From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Rockhurst University
Motto:	Sapientia Aedificavit Sibi Domum (Wisdom has built herself a home)
Established	1910
Type:	Private, Jesuit
President:	Rev. Thomas Curran, O.S.F.S.
Undergraduates:	2,500
Postgraduates:	500
Location	Kansas City, Missouri, USA
Campus:	Urban
Athletics:	11 varsity teams
Colors:	royal blue and white
Mascot:	The Hawks
Website:	www.rockhurst.edu

Rockhurst University is a private, coeducational Jesuit university located in Kansas City, Missouri, founded in 1910 as Rockhurst College. The school adheres to the motto etched into the stone of the campus bell tower: "Learning, Leadership, and Service in the Jesuit Tradition."

It is one of 28 member institutions of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities.

Rockhurst University is accredited by North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, and the Helzberg School of Management recently gained accreditation by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB).

Rockhurst was recently ranked as number 14 in the 2007 U.S. News & World Report rankings of the Best Universities - Masters Midwest category, and Rockhurst has consistently appeared in the top fifteen universities in this category. [1],[2]

One in ten Rockhurst graduates are presidents, CEOs, or owners of their own business.[3]

Contents 1 History 2 Service education 3 Campus 3.1 Housing 3.2 Around the quad 3.3 Athletic facilities 3.4 Religious worship facilities 3.5 Community Center 4 Academics 5 Campus ministry 5.1 Retreats 6 Athletics 7 Student activities 7.1 Greek life 8 Notable alumni 9 External links

In 1909, Reverend Michael Dowling, S.J., the founder of Rockhurst, 25 acres of land at 53rd Street and Troost Avenue in Kansas City, Missouri for $50,000.

Rockhurst was chartered by the state as Rockhurst College in August 1910. It included the Academy of Rockhurst College, an institution of secondary education which became Rockhurst High School in 1923, though the two remained under a single corporate umbrella until the high school moved onto its own campus in 1962.

Sedgwick Hall was constructed in 1914, allowing the opening of high school classes, and college classes began in 1917, all held within the same building. The first Rockhurst University students were all taught by the Rev. Alphonse Schwitalla, S.J. The first class graduated in 1921.

In 1939, Rockhurst was granted accreditation by the North Central Association. In 1969 all divisions of Rockhurst became coeducational.

In 1999, Rockhurst College officially changed its name to Rockhurst University.

In October of 2006, Rockhurst officially installed its fourteenth president, Rev. Thomas Curran, O.S.F.S, a Catholic priest in the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales and the school's first non-Jesuit president.

Rockhurst University adheres to a traditional Ignatian philosophy of educating students not only in academics, but in leadership and service as well. The university stresses a values and ethics based education with an emphasis on lifelong learning.

Graduates from Rockhurst University receive two transcripts: one for academics and another for community service.

Rockhurst prides itself in the fact that 96% of undergraduate students participate in community service. Before classes even begin in the fall, the freshmen class joins together with upperclassmen and university Regents for the Finucane Service Project as part of the Orientation program. Over 550 people participated in the Finucane project last fall, logging over 1,200 hours of service in a two hour period.[4]

Rockhurst sits on a 55 acre campus located in Kansas City's cultural district, a short distance from the popular shopping and dining center, Country Club Plaza.

The campus is home to three residence halls and the Townhouse Village, offering housing for interested students, as well as university-owned houses on two streets adjacent to campus. McGee Hall houses only freshmen girls, while Corcoran Hall houses mostly freshmen boys with one floor of girls. Xavier-Loyola Hall is a co-ed dorm for mostly sophomore and junior students. The Townhouse Village houses upperclassmen students in apartment-style living, with a full kitchen, dining room, living room, and either two or three bedrooms. Upperclassmen students can also apply to live in university-owned houses on residential streets adjacent to campus, giving them the opportunity to live more independently. These houses are deemed "on-campus" and hold groups of 3 to 6 residents.

The main area of campus, including all classroom buildings, surrounds the quad with the monumental Rockhurst bell tower and adjacent pergola flanking one end. The quad has been re-named the Kinerk Commons by the University, in honor of Fr. Edward Kinerk, the past President of the University, but the new name hasn't really impacted the vernacular of the students. The recently-renovated Conway Hall is home to the regionally-recognized Helzberg School of Management, the university Public Relations department and university Computer Services. Sedgwick Hall contains many of the classes and departments in the College of Arts and Sciences, as well as the Mabee Theatre, where the University's Players put on four productions each year. The Greenlease Library holds the school's extensive volume of reference books and periodicals. The Richardson Science Center, built in 1996, holds the science classrooms and labs, as well as the graduate programs in Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy. VanAckeren Hall holds the Education department, the Learning Center (open to all students for free tutoring and writing help), and Career Services, which helps students find jobs and internships across the Midwest. Massman Hall is the center of the campus, both physically and organizationally. The Admissions, Business, Student Development, and Administrative offices are all in Massman, as well as the cafeteria, the student pub, a coffee shop, Mabee Chapel, a fully equipped fitness and workout facility, and the Rock Room, which is a 24-hour recreational lounge for students.

