Saint Vincent College
Latrobe, PA
Saint Vincent College is an educational community rooted in the tradition of the Catholic faith, the heritage of Benedictine monasticism, and the love of values inherent in the liberal approach to life and learning. Its mission is to provide quality undergraduate and graduate education for men and women to enable them to integrate their professional aims with the broader purposes of human life. The programs, activities, and encounters that make up student life at Saint Vincent College encourage the intellectual gifts, professional aptitudes, and personal aspirations of students to mature harmoniously.
General Information
Saint Vincent College is a coeducational, Catholic, liberal arts college sponsored by the Benedictine Monks of Saint Vincent Archabbey, the first Benedictine foundation in the United States, founded in 1846.
Saint Vincent College is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools.
Location: 200 acre suburban campus in Unity Twp. near Latrobe, 40 miles east of Pittsburgh on U.S. Route 30 East.
Travel to SVC via the Pennsylvania Turnpike (exits 67, 75, or 91, old exit numbers 7, 8 or 9), Arnold Palmer Regional Airport, Westmoreland County Transit Authority or Amtrak.
For a faculty member committed to undergraduate or graduate teaching, Saint Vincent College is a great place to work. As you investigate whether Saint Vincent College is the right place for you, a few locations on the Web will help you learn more about us and about living in Southwestern Pennsylvania.
Saint Vincent is located on the edge of Latrobe in a picturesque rural setting. Faculty members tend to live in Latrobe, Greensburg (the county seat and largest community in Westmoreland county, about seven miles west of campus), or Ligonier (a very charming small community, about 10 miles east of campus). There is also a wealth of information about the area on the Tribune-Review and Pittsburgh Post-Gazette websites.
The quality of life in Westmoreland County is very good. Our immediate neighborhood, the Laurel Highlands, offers some wonderful opportunities for outdoor recreation including everything from mountain biking, hiking, snow skiing in winter and whitewater rafting in the summer. Nearby are some notable historical sites and destinations of cultural significance such as Frank Lloyd Wright's famous "Falling Water." The Palace Theater in Greensburg is a local venue for the performing arts, including a regional symphony orchestra. We also have our own Saint Vincent Theatre that generally produces three shows per summer season. The Westmoreland Mall on the eastern side of Greensburg is a major regional shopping mall. Those few things you can't find in the Latrobe-Greensburg area will surely be in Pittsburgh - only 40 miles away. Among other Pittsburgh attractions, you'll find some outstanding museums, fabulous performing arts - including the world-class Pittsburgh Symphony, and a fascinating set of neighborhoods to explore. Pittsburgh has a great sports tradition and the pro teams are a pride of the region. Saint Vincent hosts the summer training camp for the Pittsburgh Steelers football team and you'll find hundreds of fans on campus every late July and August!
Most studies show the cost of living in Southwestern Pennsylvania to be slightly below the national average cost of living and quite reasonable compared to much of the Eastern U.S. If you'd like to get a sense of the cost of housing, try a search in realtor.com for Westmoreland County including "Latrobe" "Unity Township" and "Greensburg." For a sense of rental housing options and cost within Westmoreland county, check the on-line classified advertising on the Tribune-Review website.
The Latrobe area offers good schools - both public and parochial. These websites provide information for the Greater Latrobe Public Schools, Christ the Divine Teacher (K-8) Catholic School in Latrobe, Aquinas Academy (Catholic K-8) in Greensburg and Greensburg Central Catholic High School. The State of Pennsylvania recently commissioned an assessment study of all public school districts in the state. The study, conducted by Standard & Poor's, is found at http://www.standardandpoors.com/home/en/us click on Pennsylvania, log in, and select "Greater Latrobe". Other nearby public districts include: Derry Area, Ligonier Valley, Hempfield Area, and Greensburg-Salem.
There are several transportation options for travel into and out of the Latrobe area. The campus is less than a mile from U.S. Route 30 just over 10 miles from the Pennsylvania turnpike. The Arnold Palmer Airport (LBE) in Latrobe, just a few miles from campus, is served by Northwest Airlines with daily flights to their hub in Detroit. A wide range of airlines, including several low cost carriers, serve the Pittsburgh International Airport (airport code: PIT). Driving time from Latrobe to the Pittsburgh airport is about an hour and 15 minutes but can be more depending on route and traffic in Pittsburgh. There is Amtrak service daily in Latrobe and Greensburg. To the east, Amtrak serves Philadelphia, New York, and Washington D.C. and to the west the route goes to Chicago with a change of trains in Pittsburgh. There is regional bus service throughout Westmoreland County and public transportation is an option to reach campus (Route 9).
