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Saint Joseph's College (Indiana)

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Coordinates: 40°55′12″N 87°09′22″W / 40.92°N 87.156°W / 40.92; -87.156
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For other schools of the same name, see Saint Joseph's College (disambiguation).
Saint Joseph's College
MottoReligio Moralitas Scientia
Motto in English
Reverence, Morality, Knowledge
TypePrivate Catholic liberal arts baccalaureate college
Active1889–2017, 2021-present
AccreditationFormerly HLC, currently none.
AffiliationRoman Catholic Church (Missionaries of the Precious Blood)
Location
Rensselaer
,
Indiana
,
United States

40°55′12″N 87°09′22″W / 40.92°N 87.156°W / 40.92; -87.156
CampusRural, 180 acres (72.8 ha)
ColorsPurple and Cardinal
   
NicknamePumas
Websitewww.saintjoe.edu

Saint Joseph's College (SJC; colloquially, Saint Joe) is a private, Catholic liberal arts college in Rensselaer, Indiana. It suspended academic operations in 2017 with approximately 1,100 students enrolled. Beginning fall 2021, the college began offering some courses and certifications at the Rensselaer campus in the fields of business management, cybersecurity, and health science.

History

The Chapel is one of the oldest buildings on campus, and is where regular religious events are held.

The College was founded in 1889 by Father Joseph A. Stephan, a missionary from Germany as a secondary school to educate Native Americans. In 1962, President Eisenhower dedicated the Halleck Center (named after Republican representative Charles Halleck).[1]

From 1944 to 1974, the Chicago Bears held their training camp at Saint Joseph's College.[2] The 1971 film Brian's Song—about Brian Piccolo, a Chicago Bears running back who died from carcinoma in the 1970s—was filmed on campus.[3] A charity game for Joy Piccolo, with the Bears versus college all-stars, was played on July 23, 1971. During training camp one year, Hall of Fame linebacker Dick Butkus was reportedly seen out on a tractor in the cornfield adjacent to the campus. The College football all-star game was played at the College's football stadium, Alumni Stadium, for many years.

The main academic building burned to the ground on February 3, 1973.[4] At the time, many thought the fire would close the school, but the school recovered.

After much discussion, on February 3, 2017 the school announced its closure at the end of the 2016-2017 academic year,[5] as the school needed $100 million to continue operating:[5] $27 million in debt, $35 million in infrastructure improvements, and $38 million to "re-engineer" the college.[6] Outgoing president Robert Pastoor noted hopes of reopening, although his resignation was to take effect in May 2017.[7]

In May 2017, the school also announced that it was resigning its accreditation with the Higher Learning Commission.[8]

In October 2018, it was announced that St. Joseph's would reopen as a junior college in July 2019 through a partnership with fellow Roman Catholic Marian University. The college would first begin operations in Indianapolis, where Marian University is located, under the name Saint Joseph's College of Marian University-Indianapolis and could later restart operations at its Rensselaer campus.[9]

In October 2019 the announcement of the resignations of a number of key members of the administrative team and board has raised a number of questions about the future viability of the closed Rensselaer Campus, further dimming the hopes of former alumni and the local community.[10] However, in February 2020 the college announced a plan to resume some classes and academic operations in partnership with other colleges and universities beginning in the fall of 2021.[11]

As the College set out on its ambitious task of reinventing itself in 2017, the Board promised to secure the debt and to come back as a liberal arts institution. How the College would come back would be outlined in a “128 Partners Comprehensive Three-Year Plan.” The Plan was developed and delivered to the 128 Partners (individuals who donated in a special fundraising campaign) in January 2020. The Plan states: “When the Board of Trustees voluntarily suspended its accreditation, the goal was to return the College to financial stability, continue its Mission, and provide state of the art programming on the Rensselaer campus.” What is happening on the Rensselaer campus is the realization of that promise of the College continuing its mission and providing state-of-the-art programming.

A lot has been learned since 2017 and a lot has happened in the world of higher education. For example, the road back to accreditation is not as easy as turning a switch and resuming operations. It is a long and difficult process--as it should be. Saint Joseph's College is dedicated to returning accredited programs to the Rensselaer campus.

While the focus continues to be on returning accredited programs to the campus, this cannot and should not be done without understanding and adapting to what has happened in higher education in the last eighteen months. The COVID pandemic is dramatically changing how higher education is offered and even whether some institutions can sustain themselves. Colleges have lost enrollment while the demographic for traditional students shrinks. In addition, there is a subtle focus from offering degrees per se to offering career-oriented programming.  

