Providence College facts for kids

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For the university in Taichung, Taiwan, see Providence University. For the college in Manitoba, Canada, see Providence University College and Theological Seminary. For the university in Great Falls, Montana, see University of Providence.

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Providence College

Latin: Collegium Providentiensis
Motto	Veritas
Motto in English	Truth
Type	Private university
Established	1917; 108 years ago (1917)
Accreditation	NECHE
Religious affiliation	Catholic (Dominican)
Academic affiliations	ACCU NAICU Space-grant
Endowment	$234 million (2019)
President	Kenneth R. Sicard
Academic staff	310 full-time ordinary 28 Dominican Friars and Sisters
Students	4,816 (Spring 2021)
Undergraduates	4,128 (Spring 2021)
Postgraduates	688 (Spring 2021)
Location	Providence , Rhode Island , United States 41°50′38″N 71°26′06″W / 41.84389°N 71.43500°W / 41.84389; -71.43500
Campus	Urban; 105 acres (.425 km²)
Colors	Providence Black, Pantone Metallic 877, and White
Nickname	Friars
Sporting affiliations	NCAA Division I – Big East Hockey East NEISA
Mascot	Friar Dom Huxley the Dalmatian

Providence College is a private Catholic university located in Providence, Rhode Island, in the United States. It was started in 1917 by the Dominican Order, a group of Catholic priests and brothers, and the local Catholic church.

The college offers many different study programs. Students can choose from 47 undergraduate (first degree) majors and 17 graduate (advanced degree) programs. All undergraduate students must take 16 credits in a special program called "Development of Western Civilization." This is a big part of the college's main courses.

In spring 2021, there were 4,128 undergraduate students and 688 graduate students. This made a total of 4,816 students.

In sports, Providence College teams are called the Friars. They play in NCAA Division I, which is the highest level of college sports. The college was a founding member of the Big East Conference. This conference is well-known for its basketball teams.

College History

How Providence College Began

Providence College was founded in 1917. It started as a school only for male students. Matthew Harkins, the Bishop of Providence, wanted to create a place for Catholic young people in Rhode Island to get a good education. The Dominican Order helped make this happen.

The college first opened with just one building, Harkins Hall. It had 71 students and nine Dominican teachers. The first president was Dennis Albert Casey, O.P. (1917–1921). Later, under President William D. Noon, O.P. (1921–1927), the college hired its first non-religious teacher. It also opened its first dorm, Guzman Hall, now called Martin Hall.

Under President Lorenzo C. McCarthy, O.P. (1927–1936), the college's sports teams got their nickname, the "Friars." Their team colors were black and white. The school had early success in basketball, football, and baseball. In 1933, the college became officially recognized by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges. By 1935, the college started giving out advanced degrees like Master of Arts and Doctor of Philosophy. That same year, the school's newspaper, The Cowl, was first published.

During World War II, the college raised money to help it grow. One special gift came from a young movie star, Judy Garland. In 1938, when she was only fifteen, she sold autographs to help raise money for a new building.

By 1939, Aquinas Hall, a new dorm, was built for more students. During World War II, fewer students enrolled. President John J. Dillon, O.P. (1936–1944) worked to get the War Department to send an Army Specialized Training Program unit to the college. Unit #1188 arrived in 1943. About 380 soldiers studied engineering at Providence College for a year before going overseas. This helped the college stay open.

Growth After World War II

Robert J. Slavin, O.P. was president from 1947 to 1961. In 1955, Providence College bought the House of Good Shepard property. This expanded the campus to Huxley Avenue. Slavin also helped start the Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) on campus in 1951. He also began the Liberal Arts Honors Program in 1957.

The college's sports teams joined the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in 1948. Before Alumni Hall opened in 1955, the men's basketball team played in local high schools. The college also hired Joe Mullaney as the men's basketball coach.

President Vincent C. Dore, O.P. (1961–1965) opened the college's graduate school. He also opened a new dorm, now called Meagher Hall. President William P. Haas, O.P. (1965–1971) opened Phillips Memorial Library in 1969.

