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Viterbo University is a Roman Catholic liberal arts university located in La Crosse, Wisconsin in the Diocese of La Crosse.
[edit] History
In 1890, the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration founded the college as St. Rose Normal School as a sisters' college to prepare nuns to teach in elementary schools. College courses began in 1923.
The school developed a four-year college program, and by the 1931-1932 school became known as St. Rose Junior College. In 1937, the college was renamed Viterbo College. In 1939, the College was approved as a four-year degree-granting institution. Lay women were admitted starting in 1934. The school lost its women's college status and became coeducational when men were allowed to enter beginning in 1970.
On September 4, 2000 the college formally became a university as the school was renamed to Viterbo University.
Viterbo is best known for its nursing and theatre undergraduate programs along with its master's program in Education. The College enrolls some 1900 undergraduate and 700 graduate students in its 50 undergraduate majors, 27 minors, and 4 graduate programs.
[edit] Recent and Future Growth
Viterbo University has experienced rapid growth since its inception as a co-educational establishment in 1970. In 1971, the school's Fine Arts Center was completed. In 1987, the school's athletic center was built. In 2004, the Reinhart Center for Ethics in Leadership (the sciences building) was completed, and in 2005 the Mathy Center expansion to the 1987 athletics building was completed. The Mathy Center is a collaboration between Viterbo University and the local Boys and Girls Club of LaCrosse--the first such effort in the country. A remodel of the Todd Wehr Memorial Library within the Murphy main academic Building was completed in 2006, and the school bookstore was remodeled in the summer of 2006. Further, several new residence halls have been completed in the past decade. The Brophy Nursing Building will undergo significant renovations within two years. Potential expansions not currently planned include an expansion of the Reinhart Center, the addition of an indoor pool facility as part of the Mathy Center, and renovation of the Student Union and Student Development Center.
[edit] Notable alumni
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