Regis University
Encyclopedia
Regis University is a private, co-educational Roman Catholic, Jesuit university
in the United States
. Founded by the Society of Jesus
in 1877, it is one of 28 member institutions of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities
. Based in Denver, Colorado
, Regis University is divided into three colleges: Regis College, The Rueckert-Hartman College for Health Professions, and the College for Professional Studies.
. That institution was named Las Vegas College.
In 1884, the Bishop of Denver invited the Jesuits to create a college at Morrison
where Sacred Heart College was opened. In 1887, the two colleges merged and moved once again to the present location of Regis University. The name from then on was College of the Sacred Heart. In 1921 it adopted the name of Regis College in honor of Saint John Francis Regis
, a 17th century Jesuit who worked with prostitutes and the poor in the mountains of Southern France. In 1991, it was renamed Regis University and consists of three colleges: Regis College, the College for Professional Studies, and the Rueckert-Hartman College for Health Professions.
Regis University, in accordance with its Jesuit heritage, has a long tradition of charitable service, which includes the well known Father Woody Projects, which originated with the Archdiocese of Denver; including a well known Father Woody Christmas Party for the homeless.
Regis College is a small, liberal arts, undergraduate/graduate, selective school located on the Lowell Campus. Its approximately 1,600 students are high school graduates from over 40 states.
Regis University operates a radio station, KRCX Other media programs include a weekly student-run newspaper, the Highlander. The school also fields 12 varsity athletic teams the Rangers. Regis competes at the NCAA Division II level and is part of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC). Men's basketball coach, Lonnie Porter, has the record for most won games as a basketball coach in Colorado history (505).
Many students participate in service learning activities by volunteering with various organizations throughout the Denver area. According to current President Fr. Sheeran, the goal of Regis University is to educate "leaders in service to others."
Regis University played host to the rock icon, Jimi Hendrix
, as well as the British rock band Queen (band)
, that played their first concert in the United States (April 16, 1974).
Father Michael Sheeran, S.J. will step down as president effective June 1, 2012. Taking his place will be Fr. John P Fitzgibbons, S.J. Fr Fitzgibbons will be the 24th president of Regis University.
visited the Lowell campus of Regis University, where he met with President Bill Clinton
for the first time. The pope and the president landed in separate helicopters on Boettcher Commons amid tight security. Each greeted the crowd of about 150 visitors who had been chosen through a lottery system before an hour-long private meeting in the President’s Dining Room of Carroll Hall. In addition, Regis University and its alumni celebrate the following successes:
Regis University is in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference
along with Adams State, Chadron State, Colorado Christian,Colorado Mines, CSU-Pueblo, Fort Lewis, Colorado Mesa University, Metro State, New Mexico Highlands, Regis University, UC-Colorado Springs, U. of Nebraska-Kearney, Western New Mexico, Western State. The university offers women's lacrosse, men and women's soccer, baseball, softball, men and women's basketball, volleyball, men and women's cross country, and golf.
Regis academic programs have expanded, including partnerships with the University of Ireland, Galway; and with ITESO, the Jesuit University of Guadalajara, Mexico, for the first online bilingual joint MBA degree program.
In the fall of 2007, Regis completed a landmark five-year, $82.7 million capital campaign billed as "The Campaign for Regis University, Writing the Next Chapter." The school has long owned more property than was used for educational purposes at the Lowell campus. This unused property has now been incorporated into the main campus as sports fields and a new parking lot, a new chapel is complete and picturesque Main Hall has reopened its top floors for the first time in decades. The Science Building and Carroll Hall have also both been renovated.
through practices of Regis University in matters of dialogue
, discernment
, and democratic deliberation
. The Institute on the Common Good believes that because of the diversity inherent in the world, focusing on only one specific model or technique for resolving community issues will not allow those communities to build trust and strong relationships nor to develop innovative solutions to challenges faced by those communities. Rigid processes themselves can be deadly to effective dialogue and relationships. As a result, the Institute does not identify a specific set of techniques or steps for its work, but rather attempts to establish a climate or ethos within which the dialogue happens. The Institute on the Common Good’s Transformational Dialogue emerges from roots deep within Ignatius of Loyola’s (and the Jesuit’s) philosophy underlying communal discernment. We continue to build on these roots using some of the latest research in the emerging field of dialogue.
