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, veteran status, 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, veteran status, 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, veteran status, 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.

The Vision of The University of Scranton

The University of Scranton will be boldly driven by a shared commitment to excellence. We will provide a superior, transformational learning experience, preparing students who, in the words of Jesuit founder St. Ignatius Loyola, will “set the world on fire.”

Characteristics

As a Catholic and Jesuit university, The University of Scranton shares with all the fullness of the Catholic intellectual tradition, the distinctive worldview of the Christian Gospels, and the spirituality of St. Ignatius Loyola. The University educates men and women for others who are committed to the service of faith and promotion of justice. At the same time, the institution invites persons from other religious traditions and diverse backgrounds to share in our work and contribute to our mission.

The University of Scranton is a comprehensive university, offering 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. The University provides educational opportunities and support programs that promote its mission, meet the needs and interests of traditional and non-traditional students, and serve the needs of the local region.

By offering undergraduate students a core curriculum in the Jesuit tradition based on the arts and sciences, the University adheres to its liberal arts tradition. The University communicates to students the importance of gathering, evaluating, disseminating and applying information using traditional and contemporary methods. Scranton provides learning experiences that reach beyond the fundamental acquisition of knowledge to include understanding interactions and syntheses through discussion, critical thinking and application. This dedication to educational process promotes a respect for knowledge and a lifelong commitment to learning, discernment and ethical decision making.

Scranton is more than a respected institution, but also a caring, nurturing community. Students, faculty and staff 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. Our institution facilitates the personal growth and transformation of all members of the University community through a spirit of caring. This spirit of caring for the wider community is extended through acts of civic engagement and service. By demonstrating high standards and care for our physical environment, the University enhances our sense of community.

The University of Scranton is dedicated to being a dynamic institution, developing goals and aspirations by systematically reflecting on opportunities for and challenges to fulfilling our mission. We fulfill our institutional objectives through careful planning and management of resources in order to achieve our aspirations while remaining affordable to our students. The University also engages our community in purposefully monitoring progress toward the accomplishment of our mission and strategic plan.

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 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 6,000 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 University’s 2010-2015 Strategic Plan, “Go and Set the World on Fire.” The broadly integrated plan consists of three themes that have their roots in our Ignatian identity: Cura Personalis (treating others, especially students, as individuals, just as God treats us), Magis (a relentless desire for excellence grounded in gratitude) and Rei Solicitudo (a commitment to careful stewardship of the resources entrusted to our care).

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. In fall 2011, Scranton also welcomed two more facilities to the city’s skyline: the Loyola Science Center and an apartment and fitness complex on the 900 block of Mulberry Street.

The 200,000-square-foot science center is home to 22 class and seminar rooms, 34 laboratories and a multistory atrium. It is a fitting home to Scranton’s rich legacy of science education, and serves as a center of collaborative learning for all members of the campus and community.

The apartment and fitness complex, which consists of the Rev. Scott R. Pilarz, S.J., Hall and Montrone Hall, stands directly across the street from the Patrick and Margaret DeNaples Center and provides fitness space, a dining area and apartment-style units to accommodate 400 juniors and seniors.

On Sept. 16, 2011, before delegates representing nearly 100 colleges, universities and learned societies from across the country joining nearly 2,000 dignitaries, students, faculty, staff and community members, the University conducted an Inauguration Ceremony for its 25th president, Kevin P. Quinn, S.J.

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 290 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 2011-2012 there were 805 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 reflected a wide range of current topics including, preservation of archaeological bones, network security, memory capacity, complex care management, and information literacy, 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, Uganda 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 30 foreign countries are represented in the University’s student body, which totals more than 6,000. 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. 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 Community Outreach Office is committed to advancing the Jesuit tradition of forming men and women for others. The programs sponsored by this office include food and clothing drives, domestic break trips, on-campus activities and local community service. Each element enables the students to express their faith in reflective service while responding to local and national needs.

The University of Scranton’s Community Outreach Office has a roster of approximately 2,700 students who perform well over 162,000 service hours each year. Since 1983, a total of 446 Scranton graduates have chosen to spend a year or more in full-time volunteer service immediately after graduation. Of these alumni, 233 have volunteered with the Jesuit Volunteer Corps. Additional information about The Community Outreach Office can be found in the Life on Campus  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 or life sciences and 2nd for chemistry.

