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Sacred Heart University

Coordinates:41°13′17″N73°14′31″W/ 41.2214°N 73.2419°W/41.2214; -73.2419
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Sacred Heart University
Latin:Universitas Sacri Cordis
MottoInspiring Minds, Unleashing Hearts
TypePrivate university
Established1963;61 years ago(1963)
AccreditationNECHE
Religious affiliation
Catholic Church
Academic affiliations
Endowment$189.8 million (2020)[1]
PresidentJohn J. Petillo
Academic staff
802 (full-time and part-time)
Undergraduates6,524
Postgraduates4,206
Location,
United States

41°13′17″N73°14′31″W/ 41.2214°N 73.2419°W/41.2214; -73.2419
CampusSuburban, over 300 acres (120 ha)
ColorsRed and white[2]
NicknamePioneers
Sporting affiliations
Mascot"Big Red" the Pioneer
Websitewww.sacredheart.edu

Sacred Heart University(SHU) is aprivate,Roman Catholicuniversity inFairfield, Connecticut.It was founded in 1963 byWalter W. Curtis,Bishop of theDiocese of Bridgeport,Connecticut. Sacred Heart was the first Catholic university in the United States to be staffed by thelaity.[3]

Sacred Heart is the second-largest Catholic university inNew England,behindBoston College.[4][5]It offers more than 80 degree programs to over 8,500 students at the bachelor's, master's and doctoral levels.[6][7]

History[edit]

Sacred Heart University was founded in 1963 by Walter W. Curtis, Bishop of the Diocese of Bridgeport on the grounds of the formerNotre Dame Catholic High School.[3][8]The university is led and staffed by the laity independent and locally oriented.[3]The founding president wasWilliam H. Conley(1907–1974).[9]Former American ambassador and DiplomatThomas Patrick Meladyserved as president of the university from 1976 to 1986.[10]

Enrollment has risen from the original class of 173 to over 10,500 full and part-time undergraduate and graduate students,[11]and the faculty has increased from 9 to 281 full-time professors and over 520 adjunct professors since 1963.[12]

In 1990, Sacred Heart built the first dorms, and began accepting residential.[12]It now has 10 residential buildings with 50 percent of the full-time undergraduates residing in university housing.[13]

The university has 32 varsity teams that compete in Division I.[5]In 1997, The William H. Pitt Health and Recreation Center was opened.[14]

In 1981, then-United States vice presidentGeorge H. W. Bushreceived an honorary degree from Sacred Heart.[15]

In 2006,Jack Welch,former CEO of General Electric, made a financial gift to the university and a College of Business was named after him.[16]

In recent years, Sacred Heart University has purchased land in the surrounding Fairfield, Connecticut area, and has built new academic buildings, dormitories, and in January 2023 completed construction of the hockey rink.

Recent history[edit]

On September 27, 2009, Sacred Heart University opened the Chapel of the Holy Spirit.[3][17]

In 2010, Sacred Heart announced plans to open a new Health and Wellness Center.[18]The center was built on Park Avenue across from the main campus.[18]

In 2012, the university opened a new student commons building, named the Linda E. McMahon Student Commons, after McMahon donated $5 million to the university.[19]The new Commons includes dining facilities, lounge space, and a bookstore.[19]

In 2014, Sacred Heart broke ground for a new learning center, called the Student Success Center. The center provides educational support for students at the university and from the surrounding region.[20]In 2015, the university started construction of the Center for Healthcare Education.[21]

In 2015, the university opened the Frank and Marisa Martire Center for Business & Communications building, which houses the Jack Welch College of Business and the School of Communication & Media Arts.[22]The building was designedSasaki Associates,who also designed the Linda E. McMahon Student Commons.[22]

In 2016, Sacred Heart opened a new residence hall, called Bergoglio Hall, named afterPope Francis,whose birth name is Jorge Bergoglio.[23]

In October 2016, Nikki Yovino reported to the police that she was raped by two black Sacred Heart University football players at an off-campus party. Yovino has admitted, months later, that the sexual assault was a lie in an attempt to gain the attention of another man.[24]However, in 2018, she pled guilty to two counts of second-degree falsely reporting an incident and one count of interfering with police and was sentenced to one year in jail and three years of probation.[24][25]The men Yovino accused, Malik St. Hilaire and Dhameer Bradley, were forced out of Sacred Heart University after losing their scholarships amid the false accusations.[24][26]As of August 27, 2018, both men are no longer enrolled at Sacred Heart University and with no remediation for losing their scholarships.[27]

In November 2016, Sacred Heart acquired the former GE corporate headquarters located near its main campus.[28]

In April 2017, Sacred Heart andSt. Vincent's College,another Catholic college in Connecticut, agreed to merge management operations.[29]In 2018, the schools' merger was completed and St. Vincent's became known as St. Vincent's College at Sacred Heart University.[30]

