Seattle University
Encyclopedia
Seattle University is a Jesuit Catholic university located in the First Hill neighborhood of Seattle, Washington, USA.
SU is the largest independent university in the Northwest US, with over 7,500 students enrolled in undergraduate and graduate programs within eight schools, and is one of 28 member institutions of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities
. U.S. News & World Report
, in its "Best Colleges 2011," ranked Seattle University 6th out of schools in the West that offer a full range of master's and undergraduate programs.
, and it granted its first bachelor's degrees 11 years later. Initially, the school served as both a high school and college. From 1919 to 1931, the college moved to Interlaken Blvd, but in 1931 it returned to First Hill permanently. In 1931, Seattle College created a "night school" for women in order to allow them to attend; becoming coeducational was a highly controversial decision at the time.
In 1948, Seattle College changed its name to Seattle University under Father Albert A. Lemieux, S.J. In 1993, the Seattle University School of Law was established through purchase of the Law School from the University of Puget Sound
in Tacoma, Washington
. In 1999 the School of Law moved to the Seattle campus.
In 2009, SU completed the largest capital campaign in the university's history, raising almost $169 million and surpassing the original campaign goal by almost $20 million. The campaign has resulted in new scholarships for students, academic programs and professorships, a fitness complex, an arts center and more. The centerpiece of the capital projects is the $56 million Lemieux Library and McGoldrick Learning Commons, completed in fall 2010.
The Seattle University campus is 50 acres (202,343 m²) and is located on First Hill, near downtown Seattle, Wash. The SU campus has been recognized by the city of Seattle, the EPA and many organizations for its commitment to sustainability through pesticide-free grounds, a food waste compost facility, recycling program and energy conservation program.
The most well-known building on campus is the Chapel of St. Ignatius, designed by New York
architect Steven Holl
, born in Bremerton, Washington
: the 1997 building won a national Honor Award from the American Institute of Architects
in 1998.
The campus includes numerous works by well-known artists (including the Centennial Fountain by Seattle artist George Tsutakawa
—recipient of an honorary doctorate from Seattle U.—and a large glass sculpture in the PACCAR Atrium of Piggot Hall by Tacoma, Washington
artist Dale Chihuly
, as well as works by Chuck Close
, Jacob Lawrence
, Gwendolyn Knight
, William Morris (glass artist)
and David Mach
) and several architecturally notable buildings.
Almost half of the overall student body represent diverse groups, in 2009–10 the makeup of the university was:
49% Caucasian
19% Asian/Pacific Islander
7% Latino/Hispanic
5% African American
1% Native American
9.7% International Students
and the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities
.
, the College of Nursing, the College of Science and Engineering, and the School of Theology and Ministry. A Seattle University education is estimated to cost $150,000, although much of this is covered by financial aid.
Service-learning and social justice are components of the educational experience at Seattle University, which strives to "empower leaders for a just and humane world." Each year students, faculty and staff commit hundreds of hours to service projects and community outreach through the Center for Service and Community Engagement.
2010 rankings of undergraduate Business Schools. Albers' faculty received an “A” rating from students and recruiters ranked Albers as the top school in the nation. The school ranked seventh in the West and was the only private university in the Northwest appearing in the Top 50. The 2009 U.S. News & World Report
ranking of undergraduate business programs puts Albers in the top 30% of AACSB accredited schools and one of the top 20 private business schools in the U.S. Albers's part-time MBA program has been recognized as one of the top 50 in the nation, according to the latest issue of U.S. News & World Report
s “America's Best Graduate Schools 2009.” The Executive Leadership Program was ranked by CRO Corporate Responsibility Officer magazine among the top 10 executive training programs in corporate responsibility. In addition, the Albers EDGE program (Education for Global Executives) was honored in 2008 as the only academic institution to receive the President's "E" Award, which recognizes persons, firms, or organizations that contribute significantly in the effort to increase United States exports.
Seattle University's Albers School of Business and Economics, started in 1945, was named after the Albers family. George and Eva Albers were generous donors to the university and in 1971 Eva bequeathed $3 million to the school. Their daughter, Genevieve Albers, attended SU and also sponsored a business forum, established an eponymous professorship, and donated funds to create scholarships. In 1967, the business school added an MBA program, which by 2010 has grown to be a highly ranked, nationally accredited evening program for working professionals in the Pacific Northwest. BusinessWeek ranked Albers's Part-time MBA Program #25 in the nation and the undergraduate program in the top 50 in 2010. Both the Leadership Executive MBA Program and the part-time MBA Program are recognized among the Top 25 in their categories by "U.S. News & World Report's 2010 America's Best Graduate Schools." US News also ranks the Albers School among the top 10% of undergraduate business schools nationwide. The Albers School is accredited with the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business AACSB.
