Nichols College
Encyclopedia
Nichols College is a private
, co-educational, four-year institution of higher learning that is located in Dudley, Massachusetts
.
Nichols has many diverse majors that mainly focus on business and liberal arts. The school also offers an MBA program for graduate students.
Nichols College athletics compete in the NCAA at the Division III level. Their teams are known as the Bison and Lady Bison. All of Nichols College athletic fields are located on campus in Dudley Hill.
The college was originally founded in 1815 as Nichols Academy. The founder was Amasa Nichols, a wealthy industrialist in Dudley, MA
. The school is the oldest in Worcester County, and one of the oldest in the country. Early benefactors of the academy included textile manufacturers Samuel Slater
and Hezekiah Conant. Nichols Academy closed its doors in 1909 but the closing was only temporary.
In 1958, the college became a four-year institute, and was granted authority to grant a Bachelor in Business Administration degree. 1965 saw more change, the College was accredited by the New England Association of School and Colleges. In 1971, the Massachusetts Board of Higher Education authorized the College to award Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, and Bachelor of Science in Public Administration degrees. In 1974, it was granted the authority to grant the degree of Master of Business Administration. 1980 was the last big change for a while, but was almost an important aspect to the current university. Nichols established the Institute for American Values (renamed the Robert C. Fischer Policy and Cultural Institute http://www.nichols.edu/currentstudents/fischerinstitute/ in 1999, and unrelated to the New York-based Institute for American Values
founded in 1987) as a division of the College, providing a forum for the free exchange of ideas.
In the early 1990s, Davis Hall was built as a new classroom building that featured "smart classrooms." Shamie Hall was built in the mid-1990s as a residence hall that features dorm rooms with private bathrooms. Of the original buildings two remain, Conant Hall which was constructed in 1835 and the Currier Center from 1893. These two buildings help keep the heritage of the original Nichols Academy to its current day campus. In 2005, the MBA program was one of the largest in Central Massachusetts, having awarded 1380 MBA degrees.
Between 1997 and 2007, the college expanded its academic offerings and building expansion. During that time frame, new specializations for students included Sports Management, Criminal Justice Management, and an Educator Preparation program (grades 5-12). The graduate division also expanded its offerings to include two new MBA concentrations; one in Sports Management and one in Security Management. The college also began offering a Masters in Organizational Leadership. A new athletic sports complex was built, as well as the football field being redeveloped as Vendetti Field. Two new residence halls which offer, Kuppenheimer Hall and Remillard Hall, expanded living quarters for a growing enrollment.
The Nichols north campus consists equally of residence halls and academic halls. Also located in the north campus is the oldest building at the Dudley campus. The oldest Building is Conant Hall which was built during the original Nichols Academy. This building is often considered the focal point to the history of the college, that dates back to 1815. Lastly, the Academy Hall is located on the north campus, which is the social and focal centerpoint for Nichols College.
The athletic complex is the focal point of the south campus. The Athletic Complex includes Vendetti Field, which is the multipurpose field turf field, that is used mainly for football. It is also used for men's and women's lacrosse. The complex also includes the Baseball, Softball Tennis and Soccer complexes. Besides the athletic field it also has the Athletic Center for indoor events and the Chambers field house for athletic training. The southern campus unlike the north campus is not known as the focal point for current students, but instead is often a gathering for local residents of Dudley, Students and Alumni who attend many of the sporting events.
campus is the newest of the schools campuses. The campus is in downtown Worcester. This location allows the school to be part of the Worcester Consortium, which is a coalition of colleges in the Worcester area to work together for better resources, and it has helped grow the schools name. Having an ideal name in the Worcester area allows for better advertising and diversifying of Nichols.
The campus is shared with Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences
. The Building is located on Foster Street near the Worcester Train Station. This location is mostly used by graduate students at Nichols. The campus is in an ideal and central location for night students. Also, being located in Worcester allows many of the graduate students to apply their footprint directly in the area and have a working/learning relationship. The campus is also in an ideal location for traditional students, because the Worcester campus is only fifteen minutes north of the main Dudley campus.
, Boston College
, Dartmouth College
, and many other recognized universities. Nichols has sponsored many athletics and since 1930 they have sponsored the following: football, tennis, cross country, baseball, ice hockey, and soccer. These sports were and are still the cornerstone of Nichols athletics.