The campus has several athletic facilities, including the soccer stadium, recently renovated with new grass-like turf, a baseball stadium, softball field, and a tennis complex. Also, the Mason-Halpin Fieldhouse holds the basketball and volleyball court, and the adjacent Convocation Center contains a multipurpose court, racquetball courts, and a workout facility.

Plans are in place for a new Health and Wellness Complex to be built connecting the Convocation Center and Fieldhouse to Massman Hall.

The Campus Ministry Center is located in a house adjacent to campus. The CMC is used by the many Campus Ministry programs for their weekly meetings and activities, including the Christian Life Communities (CLCs), student-led faith sharing and reflection groups.

Within Massman Hall is the Mabee Chapel, where daily mass is held each school day, and where student devotional prayer and praise-and-worship groups meet weekly.

Across the street from campus is St. Francis Xavier Church, a Jesuit parish church, used by the university for student masses every Sunday evening.

The Rockhurst University Community Center is located at 54th and Troost, where children's literacy programs, community programs, and the RU College Bound high school tutoring program all are held. It serves as a physical link between Rockhurst and the surrounding neighborhood.

Rockhurst University offers over fifty graduate and undergraduate programs serving over 3,000 students annually.

The university includes:

College of Arts and Sciences Helzberg School of Management

School of Graduate and Professional Studies Research College of Nursing

Certificates:

• American Humanics
• Pre-medical Post-Baccalaureate
• Writing

Bachelor Degrees:

• Bachelor of Arts
• Bachelor of Science
• Bachelor of Science in Nursing
• Bachelor of Science in Business Administration

Masters Degrees:

• Master of Education
• Master of Business Administration
• Executive Master of Business Administration
• Master of Science for Communication Sciences and Disorders
• Master of Occupational Therapy
• Master of Science in Nursing through Research College of Nursing

Doctoral Degrees:

   Doctor of Physical Therapy

Major Programs:

Accounting Biochemistry Bioinformatics Biology Business Administration Business Communication Chemistry Clinical Laboratory Sciences Communication Communication Sciences and Disorders Economics Education (elementary) Education (secondary) English Finance/Accounting Finance/Economics

French Global Studies History International Business International Journalism Management Marketing Mathematics Nonprofit Leadership Studies Nursing Organizational Communication & Leadership Philosophy Physics Political Science Pre-Dentistry

Pre-Engineering Pre-Law Pre-Medicine Pre-Occupational Therapy Pre-Optometry Pre-Osteopathic Medicine Pre-Pharmacy Pre-Physical Therapy Pre-Physician's Assistant Pre-Veterinary Medicine Psychology Spanish Speech Pathology Sports Science Theology

Minor and Certificate Programs:

American Humanics Art Catholic Studies German Journalism

Medical Sociology & Health Care Administration Music Paralegal Studies

Pre-Medical Post-Baccalaureate Theatre Arts Women's Studies Writing

Graduate Programs:

Communication Sciences and Disorders Education Occupational Therapy Physical Therapy

Business Administration Healthcare Leadership Nursing Pre-medical Post-Baccalaureate

Rockhurst University's Campus Ministry offers many opportunities for students and staff to live out the school's Catholic, Jesuit tradition.

They offer daily mass in the Mabee Chapel every weekday at Noon, as well as a student mass every Sunday night at 6:00 at St. Francis Xavier Parish. Campus Ministry also offers RCIA to any interested students.

Christian Life Communities (CLC's) are student-led faith-sharing and reflection groups that meet for an hour each week as small groups. Unity, a gay-straight alliance that meets weekly for prayer, support and service, is open to students of all faith traditions and sexual orientations. VOICES for JUSTICE is a student-led social justice group that explores the justice implications of Christianity and raises awareness of social justice issues on campus and beyond. People for People is a group of students exploring issues relating to the respect for life.

The Campus Ministry Center (CMC) is a house located just off-campus across Rockhurst Road from Conway Hall. Christian Life Communities, VOICES for JUSTICE, Unity, People for People all hold their meetings in the CMC, and Campus Ministry offers several social activities in the CMC during the school year.

Campus Ministry runs several different retreat programs during the academic year. The Frosh Getaway, offered annually on a September weekend, is an opportunity for freshmen, led by sophomore leaders, to get to know their new classmates and to adjust to college life with a fun stress-free weekend. The Retreat on the Rock is designed as a college adaptation of Kairos-style retreats, a great opportunity to grow closer to God and His love. The Fifth Week Retreat is intended as a follow-up to Kairos, Search, TEC, Retreat on the Rock, or similar style retreats, offering ample time for personal reflection and group discussion. The Busy Persons Retreat, offered annually in the spring, is an opportunity for spiritual guidance and reflection within the context and schedule demands of daily college life. The SuperNatural Christian's retreat is a six-day backpacking retreat in upper Michigan's Sylvania Wilderness Tract.

