Pride, Passion, Promise: Experience Our Jesuit Tradition

Rights Reserved

The President and officers of The University of Scranton reserve the right to change the information, regulations, requirements and procedures announced in this catalog; to change the requirements for admission, graduation or degrees; to change the arrangement, scheduling, credit, or content of courses; and to change the fees listed in this catalog.

The University reserves the right to refuse to admit or readmit any student at any time should it be deemed necessary in the interest of the student or of the University to do so and to require the withdrawal of any student at any time who fails to give satisfactory evidence of academic ability, earnestness of purpose, or active cooperation in all requirements for acceptable scholarship.

Notice of Nondiscrimination Policy as to Students

The University of Scranton admits students without regard to their race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation or age to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. The University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation or age in administration of its educational policies, admission policies, scholarship and loan programs and athletic and other school-administered programs.

Otherwise qualified persons are not subject to discrimination on the basis of handicap or disability.

If you believe you have been discriminated against because of race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation or age, or handicap or disability, then please contact the Director of Equity and Diversity.

It is the personal responsibility of each student to acquire an active knowledge of all pertinent regulations set forth in the Undergraduate Catalog.

Within the various schools and colleges the only official interpretations or modifications of academic regulations are those which are made in writing by the dean of the school or college of which the student is a member, or such interpretations or modifications of academic regulations as are approved by the appropriate dean in writing.

The Mission Statement of The University of Scranton

The University of Scranton is a Catholic and Jesuit university animated by the spiritual vision and the tradition of excellence characteristic of the Society of Jesus and those who share its way of proceeding. The University is a community dedicated to the freedom of inquiry and personal development fundamental to the growth in wisdom and integrity of all who share its life.

Characteristics and Goals

As a Catholic and Jesuit University, The University of Scranton will:

1. Share with all the fullness of the Catholic intellectual tradition, the distinctive worldview of the Christian Gospels, and the spirituality of St. Ignatius Loyola.
2. Educate men and women for others who are committed to the service of faith and promotion of justice.
3. Invite persons from other religious traditions and diverse backgrounds to share in our work and contribute to our missions.

As a Comprehensive University, The University of Scranton will:

4. Offer degree programs at the undergraduate and graduate levels in the traditional disciplines of the liberal arts as well as in pre-professional and professional areas.
5. Provide educational opportunities and support programs that promote the mission of the University, meet the needs and interests of traditional and non-traditional students, and serve the needs of the local region.

As a University in the Liberal Arts Tradition, The University of Scranton will:

6. Offer undergraduate students a core curriculum in the Jesuit tradition based on the arts and sciences.
7. Impart to students the importance of gathering, evaluating, disseminating, and applying information using traditional and contemporary methods.
8. Provide learning experiences that reach beyond the fundamental acquisition of knowledge to include understanding interactions and syntheses through discussion, critical thinking, and application.
9. Promote a respect for knowledge and a lifelong commitment to learning, discernment and ethical decision making.

As a Caring Community, The University of Scranton will:

10. Foster a spirit of caring, grounded in Jesuit tradition of cura personalis, that enables all members of our community to engage fully in our mission, according to their needs and interests.
11. Facilitate the personal growth and transformation of all members of the University community through a spirit of caring.
12. Extend this spirit of caring to the wider community through civic engagement and service.
13. Enhance our sense of community by demonstrating high standards and care for our physical environment.

As a Dynamic Institution, The University of Scranton will:

14. Develop goals and aspirations by systematically reflecting on opportunities for and challenges to fulfilling our mission.
15. Fulfill our mission through careful planning and management of resources in order to achieve our aspirations while remaining affordable to our students.
16. Engage the University community in purposefully monitoring progress toward the accomplishment of our mission.

History of the University

The University of Scranton was founded as Saint Thomas College by Bishop William G. O’Hara, the first Bishop of Scranton, who had always hoped to provide an opportunity for higher education in the Lackawanna Valley. In August of 1888, with few resources at hand, he blessed a single block of granite as a cornerstone for his new college, which would admit its first students four years later. (The cornerstone of Old Main is preserved in the wall of St. Thomas Hall located at the corner of Linden Street and Monroe Avenue.)

The college was staffed by diocesan priests and seminarians until 1896 and then, for one year, by the Xaverian Brothers. From 1897 until 1942 the school, which was renamed The University of Scranton in 1938, was administered for the Diocese by the Christian Brothers. In the late summer of 1942, at the invitation of Bishop William Hafey, 18 Jesuits, led by Rev. Coleman Nevils, S.J., the newly appointed president, arrived on campus to administer the University.

