PROVIDENCE COLLEGE
Providence, Rhode Island
The College
Conducted under the auspices of the Order of Preachers of the Province of St. Joseph, commonly known as the Dominicans, Providence College (PC) was established in 1917. Originally a college for men, it became coeducational in 1971. The College's full-time undergraduate enrollment is 3,700 students. Approximately 1,800 students live in nine residential halls and a suite-style residence facility, and an additional 900 upperclass students are housed in one of the five College apartment complexes. The remainder of the students live in apartments directly off campus or commute from home. At the graduate level, the College offers M.A., M.S., M.Ed., M.B.A., and Ph.D. degree programs.
The Slavin Center, as the nucleus of student, social, cultural, and recreational activity, provides numerous facilities. They include lounges; McPhail's Entertainment Facility; a newly renovated dining facility; club offices; an ATM machine; a bookstore/gift shop; the Student Activities, Involvement, and Leadership Office (SAIL); and offices for the Student Congress, the Board of Programmers, student publications, and the Career Services Office.
The Peterson Recreation Center is the site of intramural athletic activities on campus, in which more than 80 percent of the students participate. The center has five convertible basketball, tennis, and volleyball courts; a 220-yard track; three racquetball courts; a 25-meter pool; and an aerobics room. Providence College has a fine tradition of competition in intercollegiate athletics, and it continues to play an active role through its membership in the NCAA, RIRW, ECAC, Hockey East Conference, and Big East Conference. Additional on-campus sports facilities include Alumni Hall, Schneider Arena, three large fields and recreational areas, and a new artificial turf field for varsity, club, and intramural sports.
Location
The College is situated on a 105-acre campus in the city of Providence, Rhode Island. It has the advantages of an atmosphere far removed from the traffic and commerce of the metropolitan area but is also conveniently located near the many cultural attractions of a vibrant city that is not only the capital of a historic state but the center of a variety of institutions of higher learning. Providence College has an established relationship with the Tony Awardwinning Trinity Square Repertory Company, located in downtown Providence. Trinity provides special discount rates for students for the full spectrum of its programs. The Providence Performing Arts Center, originally a movie palace, has been restored to its former baroque splendor and now serves as the site of symphony concerts, opera, ballet, and road shows of Broadway musicals. In addition, the Dunkin' Donuts Civic Center attracts well-known performers and rock groups, trade shows, and sports events. The center is also the home court of the Friars, PC's basketball team. A Providence College ID enables students to travel free on any RIPTA bus route throughout Rhode Island.
Majors and Degrees
Providence College offers the B.A. degree with major programs of study in American studies, art and art history, biology, business economics, chemistry, economics, education (elementary/special and secondary), English, global studies, history, humanities, mathematics, modern languages, music/music education (K12), philosophy, political science, psychology, public and community service studies, social science, social work, sociology, theater arts, and theology. The B.S. degree is offered with major programs of study in accountancy, applied physics, biochemistry, biology, chemistry, combined biology/optometry (3-4 program), computer science, engineering (3-2 program), finance, health policy and management, management, and marketing. The College also offers a 4+1 B.A./B.S./M.B.A. program for qualified students.
Academic Programs
The primary objective of Providence College is to further the intellectual development of its students through the disciplines of the sciences and the humanities. The liberal education provided by the College gives students the chance to increase their ability to formulate their thoughts and communicate them to others, evaluate their varied experiences, and achieve insight into the past, present, and future of civilization. The College is concerned about preparing students to become intelligent, productive, and responsible citizens in a democratic society. To this end, it endeavors not only to develop the students' capacity for disciplined thinking and critical exactness but also to give them opportunities for healthy physical development and a wide range of activities that foster a sense of social responsibility. The College's programs are also designed to help students discover their particular aptitude and prepare them to undertake specialized studies leading to careers.
Students are required to complete a total of 116 credit hours in the core curriculum, in a selected major, and in electives. The core curriculum is built around a broad range of disciplines, and 20 semester hours are allotted to study of the development of Western civilization, 6 to social science, 6 to philosophy, 6 to religion, 6 to natural science, 3 to mathematics, and 3 to the fine arts. All undergraduates must demonstrate proficiency in writing by the end of the sophomore year as part of the College's core curriculum requirements. Special academic programs offered to enhance the educational experience and allow for a variety of interests, including double majors, individualized programs, nondepartmental courses, liberal arts honors, preprofessional medical and legal programs, the Early Identification Program (offered to Rhode Island residents in cooperation with Brown University Medical School), and Army ROTC.
The College participates in the Advanced Placement Program administered by the College Board. Students who demonstrate superior performance (a score of 4 or 5) on any of the Advanced Placement examinations are considered for advanced placement and standing in the area of study in which they qualify.
Providence College recognizes credit earned through the International Baccalaureate (I.B.), an internationally recognized curriculum and examination program. The College recognizes the Higher Level examinations when a score of 5, 6, or 7 has been achieved. Each examination that is successfully passed in the Higher Level of the I.B. program earns 3 credits.
PC operates on a two-semester calendar. Fall-semester classes begin in early September and spring-semester classes begin in mid-January.