Liberal arts institutions are at the crossroads of what was and what will and can be. It’s becoming increasingly difficult for smaller institutions to survive and thrive on their own. As a result, there is a growing momentum among higher educational institutions to seek partnerships with like-minded and mission-linked institutions. By embracing and welcoming other institutions to its campus, Saint Joseph’s College can provide accredited programs right now. For the immediate term, it will be under these partner institutions' umbrella. In the future, it may establish a framework for our own accredited status.

Saint Joseph's College is pleased to welcome three institutions to campus to offer college-level programming this fall: The University of St. Thomas, Calumet College of Saint Joseph, and Ivy Tech Community College. The University of Saint Thomas will be offering a two-year degree program in cybersecurity. Calumet College of Saint Joseph will be offering an introduction to business program for traditional students and a fast-track degree completion program for adults who have completed the associate degree. Ivy Tech Community College will begin offering general education classes including “Introduction to Interpersonal Communications,” “English Composition,” “Introduction to Teaching,” and “Quantitative Reasoning.”

Building on the success of the last year and the promise of career-oriented education in the “128 Plan,” the College will continue offering its health care certification programs including American Red Cross(CPR), Billing and Coding, EKG, Certified Nursing Assistant, Clinical Medical Assistant, and Phlebotomy. Students who have completed these programs have been very successful in attaining jobs in health care. Additional career certification programs are under development.

Opening this fall in the Core Educational building and to support these new academic programs, Saint Joseph's College is creating the Academic, Business, and Mentoring Center. A key component in a traditional liberal arts education is a community of learners interacting with those of similar interests. Through the ravages of COVID, much “community” has been lost in the classroom with the onset of virtual learning. The College’s goal is to keep community in the classroom in this growing online world. To this end, the Center will be available for students taking online and traditional classes, guided by tutors, and will interact with business mentors who will introduce them to the world of work—including possible internships with local businesses. The Center will provide computers as well as facilitators to help students navigate the classwork, interact with fellow students, and network with potential employers.

Looking to the future and responding to community needs, additional institutions will be invited to offer their programs on the Rensselaer campus. Saint Joseph College intends to offer state-of-the-art programs at affordable prices. To this end, the University of Saint Thomas and Calumet College of Saint Joseph's will offer their first courses for free. The ongoing tuition for these programs will be affordable. Scholarships will also be available moving forward.

What is happening at Saint Joseph's College and Rensselaer is truly remarkable. Throughout its 130-year history, it had to adapt. A theme developed in 2017 was that the College would be like the Phoenix rising from the ashes. What's going to happen this fall is a testament to the Phoenix beginning to rise. Saint Joseph's College looks forward to community support and partnership as we make this a state-of-the-art institution for the 21st century. As an alum said on a recent visit to the College, “we realize that our SJC is gone but it is encouraging that a re-envisioned 21st Century college will slowly emerge beginning with a few college-level classes this fall.”

Campus

The campus has several distinctive features. The Romanesque-style Chapel and the reflecting pond in front of the Chapel are the most recognized features of campus. Drexel Hall was one of the first buildings on campus, and is distinctive for its unique atrium. Drexel has been renovated and restored to its historical appearance. The campus also includes a private recreational lake which is an old stone quarry.

Organization and administration

The school was accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE),[12] the National League for Nursing (NLN), the Board of Commissioners of the International Assembly of Collegiate Business Education (IACBE),[13] the Higher Learning Commission (HLC),[14] and the State of Indiana Professional Standards Board for the Training of Elementary Teachers.

The Core building, one of the academic buildings on campus.

Academics

Saint Joseph's College was known for its Core Program under which students learned the basics of history, political science, natural science, literature and philosophy in integrated "core classes". This departs from the cafeteria-style approach to general education used by most colleges and universities in which students take discrete lower division classes in these subjects. However, credits for “core classes” were non-transferable to other colleges and universities.

Saint Joseph's College had a student-faculty ratio of 14:1.[15] 69% of full-time faculty at Saint Joseph's had their doctorates or terminal degree. SJC offers 75 major, minor, and pre-professional programs, along with the nationally acclaimed Core Curriculum, which provides a solid liberal arts education and a distinct career advantage.

Historically, 97% of graduating seniors were employed or in graduate school within a year of graduation.

