Gwynedd-Mercy College
Encyclopedia
Gwynedd-Mercy College is an independent, co-educational institution located in Gwynedd Valley of Lower Gwynedd Township, PA, 25 miles (40.2 km) northwest of downtown Philadelphia
. Founded in 1948 by the Sisters of Mercy
as a junior college, Gwynedd-Mercy College was rechartered in 1963 as baccalaureate
institution. As of 2009 there is a student enrollment of 2700.
Gwynedd-Mercy is a member of SEPCHE, the Southeastern Pennsylvania Consortium of Higher Education, an association of eight higher-level educational institutions that "work together to promote quality and efficiency of academic programming, student access, faculty development, institutional operations and community outreach, through sharing a range of activities, services, technology and information."1 Other affiliated institutions include Arcadia University
, Cabrini College
, Chestnut Hill College
, Holy Family University
, Immaculata University
, Neumann College
and Rosemont College
.
's "America’s Best Colleges" publication, Gwynedd-Mercy ranked 75 among the top master’s-level colleges and universities in the north region, with a 76% graduation rate.
Espousing the ideals of a liberal education
, the College offers baccalaureate and associate degrees in more than 50 programs. Gwynedd-Mercy is fully accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools
.
The Academic Resource Center - equipped with state-of-the-art computers, tutorial software and a video library - offers professional tutoring in writing
, and math and workshops for test-taking, skill-development and resume
writing.
The Lincoln Library in Assumption Hall contains a large adjunct collection of books on Abraham Lincoln
and the American Civil War
.
Theaters include the Julia Ball Auditorium, a small-in-the-round theater.
Keiss Hall, 46000 square feet (4,273.5 m²) health and science center, is home to the Frances M. Maguire School of Nursing, the School of Allied Health Professions, natural science, and math and computational science.
Four residential-halls, Alexandria (built in January 2006), Siena, St. Brigid and Loyola, provide on-campus housing to students.
Gwynedd-Mercy is a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association
and Colonial States Athletic Conference
(CSAC) with 19 sports teams that compete at NCAA Division III level.
In the Spring of 2009 Gwynedd-Mercy College opened its doors to a new turf athletic multi-purpose stadium
and the addition of Men's Lacrosse to their athletic department. The Griffins most successful athletic program is Women's Basketball, which captured the CSAC championships in 2000, 2001, 2003, 2006 and 2007. Men's Basketball captured the title in 1999, 2004 and 2005. The Gwynedd-Mercy Women's Soccer team won their only title in 2001. The Griffin Baseball team has had back-to-back championship seasons in 2000 and 2001, then again in 2007 and 2008. The Griffins have most recently captured league championships in both Men's Cross Country and Women's Tennis in 2008. The Women's Tennis team has gone on to win league championships in 2009 and 2010.
The 160 acre (0.6474976 km²) campus has outdoor tennis courts, outdoor basketball courts, and playing fields for softball
, lacrosse
, baseball
, soccer and field hockey
. The Griffin Complex, the college's multi-million dollar sports facility, contains a full-size collegiate basketball court
; an indoor track
; an aerobics
room; racquetball
, volleyball
and wallyball
courts; a weight room; and saunas.
Enriching the campus and the region, the Voices of Gwynedd provide on-campus concerts and events throughout the year, currently attracting its largest audiences ever. In addition, the ensemble has represented the College at a number of high profile regional events. Their most recent regional events include performances at Longwood Gardens and the Philadelphia Phillies games, and in August 2008 the Eagles! In addition, for the past four years the Voices have been joining hundreds of Breast Cancer Survivors in their search for a cure by performing at the opening ceremonies at the Race for the Cure on the steps of the Art Museum in Philadelphia. Other notable performances include performing with Barry Manilow on The Ultimate Manilow Concert Tour, JoDee Messina on her Christmas Tour, Broadway singer Linda Eder on her Holiday Tour, and as the featured choir with Judy Collins on her Christmas Tour in 2002.
The group has expanded its repertoire with concert tours in England, Italy, Canada, Alaska, Nashville, San Diego, Washington D.C., Virginia, the American Southwest and performances for Spanish Missions, U.S. Naval Bases and most recently Ireland where we sang at the Mercy International Centre in Dublin, home of the Sisters of Mercy. The Voices of Gwynedd were also selected to perform at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida where ensemble members worked one-on-one with the Disney's professional singers, providing music enhancement and motivation. The group was invited to New York City to perform at the Lincoln Center for Performing Arts"Music Makers" program in March 1998. In spring 2003 the Voices of Gwynedd sang at Carnegie Hall performing the Mozart Requiem.