Seattle, Washington is the oldest undergraduate and graduate college affiliated with Seattle University, the Northwest's largest independent university. The College offers 33 undergraduate majors, 33 undergraduate minors, 7 graduate degrees, and 1 post-graduate certificate. In the College of Arts and Sciences, Seattle University's graduate program in psychology is notable as one of the few schools in the country to focus on existential phenomenology
as a therapeutic method.
. The program allows high school students from Seattle Preparatory School and other area high schools to graduate with a bachelor's degree in humanities
or teaching after as little as one year in high school and three years in college.
. It is also one of three law schools in Washington state, the other two being the University of Washington School of Law
and Gonzaga University School of Law
. The School of Law was founded in 1972 as part of the University of Puget Sound
(UPS) in Tacoma, Wash. In 1993, the University of Puget Sound and Seattle University agreed on a transfer of the law school to Seattle University; in August 1994 the transfer was completed, and the school physically moved to the Seattle University campus in 1999. The 2009 US News and World Report Law School rankings list the School of Law in the top 100 Law Schools in the nation, and the number one legal writing program in the nation.
The BSN program attracts students who begin as Freshmen as well as transfer students from community colleges and those with degrees from other universities. The MSN program welcomes registered nurses with Bachelor's degrees. The Advanced Practice Nursing Immersion program (MSN) offers an accelerated program for those with a Bachelors degree in another field.
Specialties available in the MSN program are Family Nurse Practitioner, Psych-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, Geriatric Nurse Practitioner and Advanced Community/Public Health Nursing.
The College of Education is accredited by the National Council of Accreditation of Teacher Education and the National Association of School Psychologists and approved by the National Association of School Psychologists.
The College of Science and Engineering is ranked among the top 50 in the nation as one of U.S. News & World Report's Best Undergraduate Engineering Programs (2008 edition). The college is ranked second in the nation in terms of the percentage of women faculty members, according to Prism, a publication of the American Society for Engineering Education.
The number of service learning courses at SU has nearly doubled since 2004. One-third of service-learning students continue their community work even after their class has ended and they've earned a grade. Many students continue serving after graduation through an SU program called Magis:Alumni Committed for Mission. In the past two years, nearly 100 alumni have participated in Magis efforts such as the Alumni Mexico Mission Trek and the annual Serve Seattle project. And in each of the past three years, at least a dozen graduates have gone into full-time service with the Jesuit Volunteer Corps, the Peace Corps and Teach for America.
Because SU is part of Seattle's urban hub, students have easy access to a number of areas that offer a wide variety of service learning opportunities, including the Central District, the International District and Pioneer Square.
The economic impact of SU in the Seattle area in 2008 was $580.4 million. This figure is drawn from the total spending by the university, its students and visitors.
SU received the Sustainability Innovator Award in 2007 from the Sustainable Endowments Institute for SU's pre-consumer food waste composting program and the Green Washington Award in 2008 from Washington CEO Magazine for SU's sustainable landscape practices and pre-consumer food waste composting program. The Princeton Review's 2009 Green Rating gave the school a 97 out of a possible 99.
SU's move to a pesticide-free campus began in the early 1980s when Ciscoe Morris, now a local gardening celebrity, was head of the SU Grounds Department in the 1980s. He put a halt to chemical spraying and in its place released more than 20,000 beneficial insects called lacewings to eat the aphids that had infested trees on campus. It worked and that led to a whole host of pesticide-free gardening practices. Cisco began a transformation that has made the university a model for ecological gardening.
Academic Excellence: We value excellence in learning with great teachers who are active scholars.
Diversity: We celebrate educational excellence achieved through diversity.
Faith: We treasure our Jesuit Catholic ethos and the enrichment from many faiths of our university community.
Justice: We foster concern for justice and the competence to promote it.
Leaderships: We seek to develop responsible leaders committed to the common good.
