Seton Hill University
Encyclopedia
Seton Hill University is a small Catholic
liberal arts
university
of about 2100 students in Greensburg
, Pennsylvania
, near Pittsburgh
. Formerly a women's college
, it became a coeducational university in 2002.
Seton Hill University received public attention in 2010 after announcing a technology plan that includes providing an iPad
to all full-time students, as well a 13" MacBook
to all incoming freshmen, and providing juniors with a 15" model they can take with them when they graduate.
The school was founded in 1885 by the Sisters of Charity
. It is named for Elizabeth Ann Seton
(1774–1821), who founded the Sisters of Charity and who, after her death, was canonized as the United States' first native-born saint. (Seton Hall University
and the College of Saint Elizabeth
in New Jersey are also named after Elizabeth Ann Seton.)
In 1914, Seton Hill Junior college was opened by the Sisters of Charity. With the approval of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Seton Hill College was created four years later.
During the 1980s, men were regularly admitted to many programs at Seton Hill College, including music and theater. In 2002, Seton Hill was officially granted university status by the Pennsylvania Department of Education. After president JoAnne Boyle formalized the school's new status as a university, the teams' nickname was changed from "Spirits" to "Griffins," and several men's athletics teams were added, including American football
. In 2006, Seton Hill announced it was transferring to NCAA Division II and joining the West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
(WVIAC). They had belonged to the NAIA
.
, president and CEO of Forbes, Inc. In 2006, the convocation speaker was U.S. Representative John Murtha
(D-Pa).
Seton Hill has a student-to-faculty ratio of 15:1. The typical class size for courses in the major is about 20-25. Liberal arts core classes tend to be larger, at 30-45 students.
Recent changes on campus include the addition of a branch of Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine
(LECOM), and two arts facilities in downtown Greensburg: an art studio and a new performing arts building (devoted to music, theater, and dance).
2006 led to a berth to the NAIA World Series for Baseball in the program's third year of existence.
The school also sponsors men's intercollegiate basketball, cross country, wrestling, lacrosse, and track.
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
liberal arts
Liberal arts
The term liberal arts refers to those subjects which in classical antiquity were considered essential for a free citizen to study. Grammar, Rhetoric and Logic were the core liberal arts. In medieval times these subjects were extended to include mathematics, geometry, music and astronomy...
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...
of about 2100 students in Greensburg
Greensburg, Pennsylvania
Greensburg is a city in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, United States, and a part of the Pittsburgh Metro Area. The city is named after Nathanael Greene, a major general of the Continental Army in the American Revolutionary War...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, near Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
. Formerly a women's college
Women's college
Women's colleges in higher education are undergraduate, bachelor's degree-granting institutions, often liberal arts colleges, whose student populations are composed exclusively or almost exclusively of women...
, it became a coeducational university in 2002.
Seton Hill University received public attention in 2010 after announcing a technology plan that includes providing an iPad
IPad
The iPad is a line of tablet computers designed, developed and marketed by Apple Inc., primarily as a platform for audio-visual media including books, periodicals, movies, music, games, and web content. The iPad was introduced on January 27, 2010 by Apple's then-CEO Steve Jobs. Its size and...
to all full-time students, as well a 13" MacBook
MacBook
The MacBook was a brand of Macintosh notebook computers built by Apple Inc. First introduced in May 2006, it replaced the iBook and 12-inch PowerBook series of notebooks as a part of the Apple–Intel transition. Positioned as the low end of the MacBook family, the Apple MacBook was aimed at the...
to all incoming freshmen, and providing juniors with a 15" model they can take with them when they graduate.
The school was founded in 1885 by the Sisters of Charity
Sisters of Charity
Many religious communities have the term Sisters of Charity as part of their name. The rule of Saint Vincent for the Daughters of Charity has been adopted and adapted by at least sixty founders of religious orders around the world in the subsequent centuries....
. It is named for Elizabeth Ann Seton
Elizabeth Ann Seton
Saint Elizabeth Ann Bayley Seton was the first native-born citizen of the United States to be canonized by the Roman Catholic Church . She established Catholic communities in Emmitsburg, Maryland....
(1774–1821), who founded the Sisters of Charity and who, after her death, was canonized as the United States' first native-born saint. (Seton Hall University
Seton Hall University
Seton Hall University is a private Roman Catholic university in South Orange, New Jersey, United States. Founded in 1856 by Archbishop James Roosevelt Bayley, Seton Hall is the oldest diocesan university in the United States. Seton Hall is also the oldest and largest Catholic university in the...
and the College of Saint Elizabeth
College of Saint Elizabeth
The College of Saint Elizabeth is a private Roman Catholic, four-year, liberal arts college for women. It is located in an unincorporated community called Convent Station, in Morris Township, New Jersey...
in New Jersey are also named after Elizabeth Ann Seton.)
During the 1980s, men were regularly admitted to many programs at Seton Hill College, including music and theater. In 2002, Seton Hill was officially granted university status by the Pennsylvania Department of Education. After president JoAnne Boyle formalized the school's new status as a university, the teams' nickname was changed from "Spirits" to "Griffins," and several men's athletics teams were added, including American football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
. In 2006, Seton Hill announced it was transferring to NCAA Division II and joining the West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
The West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference is a college athletic conference which historically operated exclusively in the state of West Virginia, but has now expanded into Pennsylvania...