To help commemorate Gwynedd-Mercy College's 60th Anniversary, the ensemble accompanied the Ireland Heritage Tour, performing for a variety of concert venues throughout Ireland. The Voices traveled to San Diego, CA in the spring 1999 and performed at Spanish Missions, the U.S. Naval Base, and Walt Disneyland in Los Angeles. During recent summers, the choir successfully completed international concert tours to England, Italy and Ireland.
The Voices were honored in 1999 when they were asked to sing at the world premiere grand finale of Leslie Burr's opera Vanqui, at Opera Columbus in Columbus, Ohio. Subsequently the Voices have participated in additional presentations of Vanqui at the National Opera Association convention in Philadelphia in 2002 and at the Schomburg Center for Research and Black Culture in New York City in 2004. The Voices again served as the Opera Chorus for Opera North's production of Vanqui in May 2005 at the Prince Theater in Philadelphia. This past spring the Voices collaborated with Mr. Burrs in a production of Vanqui in affiliation with the Philadelphia Opera Company, and the premiere of Egypt’s Nights, in affiliation with Opera North.
majors currently enrolled at the college
. Fulfilling its mission to raise a child’s awareness of his/her surrounding natural environment, the Hobbit House opens all field trips and special occasions to Gwynedd-Mercy students and parents who wish to attend.
, Gwynedd-Mercy offers eligible, Diocensan-city-schooled participants a five-week, summer residential stay on-campus. Program offerings include academic instruction in mathematics
, science
and English
; tutorial and counseling services; PSAT/SAT
workshops; financial aid information; visits to colleges; and cultural and social activities.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
. Founded in 1948 by the Sisters of Mercy
Sisters of Mercy
The Religious Order of the Sisters of Mercy is an order of Catholic women founded by Catherine McAuley in Dublin, Ireland, in 1831. , the order has about 10,000 members worldwide, organized into a number of independent congregations....
as a junior college, Gwynedd-Mercy College was rechartered in 1963 as baccalaureate
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
institution. As of 2009 there is a student enrollment of 2700.
Gwynedd-Mercy is a member of SEPCHE, the Southeastern Pennsylvania Consortium of Higher Education, an association of eight higher-level educational institutions that "work together to promote quality and efficiency of academic programming, student access, faculty development, institutional operations and community outreach, through sharing a range of activities, services, technology and information."1 Other affiliated institutions include Arcadia University
Arcadia University
Arcadia University is a private university located in Glenside, Pennsylvania, on the outskirts of Philadelphia. A master's university by Carnegie Classification, the university has a co-educational student population of more than 4,000. The university was ranked 25th in the master's universities in...
, Cabrini College
Cabrini College
Cabrini College is a coeducational Roman Catholic residential college in the Philadelphia metropolitan area of Radnor Township, Pennsylvania, founded by the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in 1957. It was one of the first colleges in the United States to make community service a...
, Chestnut Hill College
Chestnut Hill College
Chestnut Hill College is a coeducational Roman Catholic college in the Chestnut Hill section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. It was founded in 1924 as a women's college by the Sisters of St. Joseph. It was originally called Mount Saint Joseph College and assumed its current name in 1938. In...
, Holy Family University
Holy Family University
- History :Holy Family University is a liberal arts university that offers graduate, undergraduate, and non-degree programs. The university strives and believes that it has a lifelong responsibility towards God, Society and Self. The mission statement of Holy Family Includes six core values that...
, Immaculata University
Immaculata University
Immaculata University is a Catholic University on King Road in East Whiteland Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania.-History:Immaculata was founded as Villa Maria College, a women's college in 1920. It was the first Catholic college for women in the Philadelphia area...
, Neumann College
Neumann College
Neumann University is a private Roman Catholic, coeducational college in the Franciscan tradition located in Aston, Pennsylvania, USA. Neumann was ranked in both the Best Regional Universities and Best Nursing Programs at the graduate level categories by US News & World Report for 2011...
and Rosemont College
Rosemont College
Rosemont College is a coeducational college located in Rosemont in Lower Merion Township, Pennsylvania. It was originally founded as a women's college. A Catholic college, it is operated by the Society of the Holy Child Jesus...
.
Academics
In the 2008 issue of U.S. News & World ReportU.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 Colleges" publication, Gwynedd-Mercy ranked 75 among the top master’s-level colleges and universities in the north region, with a 76% graduation rate.
Espousing the ideals of a liberal education
Liberal education
A Liberal education is a system or course of education suitable for the cultivation of a free human being. It is based on the medieval concept of the liberal arts or, more commonly now, the liberalism of the Age of Enlightenment...