Student life

Like most other Indiana colleges, SJC held an annual "Little 500" race. Unlike the bed or bicycle races held elsewhere, Saint Joseph's College staged a go-kart race in the same manner as Purdue University's Grand Prix, albeit on a much smaller scale. The event was popular and brought alumni back to the school every year.[16]

Athletics

Saint Joseph's College competed in NCAA Division II athletics and was a member of the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC). The school mascot was the Puma. It is the only post-secondary institution in the United States with the Puma as its mascot, although several have mountain lions, which is a different name for the same species.

In 1956, the Saint Joseph's football team won a share of the NAIA Football National Championship, playing Montana State to a 0–0 tie in the Aluminum Bowl at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock, Arkansas.[17] The Pumas won six Indiana Collegiate Conference titles; 1955 co-champions, 1956, 1957, 1971, 1976 co-champions and 1977 co-champions. The football team had been dominant in their conference near its final years, winning the Great Lakes Football Conference championship in 2006, 2009 and 2010.

The school's baseball team was runner-up to the NCAA Division II Baseball Championship in 1996,[18] lead by pitcher Rick O'Dette, who would later be drafted by the Boston Red Sox in the 1997 MLB Draft (15th Round). The same year, the women's soccer team was the runner-up in the NCAA Division II Women's Soccer Championship. The school's women's tennis team has captured six GLVC conference titles since 1985 and completed three undefeated seasons.

In 2010, the men's basketball team led by head coach Richard Davis put together a string of three wins in the NCAA Division II Men's Basketball Tournament to reach the Elite Eight for the second time in school history.

Notable people

References

  1. ^ "SJC to celebrate Halleck Center's 50th". Rensselaer Republican. Newsbug.info. 2012-09-09. Retrieved 2015-07-10.
  2. ^ "Happy Birthday George Halas". Chicago Bears. January 31, 2014. Retrieved February 2, 2014.
  3. ^ "Brian's Song (1971 TV Movie) Filming Locations". IMDb.com. Retrieved 2015-07-10.
  4. ^ "February 5, 1973 - Newsmakers | Chicago Tribune Archive". Archives.chicagotribune.com. 1973-02-05. Retrieved 2015-07-10.
  5. ^ a b Chronis, Kasey (2017-02-09). "Saint Joseph's College to close its doors amid financial crisis". 16 WNDU. Retrieved 2017-02-10.
  6. ^ McGowan, Dan (2017-02-10). "Pastoor: 'Re-Engineered' St. Joe Could be Model". Indiana Business Insider. Retrieved 2017-02-10.
  7. ^ Kruczek, Alexandra; Moberger, Alexis (2017-02-09). "Saint Joseph's College president will call it quits in May". 18wlfi.com. Retrieved 2017-02-10.
  8. ^ Brown, Alex. "Saint Joe's to Drop Accreditation". www.insideindianabusiness.com. Retrieved 2019-10-24.
  9. ^ "Marian, Saint Joseph's to Open 2-Year College". Inside Higher Education. 2018-10-11. Retrieved 2019-07-07.
  10. ^ Bangert, Dave. "Rebirth of shuttered St. Joseph's College clouded by silence over resignations". Journal & Courier. Retrieved 2019-10-11.
  11. ^ "The 128 Core Partners Comprehensive Plan". Saint Joseph's College. February 2020. Retrieved February 25, 2020.
  12. ^ "Accredited Institutions by State". Ncate.org. Retrieved 2015-07-10.
  13. ^ "International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education : Directory of Accredited Programs by Institution" (PDF). Iacbe.org. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-06-29. Retrieved 2015-07-10.
  14. ^ "Higher Learning Commission". Ncahlc.org. Retrieved 2015-07-10.
  15. ^ "St. Joseph's College (Indiana) | Best College | US News". Colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com. Retrieved 2015-07-10.
  16. ^ "50 years later, 'Little 500' keeps buzzing along (April 29, 2012)". Thecatholicmoment.org. Retrieved 2015-07-10.
  17. ^ "Aluminum Bowl". Encyclopedia of Arkansas. Retrieved July 10, 2015.
  18. ^ "Baseball DII". NCAA.com. Retrieved July 10, 2015.
  19. ^ "Gil Hodges Managerial Record - Baseball-Reference.com". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 2 October 2018.
  20. ^ J. Patrick Lewis interviewed by Sylvia Vardell. "J. Patrick Lewis". The Poetry Foundation. Retrieved 2015-07-10.
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