(WVIAC). They had belonged to the NAIA
National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics
The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics is an athletic association that organizes college and university-level athletic programs. Membership in the NAIA consists of smaller colleges and universities across the United States. The NAIA allows colleges and universities outside the USA...
.
Campus life
Active clubs representing the diverse political views of the student body include the College Republicans, the University Democrats, the Gay-Straight Alliance, and the Respect Life Club. In 2003, the school conferred an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree upon Steve ForbesSteve Forbes
Malcolm Stevenson "Steve" Forbes, Jr. is an American editor, publisher, and businessman. He is the editor-in-chief of business magazine Forbes as well as president and chief executive officer of its publisher, Forbes Inc. He was a Republican candidate in the U.S. Presidential primaries in 1996...
, president and CEO of Forbes, Inc. In 2006, the convocation speaker was U.S. Representative John Murtha
John Murtha
John Patrick "Jack" Murtha, Jr. was an American politician from the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. Murtha, a Democrat, represented Pennsylvania's 12th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives from 1974 until his death in 2010....
(D-Pa).
Seton Hill has a student-to-faculty ratio of 15:1. The typical class size for courses in the major is about 20-25. Liberal arts core classes tend to be larger, at 30-45 students.
Recent changes on campus include the addition of a branch of Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine
Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine
The Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine is a private, graduate school of medicine and pharmacy and is currently the largest medical college in the country. Founded in 1992 in Erie, Pennsylvania., LECOM is a member of the Millcreek Health System in partnership with Millcreek Geriatric...
(LECOM), and two arts facilities in downtown Greensburg: an art studio and a new performing arts building (devoted to music, theater, and dance).
Women's sports
The Department of Athletics sponsors women's intercollegiate softball, basketball, cheerleading, cross country, field hockey, equestrian, lacrosse, soccer, volleyball, golf, and tennis.Men's sports
In 2005, 60% of the entering class was male, due to an influx of male students who were interested in new sports programs such as football. In 2008, the football team had a 10-3 record. The football team and the men's soccer team each won the inaugural West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference's team sportsmanship award in 2008.2006 led to a berth to the NAIA World Series for Baseball in the program's third year of existence.
The school also sponsors men's intercollegiate basketball, cross country, wrestling, lacrosse, and track.
Centers
- E-Magnify (formerly the National Education Center for Women in Business)
- National Catholic Center for Holocaust Education
- Child Development Center and Kindergarten
- Center for Family Therapy
Undergraduate programs
Seton Hill divides its undergraduate programs into five divisions: Visual and Performing Arts, Social Sciences, Natural and Health Sciences, Humanities, and Education. In addition to their major, all students take liberal arts core classes in arts, mathematics, sciences, culture, history, and writing.Division of Visual and Performing Arts
- Art Program: Art Therapy, Art Education, Studio Art, Visual Arts Management, Art History, Graphic Design, 2 Dimensional Media (drawing, painting, printmaking), 3 Dimensional Media (Sculpture, Clay, Metalsmithing), and Art & Technology.
- Music Program: Music Therapy, Music Education, Sacred Music, and Music Performance.
- Theatre: Theatre Performance, Music Theatre, Theatre Design and Technology, Theatre Business, and Theatre Arts
Division of Social Sciences
- Accounting
- Business
- Criminal Justice
- Family and Consumer Sciences
- Hospitality and Tourism
- Human Services
- Psychology
- Social Work
- Sociology
- Sports Management
Division of Natural and Health Sciences
- Biology
- Pre-Health Professions
- Physician Assistant
- Nutrition and Dietetics
- Chemistry
- Biochemistry
- Forensic Science
- Computer Science
- Mathematics
- Engineering
- Medical Technology
Division of Humanities
- Communication
- English
- French
- History
- Political Science
- Religious Studies/Theology
- Spanish
- Pre-Law
- Journalism/New Media
Graduate programs
Seton Hill offers the following graduate programs:- Graduate Certificate in Genocide and Holocaust Studies
- Master of Arts in Art Therapy
- Master of Arts in Elementary Education
- Master of Arts in Inclusive Education
- Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy
- Master of Arts in Special Education
- Master of Business Administration
- Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Writing Popular Fiction
- Master of Science in Physician Assistant
Notable alumni
- Justice Maureen O'ConnorMaureen O'ConnorMaureen O'Connor is an American jurist and the Chief Justice of the Ohio Supreme Court. Prior to this, O'Connor served as an Associate Justice of the Ohio Supreme Court and as Lieutenant Governor of Ohio under Gov. Bob Taft...
, alumna of 1973 and sixth woman to have served as an Ohio Supreme Court justice. - Ronne FromanRonne FromanVeronica "Ronne" Froman is an American retired naval officer. She was the first woman to serve as commander of the United States Navy Region Southwest, a position known as the "Navy Mayor of San Diego"...
served 31 years in the United States NavyUnited States NavyThe United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
, retiring as a rear admiral, and then filled several high-profile civilian positions in San Diego, CaliforniaCaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. - Dr. Patricia Gabow, alumna of 1965, became the chief of renal disease at Denver General Hospital in 1973 and is now the Chief Executive Officer of Denver Health.
- Michelle Moore Ridge, alumna of 1969, former First Lady of Pennsylvania (1995-2001).