. In 1958, future NBA Hall of Famer Elgin Baylor
paced a men's basketball team that advanced to the Final Four
and defeated top-ranked Kansas State University
before losing to the University of Kentucky
. Seattle University was also a leader in the area of racial diversity, with an integrated squad known as “the United Nations team.”
The success of men's basketball, in addition to men's golf and baseball, continued into to the 1960s with players Eddie Miles
, Clint Richardson
, and Tom Workman, all of whom went on to successful careers in the NBA. The 1966 basketball squad led Texas Western University to its only defeat in a championship season celebrated in the film Glory Road
. In the course of the 1960s, Seattle University produced more NBA players than any other school.
During that time women's tennis star Janet Hopps was the first female to be the top-ranked player for both the men and women nationally. In women's golf, Pat Lesser was twice named to the Curtis Cup in the mid-1950s and was later inducted into the State of Washington Sports Hall of Fame.
Before 1980, more than 25 SU baseball players went on to play professionally in both the major and minor leagues. Men's golf and a Tom Gorman
-led tennis team were also very strong national programs. Gorman went on to lead the US Davis Cup team, where he captained a record 18 match wins and one Davis Cup title (1972) as a player and two more Davis Cup championships as a coach (1990 and 1992).
SU joined the West Coast Conference
in 1971. In 1980, SU left the West Coast Conference and Division I membership and entered the NAIA, where it remained for nearly 20 years. In the late 1990s, President Fr. Sundborg started restoring the university's NCAA membership. The athletic program moved into Division II in the fall of 2002.
Currently, the school is reclassifying from Division II to Division I. This integration process will take five years and should be complete in 2012–2013. In 2009, the university hired men's basketball coaches Cameron Dollar
, former assistant at University of Washington, and women's coach Joan Bonvicini
, former University of Arizona coach and one of the winningest women's college basketball coaches.
In 1938 the mascot switched from the Maroons to the Chieftains. The name was selected to honor the college's namesake, Chief Sealth. In 2000 the university changed its mascot to the Redhawks.
On June 14, 2011, Seattle U accepted an invitation to join the Western Athletic Conference
and will be a full member for the 2012–2013 season.
SU is the largest independent university in the Northwest US, with over 7,500 students enrolled in undergraduate and graduate programs within eight schools, and is one of 28 member institutions of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities
Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities
The Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities is a consortium of the 28 Jesuit colleges and universities and two theological centers in the United States committed to advancing academic excellence by promoting and coordinating collaborative activities, sharing resources, and advocating and...
. U.S. News & World Report
U.S. News & World Report
U.S. News & World Report is an American news magazine published from Washington, D.C. Along with Time and Newsweek it was for many years a leading news weekly, focusing more than its counterparts on political, economic, health and education stories...
, in its "Best Colleges 2011," ranked Seattle University 6th out of schools in the West that offer a full range of master's and undergraduate programs.
History
In 1891, Fathers Victor Garrand, S.J., and Adrian Sweere, S.J., took over a small parish near downtown Seattle at Broadway and Madison. At first, the school was named after the surrounding Immaculate Conception parish and did not offer higher education. In 1898, the school was named Seattle College after both the city and Chief SeattleChief Seattle
Chief Seattle , was a Dkhw’Duw’Absh chief, also known as Sealth, Seathle, Seathl, or See-ahth. A prominent figure among his people, he pursued a path of accommodation to white settlers, forming a personal relationship with David Swinson "Doc" Maynard. Seattle, Washington was named after him...
, and it granted its first bachelor's degrees 11 years later. Initially, the school served as both a high school and college. From 1919 to 1931, the college moved to Interlaken Blvd, but in 1931 it returned to First Hill permanently. In 1931, Seattle College created a "night school" for women in order to allow them to attend; becoming coeducational was a highly controversial decision at the time.
In 1948, Seattle College changed its name to Seattle University under Father Albert A. Lemieux, S.J. In 1993, the Seattle University School of Law was established through purchase of the Law School from the University of Puget Sound
University of Puget Sound
The University of Puget Sound is a private liberal arts college located in the North End of Tacoma, Washington, in the United States...
in Tacoma, Washington
Tacoma, Washington
Tacoma is a mid-sized urban port city and the county seat of Pierce County, Washington, United States. The city is on Washington's Puget Sound, southwest of Seattle, northeast of the state capital, Olympia, and northwest of Mount Rainier National Park. The population was 198,397, according to...