In 1971, the school introduced women's athletics; softball, basketball, and field hockey were the early additions while soccer and tennis were added later. In 1999 Nichols added women's lacrosse and in 2008 they added women's ice hockey. This brings the total athletic teams to 15. With the sponsor of eight men's athletics and seven women's athletics.
The Athletic Department at Nichols College has a strong history of championship teams, especially in recent years with Nichols women's sports programs. The Bison football teams of the 1970s came away with 5 NEFC Championships and the baseball and soccer teams were also strong. The women's basketball team dominated within the state during the 1980s. Men's tennis, women's soccer, field hockey and softball have continued the winning tradition with conference and tournament championships in the 1990s. Since the modern era of college athletics with NCAA classifications Nichols College has been had a strong presence in New England Division III athletics. The school has had national recognition with many sports. The most prominent teams are women's basketball, football, and men's ice hockey. The most popular was women's ice hockey which was ranked ninth in the country.
, basketball, football
, golf
, ice hockey, lacrosse
, soccer and tennis
. They also offer seven women's intercollegiate sports: basketball, field hockey
, lacrosse
, soccer
, softball
and tennis
. The school varsity teams compete at the National Collegiate Athletic Association
Division III level. Nichols is a member of the Commonwealth Coast Conference
for most sports. The football team is a member of the New England Football Conference
while the men's ice hockey team compete in the ECAC Northeast
and women's hockey in the ECAC East
. The school also sponsors a variety of club sports.
Private university
Private universities are universities not operated by governments, although many receive public subsidies, especially in the form of tax breaks and public student loans and grants. Depending on their location, private universities may be subject to government regulation. Private universities are...
, co-educational, four-year institution of higher learning that is located in Dudley, Massachusetts
Dudley, Massachusetts
Dudley is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 11,390 at the 2010 census.-History:Dudley was first settled in 1714 and was officially incorporated in 1732...
.
Nichols has many diverse majors that mainly focus on business and liberal arts. The school also offers an MBA program for graduate students.
Nichols College athletics compete in the NCAA at the Division III level. Their teams are known as the Bison and Lady Bison. All of Nichols College athletic fields are located on campus in Dudley Hill.
Founding
Dudley, Massachusetts
Dudley is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 11,390 at the 2010 census.-History:Dudley was first settled in 1714 and was officially incorporated in 1732...
. The school is the oldest in Worcester County, and one of the oldest in the country. Early benefactors of the academy included textile manufacturers Samuel Slater
Samuel Slater
Samuel Slater was an early English-American industrialist known as the "Father of the American Industrial Revolution", or the "Father of the American Factory System" because he brought British textile technology to America. He learned textile machinery as an apprentice to a pioneer in the British...
and Hezekiah Conant. Nichols Academy closed its doors in 1909 but the closing was only temporary.
Conrad's reign
In 1931, James L. Conrad founded Nichols Junior College at the closed Nichols Academy location. The college was a men-only college, and was the first junior college in Massachusetts to be granted the authority to grant an associates degree in Business Administration. With the exception of a few years being closed during World War II, when President Conrad was called to serve, the junior college would expand and grow through 1958. The expansion started in 1948 and it lasted until the school began to award Bachelor's degrees. The School during this ten year span purchased, constructed, and remodeled over forty-four buildings to shape most of the current campus that is seen today.In 1958, the college became a four-year institute, and was granted authority to grant a Bachelor in Business Administration degree. 1965 saw more change, the College was accredited by the New England Association of School and Colleges. In 1971, the Massachusetts Board of Higher Education authorized the College to award Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, and Bachelor of Science in Public Administration degrees. In 1974, it was granted the authority to grant the degree of Master of Business Administration. 1980 was the last big change for a while, but was almost an important aspect to the current university. Nichols established the Institute for American Values (renamed the Robert C. Fischer Policy and Cultural Institute http://www.nichols.edu/currentstudents/fischerinstitute/ in 1999, and unrelated to the New York-based Institute for American Values
Institute for American Values
The Institute for American Values is a neo-liberal and socially conservative organization in the United States.-Overview:Its president is David Blankenhorn. It has influenced both liberal and conservative politicians. It has been critical of divorce and out-of-wedlock childbirth. It supports...
founded in 1987) as a division of the College, providing a forum for the free exchange of ideas.
Today
Between 1997 and 2007, the college expanded its academic offerings and building expansion. During that time frame, new specializations for students included Sports Management, Criminal Justice Management, and an Educator Preparation program (grades 5-12). The graduate division also expanded its offerings to include two new MBA concentrations; one in Sports Management and one in Security Management. The college also began offering a Masters in Organizational Leadership. A new athletic sports complex was built, as well as the football field being redeveloped as Vendetti Field. Two new residence halls which offer, Kuppenheimer Hall and Remillard Hall, expanded living quarters for a growing enrollment.