In addition to the college, the campus houses Saint Vincent Archabbey, the oldest Benedictine Abbey in the U.S., and Saint Vincent Seminary - which offers graduate degrees in theological studies, including preparation for the Roman Catholic priesthood, and the Saint Vincent Basilica Parish, one of the oldest (1790) Catholic parishes in Western Pennsylvania. Saint Vincent Archabbey is one of the largest communities of Benedictine men in the U.S.
Majors, Minors and Other Programs: http://www.stvincent.edu/Majors_and_Programs/Majors_and_Programs/Majors_and_Programs/
Programs of study include anthropology, art (art history, graphic arts, studio arts and art education), biochemistry, biology, business administration (accounting, environmental administration, finance, and management), chemistry, communication, computing and information science, economics education certification (early childhood, elementary and secondary), engineering (3/2), English, environmental chemistry, fine arts, French, general administration of justice, German, history, international studies, liberal arts, mathematics, music (music education, music history and music performance), philosophy, physics, physics education, political science, pre-health professions (pre-chiropractic, pre-dental, pre-optometry, pre-osteopathy, pre-veterinary), pre-law, psychology, psychology/education, public administration, public policy analysis, religious education, religious studies-Catholic theology, sociology, Spanish and theatre.
Cooperative programs in law (J.D.), occupational therapy (M.O.T.), pharmacy (Pharm.D.), physical therapy (M.P.T.), and physician assistant (M.P.A.) are offered in cooperation with Duquesne University. Saint Vincent College's approach to education is rooted in a core curriculum that provides all students with a broad-based education which provides a general body of knowledge in the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences and mathematics, an interdisciplinary view of that knowledge base, and the skills to increase that general body of knowledge throughout their lives.
Faculty
The Saint Vincent faculty totals 207. Nearly 75% have earned doctorates or terminal degrees at such schools as Catholic University, Cornell, Ecole Biblique, Notre Dame, Stanford, University of California, University of Chicago, and Yale. The student to faculty ratio is 13 to 1.
Students
Total Undergraduate Enrollment (Fall 2007): 1,705 (1,601 full time, 104 part time; 854 men, 851 women). More than three fourths of full time students reside on campus.
• Total graduate enrollment: 219
• Students come from 27 U.S. states/territories and 22 foreign countries.
• 105 (5%) students (undergraduate and graduate) represent minority groups.
• Entering Freshmen (Fall 2007): 424 (SAT 25th and 75th percentiles: 980 and 1170
• 24% of students were in the top 10% of their high school graduating classes.
• Freshman to Sophomore Retention: 83.6%
• 4-Year Graduation Rate: 63.8%
• 6-Year Graduation Rate: 69.9%
Student Outcomes
Degrees Conferred in 2006: 315
% of 2004 grads employed, pursuing advanced degrees, or pursuing other continuing professional education: 97% (75% employed; 19% pursuing advanced degrees, 3% pursuing other continuing professional education).
Acceptance rates to professional schools: law, 100%; medical, 70%; dental, osteopathy, physical therapy, podiatry, pharmacy and veterinary, 95-100%; 3/2 engineering, 100%.
Rankings and Honors
Saint Vincent College's quality educational programs have earned national recognition repeatedly by U.S. News and World Report's Annual Guide to America's Best Colleges, National Review College Guide to America's Top Liberal Arts Colleges, Barron's 300 Best Buys in College Education and U.S. News and World Report's Guide to Best College Values among others.
Saint Vincent is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools and occupies a 200 acre suburban campus in Unity Township, near Latrobe, Pennsylvania, 40 miles east of Pittsburgh on U.S. Route 30 East.
Alumni
Saint Vincent takes special pride in its nearly 12,000 alumni who live in all 50 states and 28 foreign countries. They serve society in the fields of business management, education, finance, medicine, religion, law, government, sales, engineering, computer technology and many others.
Athletics
Bearcat and Lady Bearcat Sports
Saint Vincent athletes compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III in the President's Athletic Conference.
• Men - Baseball, Basketball, Cross Country, Fencing (club), Football (fall 2007), Golf, Ice Hockey (club), Lacrosse, Soccer, Swimming and Tennis and Track.