. In 1999 the School of Law moved to the Seattle campus.
In 2009, SU completed the largest capital campaign in the university's history, raising almost $169 million and surpassing the original campaign goal by almost $20 million. The campaign has resulted in new scholarships for students, academic programs and professorships, a fitness complex, an arts center and more. The centerpiece of the capital projects is the $56 million Lemieux Library and McGoldrick Learning Commons, completed in fall 2010.
Campus
The most well-known building on campus is the Chapel of St. Ignatius, designed by New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
architect Steven Holl
Steven Holl
Steven Holl is an American architect and watercolorist, perhaps best known for the 1998 Kiasma Contemporary Art Museum in Helsinki, Finland, the 2003 Simmons Hall at MIT in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the celebrated 2007 Bloch Building addition to the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City,...
, born in Bremerton, Washington
Bremerton, Washington
Bremerton is a city in Kitsap County, Washington, United States. The population was 38,790 at the 2011 State Estimate, making it the largest city on the Olympic Peninsula. Bremerton is home to Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and the Bremerton Annex of Naval Base Kitsap...
: the 1997 building won a national Honor Award from the American Institute of Architects
American Institute of Architects
The American Institute of Architects is a professional organization for architects in the United States. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the AIA offers education, government advocacy, community redevelopment, and public outreach to support the architecture profession and improve its public image...
in 1998.
The campus includes numerous works by well-known artists (including the Centennial Fountain by Seattle artist George Tsutakawa
George Tsutakawa
George Tsutakawa , sculptor and painter, was born in Seattle, Washington. Tsutakawa spent much of his childhood in Okayama, Japan. He returned to Seattle at the age of 16, where he attended Broadway High School before earning a BFA at the University of Washington. One of his early mentors was...
—recipient of an honorary doctorate from Seattle U.—and a large glass sculpture in the PACCAR Atrium of Piggot Hall by Tacoma, Washington
Tacoma, Washington
Tacoma is a mid-sized urban port city and the county seat of Pierce County, Washington, United States. The city is on Washington's Puget Sound, southwest of Seattle, northeast of the state capital, Olympia, and northwest of Mount Rainier National Park. The population was 198,397, according to...
artist Dale Chihuly
Dale Chihuly
Dale Chihuly is an American glass sculptor and entrepreneur.-Biography:Chihuly graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School in Tacoma, Washington. He enrolled at the College of the Puget Sound in 1959...
, as well as works by Chuck Close
Chuck Close
Charles Thomas "Chuck" Close is an American painter and photographer who achieved fame as a photorealist, through his massive-scale portraits...
, Jacob Lawrence
Jacob Lawrence
Jacob Lawrence was an American painter; he was married to fellow artist Gwendolyn Knight. Lawrence referred to his style as "dynamic cubism", though by his own account the primary influence was not so much French art as the shapes and colors of Harlem.Lawrence is among the best-known twentieth...
, Gwendolyn Knight
Gwendolyn Knight
Gwendolyn Clarine Knight was an African American artist from Barbados, in the West Indies.Gwendolyn Knight painted throughout her life, but did not start seriously exhibiting her work until the 1970s. Her first retrospective when she was nearly eighty years old...
, William Morris (glass artist)
William Morris (glass artist)
William Morris is an American glass artist. He was born in Carmel, California, USA. He was educated at California State University, Chico, California and Central Washington University, Ellensburg, Washington...
and David Mach
David Mach
David Mach is a Scottish sculptor and installation artist.Mach's artistic style is based on flowing assemblages of mass-produced found art objects. Typically these include magazines,vicious teddy bears,newspapers, car tyres, match sticks and coat hangers...
) and several architecturally notable buildings.
Almost half of the overall student body represent diverse groups, in 2009–10 the makeup of the university was:
49% Caucasian
19% Asian/Pacific Islander
7% Latino/Hispanic
5% African American
1% Native American
9.7% International Students
Lemieux Library
The Lemieux Library was founded in 1991. As of 2011 it contained 216,677 books and subscribed to 1604 periodicals. It participates in the American Theological Library AssociationAmerican Theological Library Association
The American Theological Library Association is a professional organization of religious and theological libraries in the United States with more nearly 1,000 members...
and the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities
Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities
The Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities is a consortium of the 28 Jesuit colleges and universities and two theological centers in the United States committed to advancing academic excellence by promoting and coordinating collaborative activities, sharing resources, and advocating and...