The Jesuits restructured and strengthened Scranton’s traditional and pre-professional programs with an emphasis on the liberal arts, which are the foundation for every program at a Jesuit university. This emphasis is intended to give students an appreciation for all disciplines as they develop specific subject knowledge.

The University has flourished under the Jesuits, growing from a primarily commuter school with fewer than 1,000 students to a broadly regional, comprehensive university with a total enrollment of more than 5,600 students in undergraduate, graduate and nontraditional programs.

In these early years of the 21st century, the University is building on its historical and educational heritage guided by the 2005-2010 Strategic Plan, entitled Pride, Passion, Promise: Shaping Our Jesuit Tradition, and a 20-year Facilities Master Plan adopted in 2000.

The University remains committed to enriching the quality and variety of its academic offerings. In addition, it continues to invest in its physical plant, opening a 118,000-square-foot campus center and 386-bed sophomore residence hall in 2008.

The University Seal

The principal colors of the shield are the traditional colors of the University, royal purple and white. On the purple field there is a horizontal silver bar containing, in purple, a star taken from the seal of the Brothers of the Christian Schools and from the seal of Saint Thomas College, predecessor of the University, and two stacks of wheat from the obverse of the coat of arms of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

The upper half of the shield contains, in gold, two wolves grasping a cauldron suspended from a chain; they are taken from the coat of arms of the family of Saint Ignatius Loyola, and they identify the University as a Jesuit institution. Below the silver bar is a golden rising sun, symbolic of Saint Thomas Aquinas, the shining light of the Church and the Patron of the University.

Indicating the Diocese of Scranton and William Penn, founder of the Commonwealth, the black border of the shield reproduces the border of the shield of the Diocese and the silver hemispheres are taken from William Penn’s coat of arms.

The crest is a golden cross of the particular style known as Patonce. It symbolizes Christ, the goal and the norm of the University’s educational efforts, and it complements the motto, which the University has had since it was entrusted to the care of the Christian Brothers in 1899: Religio, Mores, Cultura.

The outer ring surrounding the seal includes the name and founding date of the University and reference to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

The Faculty

Approximately 270 faculty and administrators participate in the University’s educational enterprise. They hold degrees from 135 different universities in 30 countries on five continents. Cambridge and the University of London in England; Louvain and the Gregorian in Europe; the University of Calcutta in India; Sophia University in Japan; Soochow University in China; Berkeley, Yale, MIT, Notre Dame, Harvard and Georgetown in America – all are represented among the faculty.

By its nature and function, a university faculty constitutes the most cosmopolitan element in a community. Hindu and Muslim, Christian and Jew, ministers and rabbis – scholars and teachers all – are found on the University’s faculty.

The Jesuit tradition is carried on at the University not only by Jesuits engaged in teaching or administration, but also by the scores of faculty members who hold at least one degree from a Jesuit college or university.

As indicated in the Mission Statement, excellent teaching and scholarship are regarded as complementary at this institution. In 2006-07 there were 687 scholarly works, including books and book chapters, articles in prestigious peer-reviewed journals, patents and patent applications, presentations and proceedings, and other creative works. Subjects reflects a wide range of current topics, including white collar crime, pollution prevention through green chemistry, and energy transfer at the molecular level, to name just a few.

Faculty interests are extensive and include research and projects funded by the National Institutes of Health, the U.S. Department of Fish and Wildlife, the U.S. Air Force, the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, The Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency, the Pennsylvania Department of Education, The American Heart Association, as well as numerous private foundations and corporations.

Many faculty participate in international projects and faculty exchange programs with universities and hospitals around the world, bringing this global perspective into the classroom. Among the countries involved are Slovakia, Republic of Georgia, Mexico, China, Kyrgyzstan, Ukraine, and Mozambique; funding has been received from the USAID and the Department of State.

The University Directory  presents more detailed information about the faculty.

Student Diversity and Participation

As our faculty come from around the world, so do our students. Twenty-eight states and thirty foreign countries are represented in the University’s student body of just over 5,000. In turn, through the Fulbright and Study Abroad programs, University of Scranton students matriculate at such foreign universities as Oxford, Leuven, Madrid, Tubingen, Mainz, Oslo, Fribourg, Cologne, Salamanca, Lancaster, Berne, Strasbourg, the Sorbonne and University College, Dublin. This interchange of students contributes to the diversity and intellectual life of the University.