In addition, the Institute seeks to provide the student body with world-renowned speakers as a fresh avenue of education. Examples of such speakers include:
A leading example of social justice
in action, the Institute is a prime example of the Jesuit motto of “men and women for others.” Today, the Institute continues to grow and integrate dialogue, discernment and democratic deliberation into the community practice of Regis University.
University
A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Founded by the Society of Jesus
Society of Jesus
The Society of Jesus is a Catholic male religious order that follows the teachings of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits, and are also known colloquially as "God's Army" and as "The Company," these being references to founder Ignatius of Loyola's military background and a...
in 1877, it 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...
. Based in Denver, Colorado
Denver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
, Regis University is divided into three colleges: Regis College, The Rueckert-Hartman College for Health Professions, and the College for Professional Studies.
Establishment
Regis University was established by a group of exiled Italian Jesuits in 1877 in Las Vegas, New MexicoLas Vegas, New Mexico
Las Vegas is a city in San Miguel County, New Mexico, United States. Once two separate municipalities both named Las Vegas, west Las Vegas and east Las Vegas , divided by the Gallinas River, retain distinct characters and separate, rival school districts. The population was 14,565 at the 2000...
. That institution was named Las Vegas College.
In 1884, the Bishop of Denver invited the Jesuits to create a college at Morrison
Morrison, Colorado
The historic Town of Morrison is a Home Rule Municipality in Jefferson County, Colorado, United States. The population was 430 at the 2000 census...
where Sacred Heart College was opened. In 1887, the two colleges merged and moved once again to the present location of Regis University. The name from then on was College of the Sacred Heart. In 1921 it adopted the name of Regis College in honor of Saint John Francis Regis
John Francis Regis
John Francis Regis, also known as Saint Jean-François Régis, Saint François Régis, and St. Regis, , was a French priest of the Society of Jesus, recognized as a saint by the Roman Catholic Church....
, a 17th century Jesuit who worked with prostitutes and the poor in the mountains of Southern France. In 1991, it was renamed Regis University and consists of three colleges: Regis College, the College for Professional Studies, and the Rueckert-Hartman College for Health Professions.
Regis University, in accordance with its Jesuit heritage, has a long tradition of charitable service, which includes the well known Father Woody Projects, which originated with the Archdiocese of Denver; including a well known Father Woody Christmas Party for the homeless.
Regis College is a small, liberal arts, undergraduate/graduate, selective school located on the Lowell Campus. Its approximately 1,600 students are high school graduates from over 40 states.
Regis University operates a radio station, KRCX Other media programs include a weekly student-run newspaper, the Highlander. The school also fields 12 varsity athletic teams the Rangers. Regis competes at the NCAA Division II level and is part of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC). Men's basketball coach, Lonnie Porter, has the record for most won games as a basketball coach in Colorado history (505).
Many students participate in service learning activities by volunteering with various organizations throughout the Denver area. According to current President Fr. Sheeran, the goal of Regis University is to educate "leaders in service to others."
Regis University played host to the rock icon, Jimi Hendrix
Jimi Hendrix
James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix was an American guitarist and singer-songwriter...
, as well as the British rock band Queen (band)
Queen (band)
Queen are a British rock band formed in London in 1971, originally consisting of Freddie Mercury , Brian May , John Deacon , and Roger Taylor...
, that played their first concert in the United States (April 16, 1974).
Father Michael Sheeran, S.J. will step down as president effective June 1, 2012. Taking his place will be Fr. John P Fitzgibbons, S.J. Fr Fitzgibbons will be the 24th president of Regis University.
Accolades
On August 12, 1993, Pope John Paul IIPope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
visited the Lowell campus of Regis University, where he met with President Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
for the first time. The pope and the president landed in separate helicopters on Boettcher Commons amid tight security. Each greeted the crowd of about 150 visitors who had been chosen through a lottery system before an hour-long private meeting in the President’s Dining Room of Carroll Hall. In addition, Regis University and its alumni celebrate the following successes:
- Two nursing students in the Rueckert-Hartman College for Health Professions have received the Fuld Fellowship.
- In 2009 William Gohl was named the second American Rhodes Scholar in the history of Regis University.