Rockhurst University is home to the Hawks, the university's athletic program. After a generation in the NAIA, Rockhurst University joined NCAA Division II in 1999, as a founder of the Heartland Conference. It is a popular joke around campus that the Rockhurst University football team has remained undefeated since 1949 (the year that the team was dissolved).

Rockhurst has eleven varsity athletic teams, including men's and women's basketball, soccer, golf, and tennis, men's baseball, women's softball, and women's volleyball. The school also offers three club sports: lacrosse, rugby, and the Spirit Squad, composed of the Dance Team and the co-ed cheerleading squad.

There is also a strong intramurals program on campus, with many students participating in a 30-event program throughout the school year, and recently an unofficial ice hockey team was started consisting of only Rockhurst students and competing in a local adult ice hockey league.

Rockhurst students participate in many diverse activities throughout the school year both on campus and within the wider community. Some general campus organizations include:

Alpha Phi Omega (APO) service fraternity American Humanics Student Association (AHSA) Art Club Biology Club Black Student Union (BSU) Cheerleading/Dance Team Chorus Delta Sigma Pi (DSP) professional business fraternity Education Club English Club (Walter J. Ong Society for Literary Study) Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) French Club International Students Club Lacrosse Club PEERS (Positively Educating Each Rockhurst Student)

People for People Players Pre-Physical Therapy/Occupational Therapy Club (Pre- PT/OT) Psychology Club RAKERS (Random Acts of Kindness Sharers) The Rock Yearbook Rockhurst Organization of Collegiate Women (ROCW) Rockhurst Republicans Running Club The Rockhurst Sentinel Newspaper Social Activities Board Society for the Advancement of Pre-Medical Studies Student Occupational Therapy Association (SOTA) Student Organization of Latinos (SOL) Student Senate VOICES for JUSTICE (VOICES)

Rockhurst has several academic honorary societies (membership by invitation only):

Alpha Psi Omega (Theatre) Alpha Sigma Nu (Jesuit) Beta Beta Beta (Biology) Phi Sigma Tau (Philosophy) Pi Delta Phi (French)

Psi Chi (Psychology) Research College of Nursing Honor Society Sigma Delta Pi Hispanic Honor Society (Hispanic) Sigma Tau Delta (English) Theta Alpha Kappa (Theology)

Rockhurst's Greek life consists of four fraternities and four sororities (totaling over 30% of the undergraduate population):

Fraternities Alpha Delta Gamma (Zeta Chapter) Pi Kappa Alpha (Kappa Epsilon Chapter) Tau Kappa Epsilon (Kappa Nu Chapter) Sigma Alpha Epsilon (Missouri Delta Chapter)

Sororities Alpha Sigma Alpha (Zeta Eta Chapter) Theta Phi Alpha Zeta Tau Alpha (Kappa Eta Chapter) Delta Xi Phi (Omicron Associate Chapter)

• Hector Barreto, B.S.B.A., the 21st Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration
• Tom Dempsey, a restaurateur, current Republican State Representative, and Majority Floor Leader of the Missouri House of Representatives
• Scott and Kathleen Hummel '86, co-founders of the non-for-profit Our Little Haven organization in St. Louis, MO, a home for children born to parents with drug addictions
• Mark Lamping, B.A., President of the St. Louis Cardinals baseball team
• Walter Ong, S.J., B.A. '33 -- world-renowned philosopher
• Bill Reardon, B.A. '63, former Kansas State Representative
• Joseph P. Teasdale, former Governor of Missouri
• Joseph J. Urusemal '76, sixth President of the Federated States of Micronesia
• George Wendt, B.A. -- actor best known for his portrayal of "Norm" on the sitcom Cheers
• Harry Wiggins, longest-serving Missouri State Senator

• University website
• Historical highlights
• Undergraduate Admissions
• GLVC Communication
• The Rockhurst Sentinel student newspaper

v • d • e Great Lakes Valley Conference
Bellarmine • Drury • Indianapolis • Kentucky Wesleyan • Lewis • Missouri–Rolla • Missouri-St. Louis • Northern Kentucky • Quincy • Rockhurst • Saint Joseph's • Southern Illinois-Edwardsville • Southern Indiana • Wisconsin–Parkside

v • d • e Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities
Boston College · Canisius · Holy Cross · Creighton · Detroit Mercy · Fairfield · Fordham · Georgetown · Gonzaga · John Carroll · Le Moyne · Loyola Chicago · Loyola Maryland · Loyola Marymount · Loyola New Orleans · Marquette · Regis · Rockhurst · Saint Joseph's · Saint Louis · Saint Peter's · San Francisco · Santa Clara · Scranton · Seattle · Spring Hill · Wheeling Jesuit · Xavier