National Recognition

“Best 377 Colleges,” “Best Buys in College Education,” “America’s Best Colleges,” “A Focus on Student Success,”  – 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 19 consecutive years, U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Colleges” guidebook has ranked the University among the 10 top master’s universities in the North, the survey’s largest and most competitive region. In the 2013 edition of “Best Colleges,” Scranton placed 10th in the North. The University was one of just 27 institutions included in a national listing of “stellar examples” of schools with “A Focus on Student Success.” In addition, Scranton was included in an online listing of just 49 “up and coming” colleges in the nation and was named in a listing of “A-Plus Schools for B Students.”

For the past 11 years, The Princeton Review has included Scranton among its “377 Best Colleges.” Outstanding academics is the primary criteria for inclusion in the book, which lists only about 15 percent of America’s 2,500 four-year colleges. In the 2013 edition, Scranton students praised the University’s support services available to students saying, “a tutoring center provides free tutoring for any students who may need it, and also provides work study positions for students who qualify to tutor.” Students also praised the University’s faculty, liberal arts curriculum, premed, occupational therapy and other science programs. Students also found Scranton to be “friendly and welcoming.”

The University is also listed among the 198 colleges in the nation included in the 11th edition of Barron’s “Best Buys in College Education.”

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.

For eight consecutive years, the University’s Kania School of Management has been included among The Princeton Review’s “Best 296 Business Schools.” GI Jobs has listed Scranton among the top 15 percent of colleges, universities and trade schools in the nation as a Military Friendly School.

For five consecutive years, Scranton has ranked among the nation’s elite universities included in Forbes magazine’s online listing of “America’s Best Colleges.” The magazine ranked Scranton No. 293 among the 650 universities in the nation selected. The University is among 25 Jesuit institutions and 43 colleges in Pennsylvania to make the national ranking.

The University was named to the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll for 2012, the highest federal recognition colleges and universities can receive for its commitment to volunteering, service learning and civic engagement. Just 513 colleges in the nation and 45 institutions from Pennsylvania were named to the 2012 President’s Community Service Honor Roll.

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. 

The University ranked as the 25th “Healthiest” college in the United States, according to an April 2012 listing posted on Greatist.com, an online source for health and fitness information. In a July 2011 article titled “The Friendliest Colleges,” published by The Huffington Post, Scranton was ranked among the eight most pleasant colleges in the country.

Fulbrights and Other International Fellowships

The prestigious Fulbright is the U.S. government’s premier graduate scholarship for foreign study, research and teaching. For eight consecutive years, The Chronicle of Higher Education has listed The University of Scranton among the “top producers” of Fulbright awards for American students. Since 1972, 144 Scranton students have accepted grants in the competitions administered by the Institute of International Education (Fulbright) and International Rotary.


Continuing Scranton’s remarkable Fulbright tradition, to date five University graduates have been awarded Fulbright scholarships for the 2013-2014 academic year. Elena Habersky has been awarded a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship to Amman, Jordan. A member of the University’s Honors Program and the Special Jesuit Liberal Arts Honors Program, she majored in international studies, with minors in philosophy, Arabic and theology, and a concentration in peace and justice studies. In addition to teaching English and American culture at a university in Jordan, Habersky plans to augment her knowledge of Modern Standard Arabic with fluency in the Jordanian dialect and to volunteer at refugee camps. The second winner is Shannon Haberzettl, who earned her master’s degree in elementary and secondary school counseling from The University of Scranton in 2013. Haberzettl has won a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship to Malaysia, where she will teach English as a foreign language and American culture to high school students. Also receiving a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship is Rebecca Schmaeling, who will spend her Fulbright year in Spain. A member of the University’s Honors Program, Schmaeling majored in political science with minors in Spanish, history and communication. Beyond her main focus of teaching English as a foreign language and American culture in a high school in Madrid, Schmaeling will be volunteering in a Spanish women’s center, aiding local immigrant women. The two other Fulbright recipients have each been awarded research scholarships. Joseph Seemiller, who earned a bachelor’s degree in neuroscience with a minor in computer science, will spend his Fulbright year at the University of Cologne, Germany, where he will research the neurological functional networks that characterize the progression of Alzheimer’s disease. The fifth winner this year is Jan Wessel who has been awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to Corvinus University of Budapest, Hungary.  A member of the University’s Honors Program and the Business Leadership Honors Program, Wessel majored in international business with minors in Spanish and finance. His Fulbright scholarship will allow him to examine how the recent global recession has affected foreign direct investment in Hungary’s manufacturing sector.