.
Academics
Seattle University offers 61 bachelor's degree programs, 31 graduate degree programs and 27 certificate programs, plus a law school and a doctoral program in education. The university consists of eight colleges: the College of Arts and Sciences, the Albers School of Business and Economics, the College of Education, the School of Law, Matteo Ricci CollegeMatteo Ricci College
Matteo Ricci College, one of six schools and colleges at Seattle University in Washington state, offers two degrees: the Bachelor of Arts in Humanities for Teaching and the Bachelor of Arts in Humanities . The BAHT, a 4-year pre-education degree, is open to students from anywhere in the world...
, the College of Nursing, the College of Science and Engineering, and the School of Theology and Ministry. A Seattle University education is estimated to cost $150,000, although much of this is covered by financial aid.
Service-learning and social justice are components of the educational experience at Seattle University, which strives to "empower leaders for a just and humane world." Each year students, faculty and staff commit hundreds of hours to service projects and community outreach through the Center for Service and Community Engagement.
Albers School of Business and Economics
Albers School of Business and Economics was ranked 46th in the U.S. and among the Top 25 private universities in the BusinessWeekBusinessWeek
Bloomberg Businessweek, commonly and formerly known as BusinessWeek, is a weekly business magazine published by Bloomberg L.P. It is currently headquartered in New York City.- History :...
2010 rankings of undergraduate Business Schools. Albers' faculty received an “A” rating from students and recruiters ranked Albers as the top school in the nation. The school ranked seventh in the West and was the only private university in the Northwest appearing in the Top 50. The 2009 U.S. News & World Report
U.S. News & World Report
U.S. News & World Report is an American news magazine published from Washington, D.C. Along with Time and Newsweek it was for many years a leading news weekly, focusing more than its counterparts on political, economic, health and education stories...
ranking of undergraduate business programs puts Albers in the top 30% of AACSB accredited schools and one of the top 20 private business schools in the U.S. Albers's part-time MBA program has been recognized as one of the top 50 in the nation, according to the latest issue of U.S. News & World Report
U.S. News & World Report
U.S. News & World Report is an American news magazine published from Washington, D.C. Along with Time and Newsweek it was for many years a leading news weekly, focusing more than its counterparts on political, economic, health and education stories...
s “America's Best Graduate Schools 2009.” The Executive Leadership Program was ranked by CRO Corporate Responsibility Officer magazine among the top 10 executive training programs in corporate responsibility. In addition, the Albers EDGE program (Education for Global Executives) was honored in 2008 as the only academic institution to receive the President's "E" Award, which recognizes persons, firms, or organizations that contribute significantly in the effort to increase United States exports.
Seattle University's Albers School of Business and Economics, started in 1945, was named after the Albers family. George and Eva Albers were generous donors to the university and in 1971 Eva bequeathed $3 million to the school. Their daughter, Genevieve Albers, attended SU and also sponsored a business forum, established an eponymous professorship, and donated funds to create scholarships. In 1967, the business school added an MBA program, which by 2010 has grown to be a highly ranked, nationally accredited evening program for working professionals in the Pacific Northwest. BusinessWeek ranked Albers's Part-time MBA Program #25 in the nation and the undergraduate program in the top 50 in 2010. Both the Leadership Executive MBA Program and the part-time MBA Program are recognized among the Top 25 in their categories by "U.S. News & World Report's 2010 America's Best Graduate Schools." US News also ranks the Albers School among the top 10% of undergraduate business schools nationwide. The Albers School is accredited with the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business AACSB.
College of Arts and Sciences
The Seattle University College of Arts and Sciences inSeattle University College of Arts and Sciences
Seattle University College of Arts and Sciences in Seattle, Washington is the oldest undergraduate and graduate college affiliated with Seattle University, the Northwest's largest independent university...
Seattle, Washington is the oldest undergraduate and graduate college affiliated with Seattle University, the Northwest's largest independent university. The College offers 33 undergraduate majors, 33 undergraduate minors, 7 graduate degrees, and 1 post-graduate certificate. In the College of Arts and Sciences, Seattle University's graduate program in psychology is notable as one of the few schools in the country to focus on existential phenomenology
Existential phenomenology
Existential phenomenology is a philosophical current inspired by Martin Heidegger's 1927 work Sein und Zeit and influenced by the existential work of Søren Kierkegaard and the phenomenological work of Edmund Husserl....
as a therapeutic method.