Off-Campus Programs
For more than twenty-five years, Providence College has encouraged qualified students to consider the advantages of study abroad. Committed to offering students a comprehensive opportunity for a truly liberal education, the Study Abroad Office extends an invitation to all interested first-year and sophomore students to explore the possibilities for enriching their undergraduate education through a sojourn abroad. Providence College is one of the few institutions to have study-abroad arrangements with both Oxford University and Cambridge University in England. Students may also choose from the University of Glasgow in Scotland; Trinity College and University College in Dublin and National University of Ireland in Galway, Ireland; the University of Salamanca in Spain; and the University of Fribourg in Switzerland. In addition, the College offers a direct exchange program with Kansai-Gaidai University in Japan. The Study Abroad Office may be able to make other opportunities available for study abroad when the PC-sponsored programs are not suited to individual academic needs. In recent years, PC students have studied abroad in Rome, Florence, Salzburg, Madrid, Cannes, Paris, London, and Sydney. The Washington Semester is also an option for students, allowing them to enrich their education by spending one semester of academic study and experiential learning at American University in Washington, D.C.
Academic Facilities
The Phillips Memorial Library, which has received two national architectural awards for its design, is the center of intellectual activity at the College. PC's library is an electronic resource complete with radio frequency technology, a wireless network, electronic classrooms, and the second largest electronic database access in the state. The library has current holdings of 354,000 volumes in open stacks and seating accommodations for 750 students. Phillips Library also houses various faculty offices, reading and rare book rooms, archives, the Department of English, and the Office of Academic Services. The library is a member of the Consortium of Rhode Island Academic and Research Libraries, through which the resources of most of the libraries in the state are accessible to Providence College students. Located in Accino Hall and Koffler Hall are the College's academic microcomputer laboratories, which serve the computer instruction and research needs of faculty members and students. The College's state-of-the-art science laboratories, computer workstations, and research facilities are located in the Albertus Magnus-Sowa-Hickey Science Complex. The Feinstein Academic Center is a newly renovated academic facility that is the home of the Feinstein Institute for Public Service Program, the Liberal Arts Honors Program, and the Center for Teaching Excellence. The comprehensive new Smith Center for the Arts features a theater, a concert hall, a dance studio, a black-box theater, music practice rooms, and scenery and costume shops.
Costs
The total costs for the 200405 academic year are tuition, $23,180; room, $4645; and board, $4250 (seven-day plan). Books, travel, and personal supplies are estimated to cost $1500.
Financial Aid
Providence College's financial aid is distributed on the basis of demonstrated need and the student's ability to benefit from the educational opportunity the assistance offers. To apply for financial aid, candidates who are applying for Early Action must submit a College Scholarship Service PROFILE application by December 1 and the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by January 7. Students applying for Regular Decision must submit both the College Scholarship Service PROFILE application and the FAFSA by February 1. Upon final determination of students' need, the Office of Financial Aid constructs aid packages consisting of work, loan, and grant assistance in accordance with federal regulations, the availability of funds, and institutional policy as approved by the College's Financial Aid Advisory Committee. Sources of financial aid include Federal Work-Study awards, Federal Perkins Loans, Federal Pell Grants, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants (FSEOG), Providence College grants-in-aid, Providence College Achievement Scholarships, and Merit Scholarships.
Faculty
The faculty consists of 262 full-time and 75 visiting and adjunct professors, approximately 10 percent of whom are Dominican fathers and sisters. The majority of PC instructors teach both undergraduate- and graduate-level courses; no graduate students or student assistants teach at either level. About 90 percent of the faculty members hold terminal degrees. All professors devote their time primarily to teaching and advising undergraduates; all students are assigned a faculty adviser in their major area. The student-faculty ratio is 13:1.
Student Government
The Student Congress represents the students in its emphasis upon lifestyles and student prerogatives. Its officers are elected annually by the entire student community, and representatives are elected by each class. The Student Congress has created the Providence College Bill of Rights, the most significant of its legislative actions. Student representatives are appointed annually by the Student Congress to all standing committees of the College. The Student Congress has primary responsibility for the allocation of $125,500 in student activity funds to support most student-run organizations.
Admission Requirements
The admission committee gives recognition to students with various talents, backgrounds, and geographic origins. Admission decisions are made without regard to race, color, sex, handicap, age, or national or ethnic origin. An estimate of the applicant's character and accomplishments by his or her college adviser in secondary school and an official transcript of the secondary school record should be sent to the College no later than November 1 for Early Action and January 15 for Regular Decision. The secondary school transcript should consist of courses of a substantially college-preparatory nature. Although individual cases may vary, the College recommends that a student complete 4 years of English, 4 years of mathematics, 3 of foreign language, at least 2 of laboratory sciences, and 2 of social sciences. Three additional units may be taken in any subjects that meet the secondary school's requirements for graduation. Applicants are encouraged to submit letters of recommendation and evaluation from their secondary school teachers, especially from English teachers. Letters of recommendation from people who know the applicant personally and who have been involved in his or her scholastic development are most valuable. Applicants are also required to submit their official scores on the College Board's Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT I). In addition, the admission committee recommends the submission of SAT II: Subject Test scores on the WriDting Test and on two other tests of the applicant's choice (preferably in subject areas that the student plans to study in college). Information concerning these tests may be obtained from a high school guidance office; the College Board, Box 592, Princeton, New Jersey 08541, or by visiting the College Board's Web site at http://www.collegeboard.com. In lieu of SAT I scores, applicants may submit scores on the ACT Assessment of American College Testing. For more information about these tests, prospective students should contact American College Testing, P.O. Box 168, Iowa City, Iowa 52240.
Application and Information
Providence College accepts the Common Application. The deadlines for receiving applications for the September term are November 1 for Early Action and January 15 for Regular Decision. Transfer students must file an application by April 1. The deadlines for receiving applications for the January term are November 1 for freshmen applicants and December 1 for transfer students.
Further information may be obtained by contacting:
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