Much of the work in this university community is accomplished through student input. Considerable scientific research at Scranton is done by undergraduate students in the laboratories and in the field. With faculty assistance, the University newspaper and yearbook are edited and managed by students, and students publish articles and abstracts in national scholarly journals. Students work in the Public Relations and Admissions offices, computer center, as resident assistants in the dormitories, as research assistants and interns for deans and the registrar. Similarly, they participate in the University’s decision making. Seven students are elected by the student body to serve on the University Council. Others serve with departmental chairpersons and faculty on the conferences which recommend to the deans changes in academic programs. Students also serve with other members of the University community on the various search committees that recommend candidates for principal administrative posts from deans to president.

Volunteer Activity

The University’s Community Outreach Office has a roster of 2,700 students who perform well over 162,000 service hours each year. Since 1983, a total of 416 Scranton graduates have chosen to spend a year or more in full-time volunteer service immediately after graduation. Of these alumni, 222 have volunteered with the Jesuit Volunteer Corps. Additional information about the Community Outreach Office can be found in the Student Life section of this catalog or at www.scranton.edu/volunteers.

Baccalaureate Source of Ph.D.s

Scranton’s achievement is also recognized in 8th edition of the Franklin and Marshall Report on the Baccalaureate Origins of Doctoral Recipients. The study ranks four-year, private, master’s-degree-granting institutions as the baccalaureate source of Ph.D.s in all fields. The University ranked 15th for all science disciplines, 5th for life sciences and 2nd for chemistry.

National Recognition

“Best 361,” “Best Buys in College Education.” “America’s Best Colleges,” “Character Building,” “Hidden Gem” – these are just a few of the ways that the nation’s leading college rankings and guidebooks consistently refer to The University of Scranton.

For the 15th consecutive year, U.S. News & World Report named the University among the top 10 comprehensive universities in the North (the largest and most competitive region in its annual survey of “America’s Best Colleges”). The University has consistently been included in the U.S. News rankings since they were first introduced in 1983. In the 2009 edition of America’s Best Colleges, the University was named among the nation’s 70 “up and coming” schools.

For the past seven years, The Princeton Review included Scranton among The Best 368 Colleges in the nation. In Kaplan/Newsweek’s publication How to Get into College, Scranton is listed among the nation’s 369 Most Interesting Schools. The University is also listed among the 247 colleges in the nation included in the ninth edition of Barron’s Best Buys in College Education. Scranton is among only 50 universities in the nation listed in Kiplinger’s “Best Values in Private Colleges.” And Scranton is among just 119 colleges in the nation earning the highly selective 2008 Community Engagement Classification designated by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.

Intel Corporation recognized Scranton for wireless access to the Internet, ranking the University 87th on its list of the nation’s top 100 “Most Unwired College Campuses.”

Scranton was counted among a national list of  “100 Colleges Worth Considering” by the Washington Post Magazine in April 2003. An expanded version of the piece was repeated in book form under the title Harvard Schmarvard, which listed the nation’s “top 100 outstanding (and underappreciated) colleges).”

In recognition of its work as a values-centered institution, the University is one of 100 American schools named to the John Templeton Foundation’s Honor Roll of Colleges That Encourage Character Development.

Fulbrights and Other International Fellowships

Since 1972, 123 Scranton students have accepted grants in the competitions administered by the Institute of International Education (Fulbright) and International Rotary. The prestigious Fulbright Fellowship is the U.S. government’s premier scholarship for foreign study and research.

Two members of the class of 2009 have won Fulbrights to date. Cynthia David, who majored in Elementary Education, has been awarded a Fulbright Fellowship to Yaoundé, Cameroon, where she will teach English to university undergraduates for whom English is both a second language and the medium of instruction at school. Amy Lee, who majored in Elementary Education, has been awarded a Fulbright Fellowship to Macao Polytechnic Institute in Macau Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China. Amy will spend the 2009-2010 year teaching English as a Foreign Language to undergraduate students while pursuing coursework in Chinese Studies. Megan LoBue, who majored in English, has been named an alternate for a Fulbright to Germany.

Four Scranton students were awarded prestigious international fellowships in 2008. Andrea Frankenburger, who majored in English, is the recipient of a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship to Argentina. She spent 2009 teaching English language and literature at an Argentinian teacher training college. Jessica LaPorta, an elementary education major, taught English as a second language at a Korean elementary school during her Fulbright year in South Korea. Christopher L. Molitoris, a triple major in international studies, political science and philosophy, is the recipient of a Fulbright Scholarship in Economic Development to Al Akhawayn University, Morocco, here he conducted research on the roles of women and access to water in the development of Morocco’s rural villages. He was also awarded a Critical Language Enhancement Award by the U.S. Department of State, which funded his study of Arabic in Morocco for three months before the start of his Fulbright. Allison M. Martyn was awarded a French Government Teaching Assistantship through the Fulbright competition. She majored in international language/business and taught English at a high school in the Lorraine region of France as part of her fellowship. Two other Scranton seniors were named as alternates for Fulbright Fellowships for the 2008-09 year.