Matteo Ricci College
The Matteo Ricci College was founded in 1973 and named after Italian Jesuit missionary, Matteo RicciMatteo Ricci
Matteo Ricci, SJ was an Italian Jesuit priest, and one of the founding figures of the Jesuit China Mission, as it existed in the 17th-18th centuries. His current title is Servant of God....
. The program allows high school students from Seattle Preparatory School and other area high schools to graduate with a bachelor's degree in humanities
Humanities
The humanities are academic disciplines that study the human condition, using methods that are primarily analytical, critical, or speculative, as distinguished from the mainly empirical approaches of the natural sciences....
or teaching after as little as one year in high school and three years in college.
School of Law
The Seattle University School of Law states that it is the largest and most diverse in the Pacific NorthwestPacific Northwest
The Pacific Northwest is a region in northwestern North America, bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains on the east. Definitions of the region vary and there is no commonly agreed upon boundary, even among Pacific Northwesterners. A common concept of the...
. It is also one of three law schools in Washington state, the other two being the University of Washington School of Law
University of Washington School of Law
The University of Washington School of Law is the law school of the University of Washington, located on the northwest corner of the main campus in Seattle, Washington.The most recent 2012 U.S...
and Gonzaga University School of Law
Gonzaga University School of Law
The Gonzaga University School of Law is one of the professional graduate schools of Gonzaga University, located in Spokane, Washington, USA. Established in 1912, the law school is viewed as a strong institution in the Pacific Northwest, and is the only law school in the State of Washington...
. The School of Law was founded in 1972 as part of the University of Puget Sound
University of Puget Sound
The University of Puget Sound is a private liberal arts college located in the North End of Tacoma, Washington, in the United States...
(UPS) in Tacoma, Wash. In 1993, the University of Puget Sound and Seattle University agreed on a transfer of the law school to Seattle University; in August 1994 the transfer was completed, and the school physically moved to the Seattle University campus in 1999. The 2009 US News and World Report Law School rankings list the School of Law in the top 100 Law Schools in the nation, and the number one legal writing program in the nation.
College of Nursing
Seattle University's College of Nursing celebrated its 75th anniversary in 2010. It is housed in the completely renovated Garrand building, the site of the original Seattle College and the oldest building on campus. The 19000 square feet (1,765.2 m²) "state of the art" Clinical Performance Lab is located in the James Tower of Swedish Cherry Hill, a few blocks away from the main campus. Undergraduate and Graduate students use this lab to practice skills necessary for clinical nursing.The BSN program attracts students who begin as Freshmen as well as transfer students from community colleges and those with degrees from other universities. The MSN program welcomes registered nurses with Bachelor's degrees. The Advanced Practice Nursing Immersion program (MSN) offers an accelerated program for those with a Bachelors degree in another field.
Specialties available in the MSN program are Family Nurse Practitioner, Psych-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, Geriatric Nurse Practitioner and Advanced Community/Public Health Nursing.
College of Education
Founded in 1935, the College of Education has a long and distinguished history of preparing ethical and reflective professionals. Programs offered include a Doctorate in Educational Leadership, Masters in Adult Education and Training, Counseling, Curriculum and Instruction, Educational Administration, Literacy for Special Needs, Master in Teaching, Master in Teaching with Special Education Endorsement, Special Education, Student Development Administration, and Teaching English to Students of Other Languages. Educational specialist degree programs include Educational Administration – Principal Preparation, School Psychology, and Special Education and Certificate programs offered include Superintendent, Principal, and Professional Development.The College of Education is accredited by the National Council of Accreditation of Teacher Education and the National Association of School Psychologists and approved by the National Association of School Psychologists.
College of Science & Engineering
The College of Science and Engineering focuses on basic sciences, mathematics and their applications. Students can major in basic science disciplines, computer science or one of the engineering departments – civil and environmental engineering, mechanical engineering, or computer and electrical engineering. Students may also obtain an interdisciplinary general science degree, or prepare for graduate work in the health professions.The College of Science and Engineering is ranked among the top 50 in the nation as one of U.S. News & World Report's Best Undergraduate Engineering Programs (2008 edition). The college is ranked second in the nation in terms of the percentage of women faculty members, according to Prism, a publication of the American Society for Engineering Education.
