acre |
| Colors: | Purple, White |
| Nickname: | Skyhawks |
| Mascot: | "Ace" the Skyhawk |
| Website: | http://www.stonehill.edu |
Stonehill College is a private Roman Catholic college located in North Easton, Massachusetts, United States, founded in 1948. Situated in North Easton, Massachusetts, a suburban community of 23,329 people, Stonehill is located just 22 miles south of Boston on a 375-acre campus, the original estate of Frederick Lothrop Ames. The campus map highlights 29 buildings that complement the original Georgian-style Ames mansion (with the exception of Boland Hall and Pilgrim Heights).
Stonehill College was founded in 1948 by the Congregation of Holy Cross whose members established the University of Notre Dame (1842).
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[edit] History
In the autumn of 1934, the priests in North Dartmouth began to look for new quarters because of increasing seminary enrollment. The current Stonehill campus was purchased from Mrs. Frederick Lothrop Ames on October 17, 1935. The initial purchase included 350 acres and the original mansion; the congregation purchased the remaining 190 acres from Mrs. Cutler two years later. Frederick Lothrop Ames was the great-grandson of Oliver Ames, who came to Easton in 1803 and established the Ames Shovel Company.
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts authorized the Congregation of Holy Cross to establish Stonehill College on the Frederik Lothrop Ames estate on June 30, 1948. In September of that year the college enrolled 134 men as the first class. Classes were held in the mansion and in the Ames Gym.
The first building built by the college was the Science Building which opened in February 1949. In 1974 the building was renovated and renamed the Tracy Science Building in honor of David Tracy, a former Stonehill advisor and trustee.
On November 3, 1949, the first issue of the College newspaper, The Summit, was published. In the fall of 1951 the college decided to become a coeducational organization and enrolled 19 women. The first class graduated from Stonehill on the first Sunday of June 1952 and consisted of 73 men.
[edit] Academics
[edit] Degrees and academic programs
As a College of Arts and Sciences and pre-professional studies, Stonehill awards on the undergraduate level the B.A., B.S., and B.S.B.A.
Stonehill offers 31 major programs, the opportunity to double major or participate in one of the College’s 37 minor programs. On average, more than 330 academic courses are offered each semester.
Offerings include pre-professional programs in pre-law, pre-medical, pre-dental, and pre-veterinary; Honors Program; worldwide Study Abroad Program; full-time internship opportunities in London, Paris, Dublin, Geneva, Madrid, Boston, New York City, and Washington, D.C.; part-time Boston area internships; undergraduate research opportunities.
The academic program at Stonehill consists of a minimum of forty courses embracing the following three areas:
- The Cornerstone Program (core curriculum)
- Concentrations (Major and, typically, Minor)
- Electives
Students develop knowledge and skills through general education, master at least one major area of study, and have the flexibility to explore other coursework, study abroad, internships, independent research, and other experiences unique to their own educational plans.
[edit] Admission
The College offers Early Decision, Early Action and Regular Decision options for applicants. On average, 6,800 high school students apply for 610 first-year openings with an acceptance rate of 41%. The review process for each candidate is comprehensive. Generally speaking, the admissions indicators are:
- Strong performance in a rigorous secondary school program including 4 units of English, 3 units of foreign language, 4 combined units of history, political science, social sciences, 3 units of science, and 3 units of math.
- Results from the SAT or ACT (Score submissions now optional)
- Weighted positioning in class (for example, class rank, scattergram, or histogram)
- GPA
- Recommendations (guidance counselor, teachers)
- Essay
- Co-curricular résumé
- Work experience
[edit] College Ranking
Stonehill College has moved from a regional classification to a national classification one. The category shift affects the way that the College is grouped with peer institutions in various benchmarking reports and studies.
U.S. News & World Report “America’s Best Colleges 2008,” ranked Stonehill #106 of nearly 300 nationally-renowned baccalaureate institutions included in the “Liberal Arts Colleges” category. One of only eight Catholic colleges in the top 50% of that group, Stonehill had held a #1 ranking in the “Comprehensive-Bachelor’s (North)” category from 2001-2007. [1]
In addition, among institutions using the NSSE (2005), Stonehill is listed in the top 10% of institutions in providing “Enriching Educational Experiences,” and within the top 50% for “Level of Academic Challenge” and for having a “Supportive Campus Environment.”
[edit] Student Activities / Student Life
[edit] Student Organizations
Stonehill offers more than 65 student clubs and organizations sponsored by a very active Student Government Association (SGA). SGA is entirely run by students and annually distributes over $275,000 to SGA recognized clubs. Stonehill sponsors a shuttle service to the Quincy Adams T station as well as to area shopping and a local cinema megaplex. The Student Government Association also manages a van that can be reserved for group activity.
[edit] Guest Speakers
The college has played host to a number of notable public figures over the years. Some of the more recent guests include Senator Ted Kennedy; Paul Rusesabagina, whose story inspired the film Hotel Rwanda; Former White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card; Boston University hockey star Travis Roy; Author Tim O'Brien; and author Jim Carroll, whose life was subject of the movie The Basketball Diaries.
[edit] Entertainment
Stonehill has hosted a number of well-known musical acts during its annual Spring Weekend celebration, including R.E.M., 3 Doors Down, Maroon 5, Jurassic 5, Wyclef Jean, Mighty Mighty Bosstones, New Found Glory, Guster, Howie Day, The Outfield, Meat Loaf, KRS-One, George Clinton, Sugarcult, Talib Kweli and Third Eye Blind.