In 2019, Sacred Heart was ranked on Princeton Reviews list of best schools, including tenth for "Happiest Students".[31]

Sacred Heart also announced in 2019 it would renovate and reopen the Community Theater in downtown Fairfield.[32]

In 2020, Sacred Heart announced plans to build a $60 million hockey arena.[33]

Sacred Heart took over management of the nearbyDiscovery Museum and Planetariumas of January 2021.[34]

Academics[edit]

Academic rankings
National
U.S. News & World Report[35]209

The university consists of five colleges: College of Arts & Sciences, which includes the School of Communication & Media Arts and the School of Computing;[36]Jack Welch College of Business and Technology; College of Health Professions; College of Nursing and the Isabelle Farrington College of Education.[37]Sacred Heart University isaccreditedby theNew England Commission of Higher Education.[38]

Sacred Heart University offers more than 80 bachelor's, master's, and doctoral programs.[7]Sacred Heart also offers qualified undergraduates the opportunity to complete an undergraduate degree and a graduate degree with five to six years depending on the degree program.[7]

In 2012, the university ranked as America's least affordable university in aNewsweekranking.[39]

Campus[edit]

The main campus is located in suburban Fairfield, Connecticut; 50 miles (80 km) northeast ofNew York Cityand 150 miles (240 km) southwest ofBoston.[7]The campus area first appeared as acensus-designated place(CDP) in the 2020 Census with a population of 1,446.[40]

Additional campuses[edit]

  • Center for Healthcare Education (Bridgeport, Connecticut)
  • West Campus (Fairfield, Connecticut)
  • Stamford Campus (Stamford, Connecticut)
  • Griswold Campus (Griswold, Connecticut)
  • Dingle, County Kerry Campus (Ireland)
  • WSHU Broadcast Center (Fairfield, Connecticut)

Media[edit]

Sacred Heart University owns and operates bothWSHU-FMandWSHU-AM,[41]NPR-affiliated radio stations broadcasting out of Fairfield, Connecticut.

Student life[edit]

Student body composition as of May 2, 2022
Race and ethnicity[42] Total
White 77% 77
Hispanic 12% 12
Black 4% 4
Asian 2% 2
Other[a] 2% 2
Foreign national 1% 1
Economic diversity
Low-income[b] 16% 16
Affluent[c] 84% 84

Theatre Arts Program[edit]

The Theatre Arts Program began in 2009, with the premiere of Sacred Heart University's first musical production:Rent.[43]Other productions have includedLittle Shop of Horrorsin 2011,[44]The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee in 2013,[45]Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Streetin 2015,[46]andJesus Christ Superstarin 2017.[47]

The Sacred Heart Theatre Arts program ( “TAP” ) Produces 6 full scale productions a year. Two which are performed on the Edgerton main stage, and four in the black box Little Theater.

The Theatre Arts Program has a student-produced, student-written, and student-performed festival called "Theatrefest".[43]The program also has an improv team called The Pioneer Players.[citation needed]In 2016, the program began its own Repertory Theatre Company. Students are invited into this exclusive company beginning after their first semester.[48]In 2017, Sacred Heart expanded its Theatre Arts Program by launching its National Playwriting Competition & Intern Program.[43]

Student government[edit]

The Student Government consists of student leaders from all four class years. All full-time undergraduate students have the opportunity to be elected or appointed to a position.[49][non-primary source needed]

The Spectrum[edit]

The Spectrumis a student-run newspaper printed and distributed to students each Wednesday and made available online.[50][non-primary source needed]

Community service[edit]

More than 1,200 students and members of the faculty and staff volunteer in excess of 31,000 hours each year largely within the City ofBridgeport,[51]but also regionally, nationally,[52]and internationally.[53]The work of the Office of Volunteer Programs & Service Learning is at the heart of the overall mission of the university. The programs offered allow students to engage in the local community and in communities around the world. Nearly all of the programs are organized by student leaders who grow their leadership and professional skills as they work with community partners. There are weekly volunteer opportunities to local schools, soup kitchens and food banks, and senior centers. Students interested in a long-term weekly volunteer commitment can participate in a mentoring program, where Sacred Heart University students work one-on-one with local Bridgeport students. The office also provides immersion programs and experiences.

Study abroad[edit]

Sacred Heart University has a residential study-abroad program in the Irish-speaking community ofDingle,County Kerry,Ireland.[54][55]International experiences are available to students worldwide through programs located atThe American University of Rome,in Italy, the University of Notre Dame in Fremantle, Australia, and theUniversity of Granada,in Spain, as well as programs inBermudaand the Bahamas.[56]

The university allows students to participate in CCIS programs, programs affiliated with other schools across the U.S. These programs include, but are not limited to: France, Argentina, Germany, Belgium, and Japan.