History of presidents
Gerald Fels has been appointed interim president until a successor to Dr. Debra M. Townsley can be found. The president is the chief executive officer of the college and is responsible for the success of the college's mission in providing superior academic programs and research.| President | Tenure |
|---|---|
| Amasa Nichols | 1815– |
| Col. James L. Conrad | 1931–1966 |
| Dr. Gordon B. Cross | 1966–1973 |
| Dr. Darcy Coyle | 1973–1978 |
| Dr. Lowell C. Smith | 1978–1996 |
| Dr. James J. Darazsdi | 1996–1998 |
| Dr. Debra M. Townsley | 1998–2010 |
| Gerald Fels (interim) | 2010–present |
Academics
Nichols College is a combination of three colleges. They are the College of Business, College of Liberal Arts, and the College of Education. The College has students take both liberal arts and business classes, with the intent being that graduates will be well versed in both the business and cultural aspects of life.North Campus
The Nichols College campus is down a main road of Dudley Hill. The north and south campuses are divided by the Conrad Hall, which is the second oldest building at the Dudley campus. The north campus is consisted of ten out of the twenty-two campus buildings. the northern most part of the campus is the Winston Residence Hall. The southern most part of the campus is Conrad Hall. The western most part of the north campus is the Nichols Library.The Nichols north campus consists equally of residence halls and academic halls. Also located in the north campus is the oldest building at the Dudley campus. The oldest Building is Conant Hall which was built during the original Nichols Academy. This building is often considered the focal point to the history of the college, that dates back to 1815. Lastly, the Academy Hall is located on the north campus, which is the social and focal centerpoint for Nichols College.
South Campus
The Nichols College campus is down a main road of Dudley Hill. The north and south campuses are divided by the Conrad Hall, which is the second oldest building at the Dudley campus. The south campus is consisted of twelve out of the twenty-two campus buildings. the northern most part of the campus is Academy Hall. The southern most part of the campus is Kuppenheimer Residence Hall. The eastern most part of the south campus is the athletic complex.The athletic complex is the focal point of the south campus. The Athletic Complex includes Vendetti Field, which is the multipurpose field turf field, that is used mainly for football. It is also used for men's and women's lacrosse. The complex also includes the Baseball, Softball Tennis and Soccer complexes. Besides the athletic field it also has the Athletic Center for indoor events and the Chambers field house for athletic training. The southern campus unlike the north campus is not known as the focal point for current students, but instead is often a gathering for local residents of Dudley, Students and Alumni who attend many of the sporting events.
Worcester Campus
The WorcesterWorcester, Massachusetts
Worcester is a city and the county seat of Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. Named after Worcester, England, as of the 2010 Census the city's population is 181,045, making it the second largest city in New England after Boston....
campus is the newest of the schools campuses. The campus is in downtown Worcester. This location allows the school to be part of the Worcester Consortium, which is a coalition of colleges in the Worcester area to work together for better resources, and it has helped grow the schools name. Having an ideal name in the Worcester area allows for better advertising and diversifying of Nichols.
The campus is shared with Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences
Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences
The Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences is an accredited, private institution located in the Longwood Medical and Academic Area of Boston, Massachusetts...
. The Building is located on Foster Street near the Worcester Train Station. This location is mostly used by graduate students at Nichols. The campus is in an ideal and central location for night students. Also, being located in Worcester allows many of the graduate students to apply their footprint directly in the area and have a working/learning relationship. The campus is also in an ideal location for traditional students, because the Worcester campus is only fifteen minutes north of the main Dudley campus.
History
During the 1930s Nichols College had a resurgence in college athletics. It became one of the premiere college athletic institutions in New England. The teams annually competed with other small private colleges such as Holy CrossCollege of the Holy Cross
The College of the Holy Cross is an undergraduate Roman Catholic liberal arts college located in Worcester, Massachusetts, USA...
, Boston College
Boston College
Boston College is a private Jesuit research university located in the village of Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, USA. The main campus is bisected by the border between the cities of Boston and Newton. It has 9,200 full-time undergraduates and 4,000 graduate students. Its name reflects its early...
, Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College is a private, Ivy League university in Hanover, New Hampshire, United States. The institution comprises a liberal arts college, Dartmouth Medical School, Thayer School of Engineering, and the Tuck School of Business, as well as 19 graduate programs in the arts and sciences...
, and many other recognized universities. Nichols has sponsored many athletics and since 1930 they have sponsored the following: football, tennis, cross country, baseball, ice hockey, and soccer. These sports were and are still the cornerstone of Nichols athletics.
In 1971, the school introduced women's athletics; softball, basketball, and field hockey were the early additions while soccer and tennis were added later. In 1999 Nichols added women's lacrosse and in 2008 they added women's ice hockey. This brings the total athletic teams to 15. With the sponsor of eight men's athletics and seven women's athletics.
The Athletic Department at Nichols College has a strong history of championship teams, especially in recent years with Nichols women's sports programs. The Bison football teams of the 1970s came away with 5 NEFC Championships and the baseball and soccer teams were also strong. The women's basketball team dominated within the state during the 1980s. Men's tennis, women's soccer, field hockey and softball have continued the winning tradition with conference and tournament championships in the 1990s. Since the modern era of college athletics with NCAA classifications Nichols College has been had a strong presence in New England Division III athletics. The school has had national recognition with many sports. The most prominent teams are women's basketball, football, and men's ice hockey. The most popular was women's ice hockey which was ranked ninth in the country.
Current state of the athletics
Nichols College athletics teams are known as the Bison. Currently, the Nichols College Department of Athletics offers eight men's intercollegiate sports: baseballCollege baseball
College baseball is baseball that is played on the intercollegiate level at institutions of higher education. Compared to football and basketball, college competition in the United States plays a less significant contribution to cultivating professional players, as the minor leagues primarily...
, basketball, football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
, golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
, ice hockey, lacrosse
College lacrosse
College lacrosse refers to lacrosse played by student athletes at colleges and universities in the United States and Canada. In both countries, men's field lacrosse and women's lacrosse are played in both the varsity and club levels...
, soccer and tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
. They also offer seven women's intercollegiate sports: basketball, field hockey
Field hockey
Field Hockey, or Hockey, is a team sport in which a team of players attempts to score goals by hitting, pushing or flicking a ball into an opposing team's goal using sticks...
, lacrosse
College lacrosse
College lacrosse refers to lacrosse played by student athletes at colleges and universities in the United States and Canada. In both countries, men's field lacrosse and women's lacrosse are played in both the varsity and club levels...
, soccer
College soccer
College soccer is a term used to describe association football played by teams who are operated by colleges and universities as opposed to a professional league operated for exclusively financial purposes...
, softball
College softball
College softball is softball as played on the intercollegiate level at institutions of higher education, predominantly in the United States. College softball is normally played by women at the intercollegiate level, whereas college baseball is normally played by men.As with other intercollegiate...
and tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
. The school varsity teams compete at the National Collegiate Athletic Association
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
Division III level. Nichols is a member of the Commonwealth Coast Conference
Commonwealth Coast Conference
The Commonwealth Coast Conference is an intercollegiate athletic conference affiliated with the NCAA’s Division III. Member institutions are located in New England in the States of Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island....
for most sports. The football team is a member of the New England Football Conference
New England Football Conference
The New England Football Conference is an athletic conference which competes in football in the NCAA's Division III. Member teams are located in New England...
while the men's ice hockey team compete in the ECAC Northeast
ECAC Northeast
ECAC Northeast is a college athletic conference which operates in the northeastern United States. It participates in the NCAA's Division III as a hockey-only conference.There is no women's ECAC Northeast division...
and women's hockey in the ECAC East
ECAC East
ECAC East is a college athletic conference which operates in the northeastern United States. It participates in the NCAA's Division III as a hockey-only conference.-Members:...
. The school also sponsors a variety of club sports.
Male
- Hal Chalmers Memorial Award for Dedication and Sportsmanship
- Gary McNulty Memorial Award for Outstanding Male Freshman Athlete
- Dan Cardin Memorial Award for Integrity and Leadership
- Major Charles M. Hopkins Award for Study, Sports, and Spirit
- William Horigan-Bud Sessions Award for Outstanding Male Sophomore Athlete
- Outstanding Male Junior Athlete Award
- Jim Miller Award for Outstanding Senior Athlete
Female
- Outstanding Female Freshman Athlete Award
- Nancy Rossini Memorial Award for Outstanding Female Sophomore Athlete
- Outstanding Female Junior Athlete Award
- Outstanding Female Senior Athlete Award