- Two students, Hung Pham and Charity Sunshine TIllemann-DickCharity Sunshine Tillemann-DickCharity Sunshine Tillemann Dick is an American-born soprano. She has performed across the United States, Europe, and Asia. Some venues include The Kennedy Center in Washington, DC; Severance Hall in Cleveland, Ohio; Il Giardino Di Boboli in Florence, Italy; The National Symphony Hall in Budapest,...
, were selected for the USA Today College All-Academic Team. - The Henry Luce FoundationHenry LuceHenry Robinson Luce was an influential American publisher. He launched and closely supervised a stable of magazines that transformed journalism and the reading habits of upscale Americans...
has awarded Regis College the Clare Boothe LuceClare Boothe LuceClare Boothe Luce was an American playwright, editor, journalist, ambassador, socialite and U.S. Congresswoman, representing the state of Connecticut.-Early life:...
Professorship two times. - Four years in succession, Regis University professors were awarded FulbrightFulbright ProgramThe Fulbright Program, including the Fulbright-Hays Program, is a program of competitive, merit-based grants for international educational exchange for students, scholars, teachers, professionals, scientists and artists, founded by United States Senator J. William Fulbright in 1946. Under the...
professorships. - Regis University has won the National Parliamentary DebateNational Parliamentary Debate AssociationThe National Parliamentary Debate Association is one of the two national intercollegiate parliamentary debate organizations in the United States. The other is the American Parliamentary Debate Association. The NPDA is a relatively young organization, but it is now the largest college debate...
Championships twice (one of only three schools). - Basketball Coach Lonnie Porter holds the record for most victories as a college basketball coach (at any level) in Colorado history with 505 wins. Additionally, the basketball team maintains a 95 percent graduation rate among players.
- Since 2000, the Lowell campus has been designated an arboretumArboretumAn arboretum in a narrow sense is a collection of trees only. Related collections include a fruticetum , and a viticetum, a collection of vines. More commonly, today, an arboretum is a botanical garden containing living collections of woody plants intended at least partly for scientific study...
with more than 500 trees and shrubs, including three championship trees.
Regis College
Regis College houses the traditional, undergraduate (and Master's of Art in Education & Master's of Science in Biomedical Sciences) programs. These programs are designed for traditional students. Traditional students are recent high school graduates, or transfers students, with little or no professional work experience. Regis college offers a choice of majors, minors, emphases, and pre-professional tracts. Students wishing to enter the nursing, physical therapy, or pharmacy programs often enter Regis College to complete pre-requisite requirements.Rueckert-Hartman College for Health Professions
When Regis absorbed her sister school, Loretto Heights College, the Rueckert Hartman College for Health Professions was born. Regis now operates a nationally-recognized nursing program, and one of the premiere physical therapist programs. The school is divided into three schools and two departments: Loretto Heights School of Nursing, School of Pharmacy, School of Physical Therapy, Department of Health Care Ethics, and Department of Health Services Administration. The college offers three doctoral programs, Doctor of Nursing Practice (entirely on-line), Doctor of Physical Therapy, and Doctor of Pharmacy.College for Professional Studies
In 2007, the School for Professional Studies was renamed the College for Professional Studies, with the mission of providing higher education to working professionals. The College for Professional Studies serves over 13,000 adult students worldwide and offers classroom-based, online and mixed course formats. The College for Professional Studies consists of four distinct schools: the School of Management, the School of Humanities & Social Science, the School of Computer & Information Science, and the School of Education & Counseling. Each of the schools offers Bachelor's and Master's degrees as well as certificate programs.Athletics
Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference
The Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference is a college athletic conference which operates in the western United States, mostly in Colorado with some members in Nebraska and New Mexico...
along with Adams State, Chadron State, Colorado Christian,Colorado Mines, CSU-Pueblo, Fort Lewis, Colorado Mesa University, Metro State, New Mexico Highlands, Regis University, UC-Colorado Springs, U. of Nebraska-Kearney, Western New Mexico, Western State. The university offers women's lacrosse, men and women's soccer, baseball, softball, men and women's basketball, volleyball, men and women's cross country, and golf.