School of Theology & Ministry
The School of Theology and Ministry is an ecumenical program with relationships with 10 Protestant denominations and the Catholic Archdiocese of Seattle. It is committed to social justice and addressing the needs of an increasingly multicultural church. The school offers a number of master's degrees and certificates, including a Master of Divinity.Community Investment
Investing and partnering with Seattle and the SU neighborhood are part of the Jesuit Catholic mission of education for service and social justice. More than 3,000 students—three out of every four—take part in at least one for-credit “service learning” class by the time that they graduate; nearly 45 percent participate in a service-learning class in any given year. This translates to 185,000 hours, the equivalent of more than 80 full-time workers or $6 million. By comparison, on a national level only about one-third of college students volunteer, according to the Corporation for National & Community Service.The number of service learning courses at SU has nearly doubled since 2004. One-third of service-learning students continue their community work even after their class has ended and they've earned a grade. Many students continue serving after graduation through an SU program called Magis:Alumni Committed for Mission. In the past two years, nearly 100 alumni have participated in Magis efforts such as the Alumni Mexico Mission Trek and the annual Serve Seattle project. And in each of the past three years, at least a dozen graduates have gone into full-time service with the Jesuit Volunteer Corps, the Peace Corps and Teach for America.
Because SU is part of Seattle's urban hub, students have easy access to a number of areas that offer a wide variety of service learning opportunities, including the Central District, the International District and Pioneer Square.
The economic impact of SU in the Seattle area in 2008 was $580.4 million. This figure is drawn from the total spending by the university, its students and visitors.
Environmental Sustainability
Among Seattle University's many environmental undertakings, there are projects ranging from composting initiatives to water conservation. There are also solar panels on buildings, and a central recycling yard with an extensive recycling program. The university has been composting since 1995, and in 2003 it built the first composting facility in the state on an urban campus. The University's Grounds Department is committed to fostering an organic, sustainable and environmentally friendly campus that functions as an urban wildlife sanctuary.SU received the Sustainability Innovator Award in 2007 from the Sustainable Endowments Institute for SU's pre-consumer food waste composting program and the Green Washington Award in 2008 from Washington CEO Magazine for SU's sustainable landscape practices and pre-consumer food waste composting program. The Princeton Review's 2009 Green Rating gave the school a 97 out of a possible 99.
SU's move to a pesticide-free campus began in the early 1980s when Ciscoe Morris, now a local gardening celebrity, was head of the SU Grounds Department in the 1980s. He put a halt to chemical spraying and in its place released more than 20,000 beneficial insects called lacewings to eat the aphids that had infested trees on campus. It worked and that led to a whole host of pesticide-free gardening practices. Cisco began a transformation that has made the university a model for ecological gardening.
Mission statement
Seattle University is dedicated to educating the whole person, to professional formation, and empowering leaders for a just and humane world.Vision
The vision of Seattle University is to be the premier independent university of the Northwest in academic quality, Jesuit Catholic inspiration, and service to society.Values
Care: We put the good of students first.Academic Excellence: We value excellence in learning with great teachers who are active scholars.
Diversity: We celebrate educational excellence achieved through diversity.
Faith: We treasure our Jesuit Catholic ethos and the enrichment from many faiths of our university community.
Justice: We foster concern for justice and the competence to promote it.
Leaderships: We seek to develop responsible leaders committed to the common good.
Athletics
Between 1950 and 1971, Seattle University competed as a Division I independent school. In the 1950s, the basketball team was a powerhouse with brothers Johnny and Eddie O'Brien, who led Seattle University as the only team in history to defeat the world famous Harlem GlobetrottersHarlem Globetrotters
The Harlem Globetrotters are an exhibition basketball team that combines athleticism, theater and comedy. The executive offices for the team are currently in downtown Phoenix, Arizona; the team is owned by Shamrock Holdings, which oversees the various investments of the Roy E. Disney family.Over...