Dr. Susan Trussler of the Economics/Finance department is the University’s Fulbright Program Advisor. Additional information is available online at www.scranton.edu/fulbright. 

Awards from Institute of International Education Fulbright Program and International Rotary, 1988-2009

Truman and Other National Scholarships

Scranton students excel in several national fellowship competitions, compiling a superb record of achievement in many areas in addition to their exceptional record in the Fulbright competition.

In 2008-2009, Coral Stredny, a two-year recipient of the Goldwater Scholarship, was named to the All-USA College Academic Third team for outstanding intellectual achievement and leadership. Melissa Wasilewski, a biomathematics and biochemistry, cell, and molecular biology major, received a Goldwater Scholarship, one of 278 students nationwide and the second Scranton student to be named a Goldwater Scholar as a sophomore.

In 2007-2008, Cynthia David, an Elementary Education major, received an Hispanic Scholarship Fund Award .Douglas Jones, an international studies, philosophy, and political science major, received an NSEP Boren Scholarship to support his study in Jordan .Deirdre Strehl, a political science major, received a Gilman Scholarship to help fund a term of study in Morocco .

In 2006-07, Coral Stredny, a biochemistry major, became the sixth Scranton student and the first sophomore to be awarded a Goldwater Scholarship. Two seniors were honored as NCAA Postgraduate Scholars: John Mercuri, a biology and philosophy major, was one of 29 male scholar-athletes recognized for a fall sport; honored for his achievements in cross-country running, John is using his scholarship for medical school. Taryn Mellody, a physical therapy major, was one of 29 female athletes recognized for a winter sport. Taryn is applying her NCAA scholarship toward graduate work in physical therapy. Cynthia David, named above, received a Gilman Scholarship to support her study in Dakar, Senegal. Two alumni, Mark Bell and Nicole Sublette, were awarded National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowships.

In 2005-06, Tina Marie George, a biology and philosophy major, was among the top 20 students nationally selected by USA Today for its All-USA College Academic First Team. Ms. George was also awarded a Jack Kent Cooke Graduate Scholarship, which covers all of her expenses for her M.D. at Harvard and her M.P.H. at Yale .Han Li, a 2005 graduate, was named a National Science Foundation Graduate Research fellow. Vincent Solomeno, junior political science major and student body president, became Scranton’s seventh Truman Scholar, one of only 75 students selected in the country. Junior chemistry major Kristy Gogick was selected as a 2006 Goldwater Scholar. Daniel Foster, an environmental science and philosophy major, became Scranton’s second Udall Scholar, one of only 80 students nationally to receive this award.

In 2004-05, Tina Marie George, named above, became Scranton’s sixth Truman Scholar. She was also Scranton’s first Udall Scholarship recipient. Two students, Timothy Sechler, a chemistry major, and Karen McGuigan, a biochemistry major, were awarded Goldwater Scholarships. Han Li, a biochemistry and biomathematics major, was named to the second team of the 2005 USA Today All-USA Academic Team.

In 2003-04, Han Li, named above, received a Goldwater Scholarship. Sara Shoener, a biomathematics and philosophy major, and Christopher Corey, a biochemistry, biomathematics and biophysics major, were named to the first and third teams, respectively, of the 2004 USA Today All-USA Academic Team. Vanessa Cortes, an elementary education major, was selected as a Hispanic Scholarship Fund/Lilly Endowment Inc. Scholar.

Alumni Society

The University of Scranton Alumni Society provides a way for graduates to continue their participation in the life of the University after their student years. Its 20 alumni clubs and affiliates include more than 40,000 members. The society, which is governed by elected officers and a 24-member Board of Governors, fosters communication among alumni and encourages continued dialogue between alumni and the University community. It hosts alumni functions, including reunions and homecomings, and promotes the interests of the University by identifying prospective students, assisting the placement of graduates, encouraging networking among its membership, providing numerous services and benefits, performing community service projects, and honoring student, faculty and alumni accomplishments. These activities are coordinated through the Office of Alumni Relations on campus (www.scranton.edu/alumni).