Leadership
Recently Ann Martin was promoted to the position of Athletic Director. Ann follows in the footsteps of Barb Schroeder, who occupied the position for nearly fifteen years before retiring at the end of the 2009-2010 academic year.Regis academic programs have expanded, including partnerships with the University of Ireland, Galway; and with ITESO, the Jesuit University of Guadalajara, Mexico, for the first online bilingual joint MBA degree program.
Recent capital improvement campaign
Notable alumni
- Campbell BrownCampbell BrownCampbell Brown is an American television news reporter and anchor. She previously hosted an eponymous primetime show on CNN and was formerly co-anchor of NBC's Weekend Today...
, Television News Host - CNN - Banny de Brum, Ambassador of the Marshall IslandsMarshall IslandsThe Republic of the Marshall Islands , , is a Micronesian nation of atolls and islands in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, just west of the International Date Line and just north of the Equator. As of July 2011 the population was 67,182...
to the United States (1996–2008, 2009–Present) - Edwin J. Feulner, President of The Heritage Foundation, a Conservative Washington D.C. Thinktank
- Arnie HerberArnie HerberArnold "Arnie" Charles Herber was a professional American football quarterback in the National Football League for the Green Bay Packers and New York Giants. He was inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1966...
, NFL Player for the Green Bay PackersGreen Bay PackersThe Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
and New York GiantsNew York GiantsThe New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
, Member of the Pro Football Hall of FamePro Football Hall of FameThe Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees...
. - Bill MurrayBill MurrayWilliam James "Bill" Murray is an American actor and comedian. He first gained national exposure on Saturday Night Live in which he earned an Emmy Award and later went on to star in a number of critically and commercially successful comedic films, including Caddyshack , Ghostbusters , and...
, Actor and Comedian, attended but did not graduate. Received an Honorary Doctor of Humanities in 2007.
Institute on the Common Good
Founded in 1997, by Father Michael J. Sheeran, S.J, the Institute on the Common GoodCommon good
The common good is a term that can refer to several different concepts. In the popular meaning, the common good describes a specific "good" that is shared and beneficial for all members of a given community...
through practices of Regis University in matters of dialogue
Dialogue
Dialogue is a literary and theatrical form consisting of a written or spoken conversational exchange between two or more people....
, discernment
Discernment
Discernment is a term used to describe the activity of determining the value and quality of a certain subject or event. Typically, it is used to describe the activity of going past the mere perception of something, to making detailed judgments about that thing...
, and democratic deliberation
Deliberation
Deliberation is a process of thoughtfully weighing options, usually prior to voting. In legal settings a jury famously uses deliberation because it is given specific options, like guilty or not guilty, along with information and arguments to evaluate. Deliberation emphasizes the use of logic and...
. The Institute on the Common Good believes that because of the diversity inherent in the world, focusing on only one specific model or technique for resolving community issues will not allow those communities to build trust and strong relationships nor to develop innovative solutions to challenges faced by those communities. Rigid processes themselves can be deadly to effective dialogue and relationships. As a result, the Institute does not identify a specific set of techniques or steps for its work, but rather attempts to establish a climate or ethos within which the dialogue happens. The Institute on the Common Good’s Transformational Dialogue emerges from roots deep within Ignatius of Loyola’s (and the Jesuit’s) philosophy underlying communal discernment. We continue to build on these roots using some of the latest research in the emerging field of dialogue.
In addition, the Institute seeks to provide the student body with world-renowned speakers as a fresh avenue of education. Examples of such speakers include:
- Nobel Peace Laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa,
- President Oscar Arias of Costa Rica,
- Robert Bellah a Professor of Sociology at the University of California-Berkley,
- Elizabeth Dole, former President of the American Red Cross and U.S. Senator,
- Sister Helen Prejean, Author of Dead Man Walking.
- Somaly Mam, Cambodian anti-trafficking proponent.
A leading example of social justice
Social justice
Social justice generally refers to the idea of creating a society or institution that is based on the principles of equality and solidarity, that understands and values human rights, and that recognizes the dignity of every human being. The term and modern concept of "social justice" was coined by...
in action, the Institute is a prime example of the Jesuit motto of “men and women for others.” Today, the Institute continues to grow and integrate dialogue, discernment and democratic deliberation into the community practice of Regis University.