. In 1958, future NBA Hall of Famer Elgin Baylor
Elgin Baylor
Elgin Gay Baylor is a retired Hall of Fame American basketball player and former NBA general manager who played 13 seasons as a forward for the NBA's Minneapolis Lakers/Los Angeles Lakers....
paced a men's basketball team that advanced to the Final Four
Final four
Final Four isa sports term that is commonly applied to the last four teams remaining in a playoff tournament, most notably NCAA Division I college basketball tournaments. The term usually refers to the four teams who compete in the two games of a single-elimination tournament's semi-final round...
and defeated top-ranked Kansas State University
Kansas State Wildcats men's basketball
The Kansas State Wildcats men's basketball team represents Kansas State University in college basketball competition. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I, and is a member of the Big 12 Conference. The current head coach is Frank Martin....
before losing to the University of Kentucky
Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball
The Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball team, representing the University of Kentucky, is the winningest in the history of college basketball, both in all-time wins and all-time winning percentage. Kentucky's all-time record currently stands at 2058–647...
. Seattle University was also a leader in the area of racial diversity, with an integrated squad known as “the United Nations team.”
The success of men's basketball, in addition to men's golf and baseball, continued into to the 1960s with players Eddie Miles
Eddie Miles
Edward Miles, Jr. is a retired American basketball player.A 6'4" guard from Scipio A. Jones High School in Arkansas, Miles was nicknamed "The Man with the Golden Arm" because of his shooting prowess...
, Clint Richardson
Clint Richardson
Clint Richardson Jr. is a former professional basketball player who was selected by the Philadelphia 76ers in the 2nd round of the 1979 NBA Draft...
, and Tom Workman, all of whom went on to successful careers in the NBA. The 1966 basketball squad led Texas Western University to its only defeat in a championship season celebrated in the film Glory Road
Glory Road
Glory Road is a fantasy novel by Robert A. Heinlein, originally serialized in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction and published in hardcover later the same year...
. In the course of the 1960s, Seattle University produced more NBA players than any other school.
During that time women's tennis star Janet Hopps was the first female to be the top-ranked player for both the men and women nationally. In women's golf, Pat Lesser was twice named to the Curtis Cup in the mid-1950s and was later inducted into the State of Washington Sports Hall of Fame.
Before 1980, more than 25 SU baseball players went on to play professionally in both the major and minor leagues. Men's golf and a Tom Gorman
Tom Gorman (tennis)
Tom Gorman is an American tennis player. He attended Seattle Preparatory School and was the Washington State high school tennis champion three years in a row. Gorman attended and graduated from Seattle University and was a two time All-American. He played in professional tour events in the 1960s,...
-led tennis team were also very strong national programs. Gorman went on to lead the US Davis Cup team, where he captained a record 18 match wins and one Davis Cup title (1972) as a player and two more Davis Cup championships as a coach (1990 and 1992).
SU joined the West Coast Conference
West Coast Conference
The West Coast Conference is an NCAA collegiate athletics conference consisting of nine member schools across the states of California, Oregon, Utah and Washington....
in 1971. In 1980, SU left the West Coast Conference and Division I membership and entered the NAIA, where it remained for nearly 20 years. In the late 1990s, President Fr. Sundborg started restoring the university's NCAA membership. The athletic program moved into Division II in the fall of 2002.
Currently, the school is reclassifying from Division II to Division I. This integration process will take five years and should be complete in 2012–2013. In 2009, the university hired men's basketball coaches Cameron Dollar
Cameron Dollar
Cameron Dollar is a former college basketball player and the current head coach for the Seattle University men's basketball team. Dollar was previously an assistant coach under Lorenzo Romar at the University of Washington. Dollar attended University of California, Los Angeles and was a member of...
, former assistant at University of Washington, and women's coach Joan Bonvicini
Joan Bonvicini
Joan Bonvicini is the current head coach for the Seattle University women's basketball team, the Redhawks, and one of only 18 coaches in Division I women's basketball history with 600 career victories. She was head coach at the University of Arizona for 17 seasons, leading the Wildcats to the...
, former University of Arizona coach and one of the winningest women's college basketball coaches.
In 1938 the mascot switched from the Maroons to the Chieftains. The name was selected to honor the college's namesake, Chief Sealth. In 2000 the university changed its mascot to the Redhawks.
On June 14, 2011, Seattle U accepted an invitation to join the Western Athletic Conference
Western Athletic Conference
The Western Athletic Conference is an American collegiate athletic conference, which was formed on July 27, 1962, making it the sixth oldest of the 11 college athletic conferences currently participating in the NCAA's Division I FBS...
and will be a full member for the 2012–2013 season.