[edit] Campus Media
- The Summit: Student run bi-weekly newspaper.
- Rolling Stonehill: A quarterly student produced literary and arts magazine.
- WSHL: The college's student run radio station, It can be listened to online, through 91.3 FM or via Stonehill's campus tv station (Channel 70).
- Channel 70: Stonehill's tv station which is also available online.
[edit] Alcohol Policies
Stonehill College changed its alcohol and substance abuse policies which started the 2005-2006 school year. Labeled by the college administration as "Community Standards", the newly installed policies place more responsibility and harsher sanctions to students who consume alcohol both on and off campus.
New standards include: Limits on amount of alcohol a student may have in their room if they are of age (12 Beers OR 2 Bottles of Wine OR 1 Pint of Liquor), all parties must be registered with residence life if alcohol will be present (registered parties must provide non alcoholic beverages and display them in an open manner), restriction of common sources of alcohol (punch bowls, mini kegs, kegs, beer balls), restriction of glass bottles in residence halls (recently made a health and safety violation rather than an alcohol violation), restriction of any game that could encourage drinking (even if the game is being played without alcohol present).
New sanctions include: restriction from campus on weekends, loss of residency for an entire semester, campus service, fines, parental notification (If the student is under 21), alcohol education courses, therapy sessions, and separation from college.
First offense for a minor usually includes: Restriction from campus for one weekend, 100 dollar fine, 10 hours of campus service, alcohol education course, and parental notification.
[edit] Athletics
The Athletic Department fields 20 competitive NCAA Division II intercollegiate varsity sports. The College’s combination of academic and athletic success has garnered Stonehill the #4 ranking in the country among NCAA Division II schools in the Collegiate Power Rankings that are published by the National College Scouting Association. Furthermore, Stonehill finished 65th in the overall NCSA Top 100 Power Rankings across all three NCAA divisions. The Sally Blair Ames Sports Complex is home to the College staff that sponsors eight intercollegiate club teams including rugby and golf as well as an extensive intramural sports program offering racquetball, basketball, soccer, floor hockey, flag football.
[edit] Skyhawks
In late 2002, The Strategic Planning Committee determined that the much adored mascot, the chieftan, was deemed politically incorrect as disrespectful to American Indians and needed to be changed. To the dismay of the student body, the committee ruled that a new mascot be named as the institution's athletic identity. Therefore, in the following year the college held open forums in which students, alumni, and faculty were asked to submit ideas for the new identity, vote on suggestions, and gauge popularity. Among popular choices were The Stonehill Summit, The Stonehill Skyhawks, The Stonehill Saints, The Stonehill Wolfpack, The Stonehill Crusaders, The Stonehill Mission, The Stonehill Shovelmakers, and The Stonehill Blizzard. During the fall semester of the 2005 academic year Stonehill College officially changed the name of its athletic teams to the "Stonehill Skyhawks," with a brand new mascot known as 'Ace', an anthropomorphic purple hawk wearing a scarf, goggles, bomber jacket, and an aviator cap. In contrast, the actual name 'Skyhawks' is not in reference to a bird or animal. It is instead an homage to a type of airplane that Frederick Ames allowed to land on his property (what is now the main campus) during World War I. The name is linked closely to the school's history in this way.
[edit] Noteworthy alumni
- Michael Novak - Philosopher and former US ambassador.
- James "Lou" Gorman - General Manager for the Boston Red Sox (1984 - 1993)
- Leo Meehan - President and CEO of WB Mason
- Christy Mihos - Founder of Christy's Markets; former member of the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority; 2006 candidate for the Governor of Massachusetts.
- Daniel F. Conley - Suffolk County District Attorney
- Thomas J. May - Chairman, President and CEO of NSTAR
- Michael DeSisto -Founder of The DeSisto School
- Butch Stearns - Head Sportscaster for Fox25 Boston
- Ryan Asselta - Sportscaster for Fox25 Boston
- Garth Donovan - Independent Filmmaker
[edit] Campus Changes
The college has begun a series of improvements to the campus. These improvements include:
- Diverting the Rt. 123 access road to wrap around the outside of the campus, passing W. B. Mason Stadium and the Sally Blair Ames Sports Complex. Previously the road passed between O’Hara Hall and The Martin Institute. The new road is intended to create better pedestrian atmosphere on campus with most of the main access roads encircling the campus. The area where the previous road passed through will be converted into walking paths and grass lands, in addition a new brick walkway will be constructed to connect to the brick pathways on the quad.
- Construction of a new science center on the Rt. 123 side of the Marin Institute. The new center is approx. halfway completed, and scheduled to be opened in time for the Fall 2009 semester.
- Construction of a much-desired footbridge over the Ames Pond (to be located and accessed behind O'Hara Hall)
- Construction of a new residence hall next to Notre Dame Du Lac Residence hall.
The re-routing project was completed in late summer of 2006. The pathway project was completed in the spring of 2007, and the other phases will be completed incrementally over the next 3 to 4 years.
[edit] External links
- Stonehill College
- Stonehill College Student Government
- Fall '06 Alumni Magazine outlines 30 Year Master Plan
- Stonehill Ranks 106th
[edit] References
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