, the College offers baccalaureate and associate degrees in more than 50 programs. Gwynedd-Mercy is fully accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools
Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools
The Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools is a voluntary, peer-based, non-profit association dedicated to educational excellence and improvement through peer evaluation and accreditation...
.
Center for Lifelong Learning
Designed to meet the needs of busy working adults, the Center for Lifelong Learning offers four accelerated programs based on the value-centered principles traditional to the college. Degrees include: Associate of Science Degree in Business Administration, Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration, Bachelor of Health Science Degree in Health Care Leadership and Supervision, Bachelor of Science in Nursing (Requires RN License). A Masters of Science in Management is also offered.Facilities
Lourdes Library houses nearly 100,000 volumes and 10,000 media titles and receives over 700 current periodical subscriptions in print and microfilm. Several hundred additional periodical titles are available full text online. The library is open seven days (including four evenings) a week during the fall and spring semesters, with a reduced schedule during the summer and inter-sessions. A currently validated student ID is required for students to borrow materials.The Academic Resource Center - equipped with state-of-the-art computers, tutorial software and a video library - offers professional tutoring in writing
Writing
Writing is the representation of language in a textual medium through the use of a set of signs or symbols . It is distinguished from illustration, such as cave drawing and painting, and non-symbolic preservation of language via non-textual media, such as magnetic tape audio.Writing most likely...
, and math and workshops for test-taking, skill-development and resume
Résumé
A résumé is a document used by individuals to present their background and skillsets. Résumés can be used for a variety of reasons but most often to secure new employment. A typical résumé contains a summary of relevant job experience and education...
writing.
The Lincoln Library in Assumption Hall contains a large adjunct collection of books on Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
and the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
.
Theaters include the Julia Ball Auditorium, a small-in-the-round theater.
Keiss Hall, 46000 square feet (4,273.5 m²) health and science center, is home to the Frances M. Maguire School of Nursing, the School of Allied Health Professions, natural science, and math and computational science.
Four residential-halls, Alexandria (built in January 2006), Siena, St. Brigid and Loyola, provide on-campus housing to students.
Athletics
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...
and Colonial States Athletic Conference
Colonial States Athletic Conference
The Colonial States Athletic Conference is an NCAA Division III collegiate athletic conference in the Mid-Atlantic United States. There are currently twelve full member institutions as of 2008. The conference's membership, as with most Middle Atlantic conferences, has been shaken up as a result...
(CSAC) with 19 sports teams that compete at NCAA Division III level.
In the Spring of 2009 Gwynedd-Mercy College opened its doors to a new turf athletic multi-purpose stadium
Multi-purpose stadium
Multi-purpose stadiums are a type of stadium designed in such a way as to be easily used by multiple sports. While any stadium could potentially host more than one sport, this concept usually refers to a specific design philosophy that stresses multi-functionality over specificity...
and the addition of Men's Lacrosse to their athletic department. The Griffins most successful athletic program is Women's Basketball, which captured the CSAC championships in 2000, 2001, 2003, 2006 and 2007. Men's Basketball captured the title in 1999, 2004 and 2005. The Gwynedd-Mercy Women's Soccer team won their only title in 2001. The Griffin Baseball team has had back-to-back championship seasons in 2000 and 2001, then again in 2007 and 2008. The Griffins have most recently captured league championships in both Men's Cross Country and Women's Tennis in 2008. The Women's Tennis team has gone on to win league championships in 2009 and 2010.
The 160 acre (0.6474976 km²) campus has outdoor tennis courts, outdoor basketball courts, and playing fields for softball
Softball
Softball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of 10 to 14 players. It is a direct descendant of baseball although there are some key differences: softballs are larger than baseballs, and the pitches are thrown underhand rather than overhand...
, lacrosse
Lacrosse
Lacrosse is a team sport of Native American origin played using a small rubber ball and a long-handled stick called a crosse or lacrosse stick, mainly played in the United States and Canada. It is a contact sport which requires padding. The head of the lacrosse stick is strung with loose mesh...
, baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
, soccer and 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...
. The Griffin Complex, the college's multi-million dollar sports facility, contains a full-size collegiate basketball court
Basketball court
In basketball, the basketball court is the playing surface, consisting of a rectangular floor with tiles at either end. In professional or organized basketball, especially when played indoors, it is usually made out of a wood, often maple, and highly polished...
; an indoor track
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
; an aerobics
Aerobics
Aerobics is a form of physical exercise that combines rhythmic aerobic exercise with stretching and strength training routines with the goal of improving all elements of fitness...
room; racquetball
Racquetball
For other sports often called "paddleball", see Paddleball .Racquetball is a racquet sport played with a hollow rubber ball in an indoor or outdoor court...