• Women - Basketball, Cross Country, Fencing (club), Field Hockey, Golf, Lacrosse, Soccer, Softball, Swimming, Tennis, Volleyball, and Equestrian (club).
• Intramurals - Aerobics, Basketball, Deck Hockey, Flag Football, Softball, Table Tennis, Ultimate Frisbee, Volleyball, and Weightlifting.
• Recreational Facilities - Baseball field, fitness center/exercise room, fitness trail, football field, gymnasium, lacrosse field, soccer field, softball field, swimming pool, tennis courts and weight room.
Special Programs
Academic Honor Societies, A.J. Palumbo Student Research Endowment Grants, Certificate Programs, Continuing Education, Cooperative Education and Internship, Elizabeth and Tom Andreoli (C'56, Sc.D. '87 [hon]) Traveling Scholar Awards, Environmental Education, George Washington Fellowships, Honors Program, Independent Study, Interdisciplinary Writing, John L. Pollock Student Research Award, Study Abroad, Summer Sessions, many others.
Student Clubs and Activities
Broadcasting Group, Campus Ministry, College Democrats, College Republicans, Concert Series, Dream Keepers, Fine Arts, Habitat for Humanity, Health and Fitness, lectures, newspaper, Outdoors Club, Pep Band, Pre-Law, Respect for Life, Ski Club, Student Government Association, Theatre, yearbook, many others.
Physical Resources
Saint Vincent Library - 268,324 books, serial backfiles and government documents accessible through on-line catalog; 791 current periodicals, newspapers, and government documents; 98,880 microforms; 3,966 video and audio titles; rare book collection.
Specialized Laboratories - astronomy, ecology, genetics, geology, human anatomy, life sciences, microbiology, optics, organic chemistry, physiology, others.
Prep Hall Instructional Technology Resource Center - state-of-the-art teaching and learning facility including multimedia classrooms and lab.
Computer Network - Saint Vincent's campus computer network combines fiber-optic cabling between buildings at gigabit speeds and Cat 5 wiring at 100 megabit speeds within buildings. There are nearly 2500 network drops throughout the 16 buildings on campus. In addition, wireless access is provided in the Science buildings, Prep Hall, Library, McKenna School, Alfred Hall 4th Floor, Saint Benedict Hall lobby, Brownfield Center and the Carey Student Center. Further deployment of wireless access is planned. There are 24 technology-equipped classrooms as well as technology-equipped meeting rooms. Student/computer ratio (based on public access computer labs): 6/1. Saint Vincent is also supported with a campus-wide fiber-optic network for the cable television system. Premium services, including cable-modem Internet access, are available through the local CATV provider. A new digital phone system has been implemented with a fiber-optic network throughout campus. The campus also is supported with a voice activated automated telephone attendant. The Science building has a 6-node computing cluster for research in the Bioinformatics field.
Other Academic Resources - astronomy observatory, computer laboratories, planetarium, radiotelescope, videoteleconferencing center, television production studio.
Saint Vincent Gallery - Changing exhibitions throughout the year and permanent collection comprised of several hundred works of art by world renowned artists including Matisse, Picasso, Renoir, Roualt, Toulouse-Lautrec, Andrew Wyeth and others.
Residence Halls - Accommodations available for 1,280 on campus in Bonaventure, Gerard, Rooney, Wimmer and Saint Benedict Halls.
Annual Costs for 2006-07
• Tuition: $23,456
• Room and Board: $7,580
• % of students receiving aid (from all sources): 90%
For Further Information
College Operator: 724 532-6600
Human Resources: 724-805-2900
E-mail: info@stvincent.edu
Home Page: www.stvincent.edu
Mailing address: 300 Fraser Purchase Road
Latrobe, PA 15650-2690
Saint Vincent College subscribes to a policy of equal opportunity and does not discriminate against any individual on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, age, veteran status, ethnic origin or disability in any of its programs, activities or employment decisions. Opened positions require the incumbent to be able to fully embrace the unique mission and identity of the College as a Catholic, Benedictine liberal arts institution. Saint Vincent College is committed to diversity and encourages applications from all qualified candidates.
PLEASE NOTE: Background checks will be performed on all new faculty, staff and adjunct positions hired beginning July 1, 2008. Employment is conditional upon satisfactory background checks and clearances.