Athletics[edit]

The Pioneers compete inDivision Iof theNational Collegiate Athletic Association(NCAA) in theNortheast Conference(NEC),[5][57]Atlantic Hockey,[58]theNew England Women's Hockey Alliance(NEWHA),[59]Eastern College Athletic Conference(ECAC),[60]theMetro Atlantic Athletic Conference(MAAC),[61]Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association(EIWA),[62]and theEastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association(EIVA).[63]The NEC is the school's primary conference.[5][57]

Sacred Heart Pioneers baseballplayers before a game in 2009

Nearly 800 students participate in the university's 33 athletic teams (18 female teams and 15 male teams) along with more than 500 students who participate in 23 Club Sports. Thefootball teamplays at theFootball Championship Subdivisionlevel and claims an FCS title in 2001. Their biggest rivalry is with the oldest public university in Connecticut,Central Connecticut State University,in what has been dubbed the Constitution State Rivalry.

The men's fencing team won the Northeast Conference title five years in a row (2010–2014) and was ranked #9 in 2011.[64]

On February 21, 2013, the Sacred Heart University athletics department hired longtimeMajor League Baseballplayer and managerBobby Valentineas the athletic director.

On June 8, 2021, the Sacred Heart University athletics department named Judy Ann Riccio as its interim athletic director, replacing Bobby Valentine who took a leave of absence.

The men's ice hockey program competes in the Atlantic Hockey conference.

The women's ice hockey program had competed as in independent from 2003 to 2019 at the National Collegiate level, with "National Collegiate" being the NCAA's official designation for championship events in sports in which members of Divisions I andIIcompete for a single national title. The Pioneers participate in the NEWHA, established in 2017–18 by Sacred Heart, fellow Division I memberHoly Cross,and four Division II schools. Sacred Heart won the inaugural NEWHA tournament title in 2018. The NEWHA lost Holy Cross toHockey Eastafter that season, but returned to 6 members for 2019–20 with the arrival ofLIU,a fellow NEC member that launched a new women's program. With the NEWHA soon to have the membership total required for an automatic bid to the NCAA women's tournament, the NEWHA formally organized as a conference in 2018,[65]and received official NCAA recognition effective with LIU's arrival in 2019–20.[66]

Women's wrestling will become a varsity sport in 2021, the second for a Division I institution and first in the Northeast.

Greek life[edit]

Sacred Heart is home to a total of more than ten fraternities and sororities.

Center for Christian–Jewish Understanding[edit]

Sacred Heart has played a role in interfaith dialog and education between Christians and Jews. Interfaith centers in the U.S. began in 1953 atSeton Hall University,and have spread to 27 centers around the country,[67]: 143 including the Center for Christian–Jewish Understanding of Sacred Heart which was established in 1992 as a research and academic division of the University[67]: 149 under the direction ofAnthony J. CerneraandJoseph Ehrenkranz.[68]

By this time, Holocaust studies were well developed, and the CCJU branched out, creating forums for a national and international audience. This was also the year when the newCatechism of the Catholic Churchwas issued by Pope John Paul II, the first in four centuries, integrating the latest teachings of the Church with respect to Judaism.[67]: 149 In the late 1990s, a strategy of using symbolic gestures was developed to further CCJU's educational goals, such as the 1996 establishment of theNostra AetateAwards Program, named after the 1965Nostra aetatedeclaration ofVatican IIwhich focused on therelationship that Catholics have with Jews.The award program recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to interreligous dialog and understanding.[67]: 152 The first recipients of the award were CardinalJohn O’Connorof the Archdiocese of New York and Connecticut SenatorJoseph Lieberman.[67]: 153 

in 2000, the Pope made a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, accompanied by leaders of the CCJU. The Vatican established diplomatic relations with Israel, and a new feeling of friendship and responsibility between Christians and Jews was in the air.[67]: 153 The Center went on to organize a series of international conferences on understanding the Other, including 2006 publication of conference papers onWhat Do We Want the Other to Teach About Us?with responses from Jewish, Christian, and Muslim scholars. Other programs included Holocaust teacher education, lecture series, and other publications including the semiannualCCJU Perspectivewith national and international influence, and programs to support young religious leaders, visits to Krakow and Rome to establish a structure for interreligious dialogue that could be modeled worldwide.[67]: 156 

Notable alumni[edit]

Arts and Entertainment[edit]

Business[edit]

Government and law[edit]

Sports[edit]

Notable members of the board of trustees[edit]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^Other consists ofMultiracial Americans& those who prefer to not say.
  2. ^The percentage of students who received an income-based federalPell grantintended for low-income students.
  3. ^The percentage of students who are a part of theAmerican middle classat the bare minimum.

References[edit]

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External links[edit]