Quincy University

History

A small group of Franciscan friars left Germany in 1858 to serve the German-speaking population in what was then the frontier state of Illinois. In 1860, they founded the institution as St. Francis Solanus College, receiving a formal charter from the state in 1873.

The college proved to be an excellent site for the training of young Franciscan priests, and in 1917 the name was changed to the Quincy College and Seminary.

In 1932, women were admitted to the college for the first time. Until the 1960–61 school year and the construction of Centennial Hall, they were housed several blocks south of the main campus, in converted Victorian mansions that still exist today, though no longer owned by the school. One of them, Stillwell Hall, is now the Quincy Museum; the other, Bonfoy Hall, is privately owned.

In 1970 the seminary portion of the school was closed and the school renamed Quincy College. The seminary campus, a mile north of the main college campus, has since been used by the college for extra dormitory space, athletic fields, and classroom and office space. The dormitory is used as a retreat center, and the academic portion of the North Campus houses most of the Division of Mathematics and Science as well as the Music Department, performance hall, and television studio. North Campus has also been leased to local Police and 911 services.

In the late 1980s, the college began considering granting graduate degrees. It began doing so a few years later and in 1993 the college was renamed Quincy University.

Academics

Quincy University is organized into four divisions and two schools:

At the undergraduate level, QU offers a contemporary liberal arts education. Majors and concentrations include Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Arts degrees in 32 major areas of concentration. The university also offer an Associate of Science degree in Aviation, and a variety of non-degree programs.

At the graduate level, QU offers a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree, a Master of Science in Education (M.S.Ed.) degree and a Master of Theological Studies (MTS) degree.

Accreditations

Quincy University is fully accredited by The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.

The university is a member of the American Council on Education, Council of Independent Colleges, Association of Franciscan Colleges and Universities, the Associated Colleges of Illinois, the Federation of Independent Illinois Colleges and Universities, Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, Illinois Association of Colleges for Teacher Education, Illinois Association of Teacher Educators, Illinois Association for Teacher Education in Private Colleges, and the Council for Exceptional Children. Some of these organizations also accredit academic programs.

QU is a constituent member of the National Catholic Education Association of American Colleges and is affiliated with the Catholic University of America.

Distance learning

Through a partnership with The Learning House, Inc., Quincy University offers an online Bachelor in Human Services. The accelerated degree program is web-based and allows versatile learning.

Athletics

Quincy University is an NCAA Division II school and has been a part of the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) for most sports since the 1995-96 school year. Men's volleyball competes in the Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (NCAA Division I).

Notable alumni