, volleyball
Volleyball
Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
and wallyball
Wallyball
Wallyball is a fast-paced sport that was created by Bill Dejonghe at The Calabasas Racquetball Club , in 1979 . The idea was an attempt to help bring more business into the club in the summer months The club pro Joe Garcia then took the idea mainstream. However, the sport roots go back to as early...
courts; a weight room; and saunas.
The Voices of Gwynedd
The Voices of Gwynedd is a 100-member choir composed of full- and part-time students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends of Gwynedd-Mercy College. Directed by Carol Evans, a seasoned soprano and assistant professor of music in the College's School of Arts and Sciences, the choir has developed into a highly professional choral ensemble presenting quality programs representing many different genres. Performances by the choir and its musical collaborators are establishing the college as a strong cultural presence in Southeastern Pennsylvania and the entire Tri-state area.Enriching the campus and the region, the Voices of Gwynedd provide on-campus concerts and events throughout the year, currently attracting its largest audiences ever. In addition, the ensemble has represented the College at a number of high profile regional events. Their most recent regional events include performances at Longwood Gardens and the Philadelphia Phillies games, and in August 2008 the Eagles! In addition, for the past four years the Voices have been joining hundreds of Breast Cancer Survivors in their search for a cure by performing at the opening ceremonies at the Race for the Cure on the steps of the Art Museum in Philadelphia. Other notable performances include performing with Barry Manilow on The Ultimate Manilow Concert Tour, JoDee Messina on her Christmas Tour, Broadway singer Linda Eder on her Holiday Tour, and as the featured choir with Judy Collins on her Christmas Tour in 2002.
The group has expanded its repertoire with concert tours in England, Italy, Canada, Alaska, Nashville, San Diego, Washington D.C., Virginia, the American Southwest and performances for Spanish Missions, U.S. Naval Bases and most recently Ireland where we sang at the Mercy International Centre in Dublin, home of the Sisters of Mercy. The Voices of Gwynedd were also selected to perform at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida where ensemble members worked one-on-one with the Disney's professional singers, providing music enhancement and motivation. The group was invited to New York City to perform at the Lincoln Center for Performing Arts"Music Makers" program in March 1998. In spring 2003 the Voices of Gwynedd sang at Carnegie Hall performing the Mozart Requiem.
To help commemorate Gwynedd-Mercy College's 60th Anniversary, the ensemble accompanied the Ireland Heritage Tour, performing for a variety of concert venues throughout Ireland. The Voices traveled to San Diego, CA in the spring 1999 and performed at Spanish Missions, the U.S. Naval Base, and Walt Disneyland in Los Angeles. During recent summers, the choir successfully completed international concert tours to England, Italy and Ireland.
The Voices were honored in 1999 when they were asked to sing at the world premiere grand finale of Leslie Burr's opera Vanqui, at Opera Columbus in Columbus, Ohio. Subsequently the Voices have participated in additional presentations of Vanqui at the National Opera Association convention in Philadelphia in 2002 and at the Schomburg Center for Research and Black Culture in New York City in 2004. The Voices again served as the Opera Chorus for Opera North's production of Vanqui in May 2005 at the Prince Theater in Philadelphia. This past spring the Voices collaborated with Mr. Burrs in a production of Vanqui in affiliation with the Philadelphia Opera Company, and the premiere of Egypt’s Nights, in affiliation with Opera North.
Valie Genuardi Hobbit House
Located in the college's Trocaire building, the Hobbit House preschool extends hands-on experience to early childhood development and nursingNursing
Nursing is a healthcare profession focused on the care of individuals, families, and communities so they may attain, maintain, or recover optimal health and quality of life from conception to death....
majors currently enrolled at the college
College
A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...
. Fulfilling its mission to raise a child’s awareness of his/her surrounding natural environment, the Hobbit House opens all field trips and special occasions to Gwynedd-Mercy students and parents who wish to attend.
Upward Bound
A comprehensive, pre-college preparatory program designed to aid high school students interested in higher educationHigher education
Higher, post-secondary, tertiary, or third level education refers to the stage of learning that occurs at universities, academies, colleges, seminaries, and institutes of technology...
, Gwynedd-Mercy offers eligible, Diocensan-city-schooled participants a five-week, summer residential stay on-campus. Program offerings include academic instruction in mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
, science
Science
Science is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe...
and English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
; tutorial and counseling services; PSAT/SAT
SAT
The SAT Reasoning Test is a standardized test for college admissions in the United States. The SAT is owned, published, and developed by the College Board, a nonprofit organization in the United States. It was formerly developed, published, and scored by the Educational Testing Service which still...
workshops; financial aid information; visits to colleges; and cultural and social activities.