College of Our Lady of the Elms

College of Our Lady of the Elms

Mission Statement The College of Our Lady of the Elms, a Catholic college, educates a diverse group of women and men in a supportive, vibrant learning community. Combining a liberal arts education with professional studies, empowers students to effect positive changes in the community and in the world. Affirming the founding tradition of the Sisters of St. Joseph, challenges students to embrace change without compromising principle, to respond creatively to the demands of their chosen careers, and to advocate for people in need. is a community rooted in faith, educated in mind, compassionate in heart, and responsive to civic and social obligations. Faith Core Values, empowered by love and faith, welcomes all, while seeking to promote the traditions of our founders, the Sisters of St. Joseph, through programs that challenge all members of the college community, spiritually, ethically and intellectually. Community commits to compassion and relationship building, in an atmosphere of mutual respect and trust, creating a sense of belonging for the entire campus community. This encourages us to respond to the needs of others, in a spirit of hospitality, within and beyond the college. Justice aspires to the highest standards of social responsibility as an institution and is committed to instilling values of equal opportunity and justice in our college community. Individually and collectively, we are dedicated to pursuing the common good and to improving the lives of all people. Excellence fosters excellence in our students and in our community by educating the whole individual, intellectually, spiritually, emotionally and physically. We challenge each other to realize our full potential to impact the world though our knowledge and enhanced skills.

The History of The College of Our Lady of the Elms (), founded in 1928 by the Sisters of St. Joseph, is a Catholic, liberal arts, coeducational college. is a regional institutional with most of our students coming from the Northeast. Founded to educate women and aware of the importance of this tradition, the college, in 1998, opened all its programs and services to both men and women. The college combines a liberal arts tradition with a parallel commitment to professional preparation. Our five largest programs are nursing, business and accounting, social work, education and communication sciences and disorders. The College offers degrees at the associate (AA), baccalaureate (BA, BS), master s (MS, MAAT, MBA, MSN, MEd, MAT) and doctorate (Doctor of Nursing Practice, DNP) levels and certificates at the post-master s level in education and communication sciences and disorders. In addition to accreditation by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, we have program-specific accreditation from the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (education), the Collegiate Commission of Nurse Educators (nursing), the American Bar Association (paralegal studies), the Council for Social Work Education (social work) and the International Assembly of Collegiate Business Education (business). As has been the case over our 87-year history, the majority of students at are in undergraduate degree programs, primarily bachelor degrees, but the College also offers two associate degree programs in paralegal studies and speech-language pathology assistant. New undergraduate bachelor s degree programs implemented since 2008 include Sport Management, Criminal Justice and Digital Communications. An Accelerated Nursing program was added to the program list in 2011, and a Doctor of Nursing Practice was added in the fall of 2014. In addition to our traditional four-year programs, we have expanded our main campus and off-campus undergraduate part-time degree-completion programs, with approximately 34% of undergraduates classified as part-time students. seeks to empower students to effect positive change in the community and the world by combining a liberal arts education with professional studies. Drawing upon traditions that are instilled in the College by our founders, the Sisters of St. Joseph, the mission statement seeks to present the institution as a community where students are challenged to become socially responsive and intellectually engaged citizens of the 21st century. believes that the liberal arts core provides the foundation to achieve these outcomes, and in so doing, seeks to provide excellent classroom instruction across all disciplines.

Fast Facts Co-educational Catholic Liberal Arts College National Rankings: ranked mong the best Catholic colleges by BestColleges.com; 19th in affordability among Money Magazine s highest ranked 150 private colleges; in top 25 Best Regional Colleges in the North in the U.S. News World Report 2015 rankings Location: Chicopee, Massachusetts 2 miles north of downtown Springfield, 25 minutes from Bradley International Airport, 90 minutes from Boston, 2.5 hours from New York City Student-faculty ratio: 13:1 Campus: 26 acres Enrollment 1005 full-time undergraduates 712 part-time and graduate students Over 86% freshman retention rate Top 10 Undergraduate Majors 1. Nursing 2. Business and Accounting 3. Social Work 4. Education 5. Communication Sciences and Disorders 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. Psychology Biology Sociology Criminal Justice and Legal Studies Computer Information Technology Class of 2019 61% residents, 39% commuters 2015-16 Tuition: Undergraduate tuition is $30,768 2015-16 Room and Board: $11,708 2015-16 Comprehensive Fees: $1,512 for residents, $1,284 for commuters 2014-15 Financial Aid: 88% of all full-time undergraduates received financial aid. The average financial aid award (including grants, scholarships and loans) for first-time full-time students was $29,240. 11,000+ Alumni Strong: Elms alumni live in 49 states and 20 countries around the world.

Notable Events in the History of 1899 Our Lady of the Elms is founded as an academy for girls. 1902 The academy adds post-secondary courses to establish a normal school for preparing teachers. 1928 The Massachusetts legislature grants a charter to the College of Our Lady of the Elms. The Most Rev. Thomas O Leary becomes the first president. The original charter class includes 36 students. 1929 Ground is broken for the administration building, now Berchmans Hall, named for Mother John Berchmans, one of the original founders of the college. 1932 The first graduating class of 24 women receive bachelor of arts degrees. 1977 The college adds a continuing education program under the direction of Sr. Kathleen Kirley. 1978 The college adds a nursing program under the direction of Sr. Nora Harrington. 1987 The college begins a Master of Arts in Teaching program. 1990 The college begins a Master of Arts in Applied Theology program. 1997 The Board of Trustees vote to admit men to all programs beginning in September 1998. June 2007 Articulation agreement signed with Holyoke Community College. Fall 2007 Articulation agreement signed with Springfield Technical Community College. July 1, 2009 Mary Reap, IHM, Ph.D., becomes the Tenth President of. 2010 The college begins a postbaccalaureate Premedical Studies Program; the 2012 cohort achieves 100% acceptance into U.S. medical schools. Spring 2011 The college launches a Master of Business Administration program. February 2012 Articulation agreement signed with Greenfield Community College. Spring 2013 The college signs an articulation agreement with Berkshire Community College. March 2013 Articulation agreement signed with Mount Wachusett Community College. July 2013 The Division of Nursing is reorganized into the School of Nursing. October 18, 2013 Dedication held for $13.5 million Center for Natural and Health Sciences, which includes state-of-the-art facilities to support growing programs in nursing, health and physical sciences, and computer information technology. Fall 2014 Doctor of Nursing Practice degree program begins. The Division of Graduate Studies and Continuing Education is reorganized into the School of Graduate and Professional Studies. Articulation agreement signed with Quinsigamond Community College.