Nazareth College (New York)

History

Founding
At the request of Bishop Thomas Francis Hickey of Rochester, five Sisters of St. Joseph founded Nazareth College or Rochester in 1924. The first class was composed of 25 young women who began their studies in a large mansion on Lake Avenue in Rochester, New York. The original mansion that housed the college was known as "the Glass House." At that time, the college offered Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degrees, each with a liberal arts core. In response to increasing enrollment, the college moved to a larger facility in 1928 at 402 Augustine Street.

Move to East Avenue
In January 1942, the college moved to its present campus on East Avenue in the suburb of Pittsford. In the 1950s, the college responded to the need for graduate study by adding majors and by the 1970s offered programs in teacher education and social work. Study abroad programs and intercollegiate sports were also added in the 1970s. During this time, the college became co-educational and independent of the Roman Catholic Church.

Nazareth competed in men’s intercollegiate athletics for the first time in 1977. The official nickname of the sports teams became the Golden Flyers — golden for the Nazareth color, and flyers for the bird-like symbol that was part of the Nazareth logo. Today, Nazareth supports 24 varsity and 1 junior varsity sports teams, the most recent, added in 2012, men’s ice hockey.

Expansion
In the early 2000s, the college purchased adjacent land from the Sisters of St. Joseph, including the former Motherhouse and Infirmary. This acquisition doubled the campus size to its current 150 acres. As a result of generous support from college benefactors (including Tom Golisano, the founder of Paychex), the Motherhouse became the Golisano Academic Center. The Infirmary is now George Hall, a residence that also houses Colie's, a popular spot for coffeehouses and late night study. The decade of the 2000s also saw the construction of new state-of-the-art residence halls, including Portka Hall and Clock Tower Commons, and Lyons and Breen apartment buildings.

In 2003, 30 years after becoming religiously independent, Nazareth College was removed from The Official Catholic Directory, having been declared no longer a Catholic institution by Rochester Bishop Matthew H. Clark. It was the second time since Pope John Paul II issued Ex Corde Ecclesiae, the apostolic constitution on Catholic universities in 1990, a bishop declared a historically Catholic college or university to be not Catholic.

Today, Nazareth College is described as "maintaining many favorable connections with the founding congregation" but "inclusive, non-denominational, comprehensive" (History of Nazareth College, Nazareth College Archives). The College's Center for Spirituality staff and student leaders provide worship, ministry, and educational opportunities for people of various faiths, traditions, and beliefs.

The Nazareth College Arts Center reopened in the Fall of 2009 after a $10.5 million renovation project. Major changes were made to the stage, which is now a hybrid (proscenium-thrust) stage with a modified fly system.

Peckham Hall, the Integrated Center for Math and Science, opened in 2012. Named after lead donors Nancy and Larry Peckham, the $30 million facility supports majors in math and science fields, as well as future teachers of math and science. It also provides important learning facilities for students in health and human services programs.

The new York Wellness and Rehabilitation Institute opened in 2015. This extensive renovation/expansion of Carroll Hall consolidated and doubled the size of the clinics associated with the School of Health and Human Services and added collaboration space.

Academics

Nazareth College is organized into four core schools:

Nazareth offers more than 60 four-year undergraduate programs, more than 20 master's degree programs, a Doctorate of Physical Therapy, and three post-baccaulaureate certificate programs. Description of each program.

Undergraduate Majors and Programs

Accounting, Acting, American Studies, Anthropology, Art Education, Art History, Art (Studio Art), Art (Visual Communication Design), Biochemistry, Biology, Biomedical Sciences, Business Management, Chemistry, Chinese, Clinical Laboratory Sciences, Communication and Media, Communication Sciences and Disorders (Speech Therapy), Community Youth Development, Dance Studies, Economics, Education (Adolescence Education, Early Childhood and Elementary), Education (Special Education), English, Environmental Science and Sustainability, Finance, French, German, Guided Exploration of Majors (for undeclared majors) History, International and Global Studies, Italian, Law (3+3 with Syracuse U.), Legal Studies, Marketing, Mathematics, Modern Foreign Languages, Museums, Archives, and Public History, Music, Music/Business, Music Education, Music Performance, Music Therapy, Musical Theatre, Nursing, Nursing Accelerated Weekend R.N. to B.S., Occupational Therapy, Peace and Justice, Philosophy, Physical Therapy, Political Science, Psychology, Public Health, Religious Studies, Social Science, Social Work, Sociology, Spanish, Technical Production, Theatre Arts, Toxicology, Undeclared program, Women and Gender Studies.

Graduate Programs American Studies, Art Education, Art Therapy, Educational Technology Specialist, ESOL (post-master's certification program), Higher Education Student Affairs Administration, Human Resource Development, Human Resource Management, Inclusive Adolescence Education (to teach grades 7-12), Inclusive Childhood Education (to teach grades 1-6), Inclusive Early Childhood Education (to teach birth-grade 2), Integrated Marketing Communications, Literacy Specialist, Management, Music Education, Music Therapy, Performance and Pedagogy, Physical Therapy, Social Work, Speech-Language Pathology, TESOL (with and without N.Y. state teaching certification)

Core curriculum

Termed the uncommon core, Nazareth's liberal arts foundation was revamped in 2013. Introductory courses are framed around real-world questions. Experiential learning gets students out of the classroom. Students choose a cluster of three integrated courses and create a digital portfolio showing their work, the connections they've made across disciplines, and their skills such as critical thinking and communication.