Five Scranton graduates spent the 2012-2013 academic year on Fulbrights. Ellen Coyne, an early childhood and elementary education major, won a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship to South Korea, and Kathleen Lavelle, a double major in biochemistry, cell and molecular biology and Hispanic studies won a Fulbright Teaching Assistantship to Madrid, Spain. Nicole Linko, an international business major, was awarded a Fulbright Research Scholarship to Estonia and is studying the transformation of the Estonian economy at the University of Tartu.. In addition, two members of the class of 2010 were awarded Fulbrights to spend the 2012-13 academic year in Spain. Anna DiColli, a neuroscience major, was awarded a Fulbright Research Scholarship in Public Health to Grenada, while C.J. Libassi, a triple major in English, Spanish and philosophy, won a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship to Madrid.

Six graduates were awarded Fulbright scholarships for the 2011-2012 academic year. Two of the six focused on research while four taught English as a second language. Rebecca Bartley, a double major in management and marketing, taught English at a high school and promoted small business development in Terengganu state during her Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship to Malaysia. Melissa C. Beltz, an international language/business major taught English in Thüringen, Germany, on her Fulbright /Pädagogischer Austauschdienst English Teaching Assistantship. Kaitlyn L. Doremus, who double majored in secondary education-German and German cultural studies completed her Fulbright/ Pädagogischer Austauschdienst English Teaching Assistantship in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Philip J. Kachmar, who double majored in political science and philosophy, spent his Fulbright year pursuing a master’s degree in political science at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada, where he studied the fundamental identity of North America as a political entity and the implications of this identity on North American integration. Aileen M. Monks, who earned a bachelor’s degree in elementary and special education from Scranton in 2010, and her master’s degree in teaching English as a second language from the University in 2011, won a Fulbright-Nehru English Teaching Assistantship to teach at the Navyug School in New Delhi, India. The sixth winner was Gian P. Vergnetti, who graduated with a major in international business in University’s class of 2008. He received a Fulbright to the Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, where he researched the implications of the world’s first carbon-neutral sustainable technology cluster: Masdar City.

Susan Trussler, Ph.D., 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, 1988-2013

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 2012-2013, Vivienne Meljen, a biology major, was one of 62 students nationally to be named a Truman Scholar.  Vivienne, who also received a Congressional Hispanic Institute Scholarship and a United Health Foundation Internship, will attend medical school at Darthmouth University.

In 2011-2012, Bradley Wierbowski, a biochemistry, cell and molecular biology major and member of the Honors program, was named a Goldwater Scholar, one of 282 scholars recognized nationally.  Bradley, who is also completing a second major in English literature, was the only student nationally to receive the Junior Scholarship from Sigma Tau Delta, the International English Honor Society.  Bradley is pursuing a Ph.D. in biomedical sciences at Harvard University.

In 2010-2011, Sarah Neitz was one of 60 students in the United States to be named a Truman Scholar. Sarah is pursuing a triple major in Hispanic studies, international studies, and philosophy. Abbe Clark, a biochemistry, cell, and molecular biology major and member of the Honors program, received a Goldwater Scholarship, one of 274 students selected nationally.  Abbe is pursuing a Ph.D. in cell biology at Harvard University.  Carl Caceres, a philosophy and theology/religious studies double major, and captain of the Scranton Royals tennis team, received one of 29 NCAA Postgraduate Scholarships awarded to male athletes playing Spring sports in NCAA Divisions I, II, and III; Christopher Stallone, a finance major and captain of the Scranton Royals baseball team, was also one of the select group of scholar athletes receiving a 2011 NCAA Postgraduate Scholarships.

In 2009-2010, Maria Gubbiotti became the eighth Scranton student to be named a Goldwater Scholar since 2002. Maria, a biochemistry, cell, and molecular biology major and member of the Honors program, is pursuing an M.D./Ph.D.program.

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 and member of the Honors program, received a Goldwater Scholarship, one of 278 students nationwide and the second Scranton student to be named a Goldwater Scholar as a sophomore. Melissa is pursuing an M.D./Ph.D.program.

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; 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 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 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 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, 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, was named a Udall Scholar.

In 2004-05, Tina Marie George, named above, became Scranton’s sixth Truman Scholar. She also received a Udall Scholarship. 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 Alumni Society of The University of Scranton 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 45,000 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 promotes the interests of the University by identifying prospective students, encourages networking among its membership, provides numerous services and benefits, performs community service projects, and honors student, faculty and alumni accomplishments. These activities are coordinated through the Office of Alumni Relations (www.scranton.edu/alumni).