Fulbright Program at Nazareth

Honors Program

Clinton Global Initiative University

In fall 2013, Nazareth College joined the Clinton Global Initiative University Network (CGI U), a consortium of colleges and universities that support, mentor, and provide seed funding to student leaders who are developing solutions to the world's most pressing challenges. In 2014 and 2015, CGI U selected a total of 19 students from Nazareth College to attend its three-day international conference, based on the strength of the projects they proposed in health, education, youth empowerment, and the environment.

Campus

Nazareth College Arts Center

Renovated in 2009, the Nazareth College Arts Center is a state-of-the-art venue with spaces including:

The Nazareth College Arts Center is the home of Bach Children’s Chorus as well as the performance home of Rochester City Ballet and Garth Fagan Dance. The Arts Center houses the Nazareth College departments of Art, Music, and Theatre Arts.

Hickey Center for Interfaith Studies and Dialogue

The Center for Interfaith Studies and Dialogue (CISD) at Nazareth College was founded in 2005. In 2011, the International Institute of Islamic Thought (IIIT) of Herndon, Virginia offered Nazareth a major gift, provided it was matched by local donors. Brian and Jean Hickey matched this gift, resulting in renaming the center the Hickey Center for Interfaith Studies and Dialogue at Nazareth College. The endowed chair of the Center was left to the IIIT, and they selected Dr. Muhammad Shafiq, who was imam of the Islamic Center of Rochester, the Rochester metropolitan area's largest mosque. The Center is part of Nazareth’s College of Arts and Sciences and located in the Golisano Academic Center. It has been a leader in advancing the power of dialogue and teaching students and members of the community strategies for living peacefully in a religiously diverse world. Dr. Muhammad Shafiq is the executive director of the Hickey Center for Interfaith Studies and Dialogue and a professor of Islamic and religious studies at the college.

Casa Italiana

The Casa Italiana (Italian House) is a center of Italian language, literature, and culture. It serves as a cultural center for the college and the Rochester metropolitan area. Built with the help of the Italian-American community of greater Rochester in 1978, the Casa promotes traditional and contemporary Italian culture, explores the Italian-American experience, and seeks to enhance exchanges between the United States and Italy. The reading room at the Casa provides the college and the community with language and culture resources, and the classroom provides an environment in which students and community members can study the Italian language. Cultural events organized by the Casa include lectures, cooking and language classes, film nights, conferences, concerts, seminars, symposia, bocce tournaments, art shows, and trips to Italy.

Maison Française

La Maison Française (French House) is a home converted into a cultural center and residence hall for 13 selected foreign language majors. The French House offers a living environment and resource center for students who wish to immerse themselves in French culture and practice speaking French. La Maison Française also offers a line-up of cultural events throughout the year. Such gatherings, which include French film nights, cultural and historical lectures, reader’s theater showcases, Francophone regional dinners and campus diversity dinners, occur on Thursday evenings and are prepared by the French department and the house residents.

Casa Hispana

At the heart of the Spanish program is the Casa Hispana, a lively place where students and community members enjoy films, conversation, art exhibitions, and a variety of events relating to the culture of Spain and the Latin American countries. The Casa also houses the offices of the Spanish program faculty, a library, and classrooms.

Rankings

Athletics

Nazareth's men's and women's athletic teams are members of the National Collegiate Athletic Association's Division III. The Golden Flyers are a member of the Empire 8 Athletic Conference (Empire 8); for men's volleyball, Nazareth is a member of the single-sport United Volleyball Conference. Athletic facilities at Nazareth include the Robert A. Kidera Gymnasium (1,200) and Golden Flyer Stadium (2,200).

Men's sports include basketball, cross country, equestrian, golf, ice hockey, lacrosse, soccer, swimming & diving, tennis, track & field, and volleyball; while women's sports include basketball, cross country, equestrian, field hockey, golf, lacrosse, soccer, softball, swimming & diving, tennis, track & field, and volleyball.

The Nazareth men's lacrosse team is a three-time NCAA Division III National Champion (1992, 1996, and 1997). The team has also appeared in the NCAA postseason tournament nineteen times. In 2011, the Nazareth men's indoor volleyball team achieved a #1 national ranking and won the Molten Division III National Championship, while in 2013 they finished runner-up in the NCAA Division III championship to Springfield.

Nazareth College's traditional rival is St. John Fisher College, just a mile to the north. The annual men's basketball game between the schools is known as "The Battle of the Beaks."

Community service

Nazareth College has a strong reputation in the Rochester area for community service. More than 95 percent of students are involved in community service through academic service-learning, student organizations, athletics, and residence life. Nazareth is one of the few schools to have an on-campus Center for Civic Engagement, a resource for students, staff and faculty who want to learn and serve in the context of the local, regional, national and global communities. The Center is also a point of contact for community members seeking College involvement with local organizations, programs and projects. The school also has a campus ministry program to connect students to various volunteer organizations. In addition, over 60% of alumni are known to participate regularly in community service. In 2007, the college was named to the President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll (with distinction). And in 2013, Nazareth was only one of five schools in the country named to the 2013 President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll, the highest honor a college or university can receive, at the federal level, for its commitment to volunteering, service-learning, and civic engagement.

Alumni

Nazareth has more than 30,800 alumni residing in all 50 states and 38 countries around the world.

Notable Nazareth alumni include:

Traditions and lore