Becoming Co-educational

In 1967, the college hired its first non-religious teachers in Theology and Philosophy. It also hired its first full-time female teacher. Two years later, the student dress code was removed. In 1970, the college decided to admit women starting in the 1971–1972 school year. The first female administrator was hired that same year. By 1975, women were taking on important roles in school groups. Anne Martha Frank was the first woman to edit The Cowl, the school newspaper. Patricia Slonina became the first woman editor of the literary magazine, The Alembic. Ana Margarita Cabrera was the first woman to edit the school yearbook, The Veritas.

President Thomas R. Peterson, O.P. (1971–1985) started the Development of Western Civilization program. In 1974, the college bought land from the former Charles V. Chapin Hospital. This split the campus into "Upper" and "Lower" sections because of a street called Huxley Avenue. In 1974, the School of Continuing Education gave out the college's first Associate's degree.

Basketball games became very popular. The Friars moved their home games to the Providence Civic Center in 1972. They made it to the Final Four with star players Ernie DiGregorio and Marvin Barnes. Two years later, the men's hockey team played its first season in their new home on campus, Schneider Arena, which opened in 1974.

As time went on, more women enrolled than men. Also, more students came from outside Rhode Island. In 1984, Peterson opened St. Thomas Aquinas Priory. This building provided housing for the growing number of Dominican priests and brothers on campus.

Continued Expansion

John F. Cunningham, O.P. (1985–1994) became president in 1985. During his time, the Friars men's hockey team won their first Hockey East Championship in 1985. They also reached the championship game of the NCAA tournament. Men's basketball was also a big focus. Coach Rick Pitino and player Billy Donovan led the Friars to their second Final Four in the 1987 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament. Cunningham used this success to build two new apartment-style dorms, Davis and Bedford Halls. These gave upperclassmen more housing choices.

Philip A. Smith, O.P. (1994–2005) became president in 1994. He saw the rise of women's sports at Providence. Several former and current students won gold medals in women's ice hockey as part of the U.S. national team at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Japan.

By 2001, a new chapel, St. Dominic Chapel, was built on campus. Three years later, two more big buildings were constructed on the "Lower" campus: Suites Hall, a new dorm, and the Smith Center for the Arts. President Brian J. Shanley, O.P. (2005–2020) oversaw the building of the Concannon Fitness Center in 2007. This was part of a big update to Alumni Hall. The Slavin Center was also renovated and expanded in 2009. In 2012, work began on the Ruane Center for the Humanities.

President Shanley also made changes to admissions. He removed the college's SAT test requirement. He also moved more scholarship money to help students who needed financial aid. This helped more diverse students afford the college. In 2008, Shanley helped create the Providence College School of Business. This led to separate Schools of Arts and Sciences and Professional Studies.

In 2018, Providence College built a new Science Complex for studying natural science. Also in 2018, the $30 million Ruane Friar Development Center (RFDC) opened. This building has many uses and helps student-athletes. It includes a new innovation lab, a bigger sports medicine center, and a fueling station for athletes.

Campus Life and Buildings

Harkins Hall (1919) was designed in the Collegiate Gothic style.

Martin Hall (1850) was designed by Thomas Alexander Tefft.

Dominic Hall (c. 1850).

The Slavin Center is the campus student union.

The college is located on a 105 acres (0.42 km²) campus in the Elmhurst neighborhood of Providence. It sits on Smith Hill, which is the highest point in the city. The campus is in a city neighborhood, about two miles west of downtown Providence.

There are three main entrances to the campus. One is at Cunningham Square (where River Avenue and Eaton Street meet). Another is on Huxley Avenue for the upper campus. The third is at the southeast corner of the lower campus, along Eaton Street.

The campus has many buildings. There are nineteen buildings for classes and offices. There are nine dorms and five apartment complexes for students. The campus also has three residences, four sports buildings, a power plant, and a security office. You can also find a Dominican cemetery, two quads (open areas), four sports fields, a swimming pool, tennis courts, an artificial turf field, and several parking areas.

In 2009, the Slavin Center, which is the student union, was updated. It added solar panels and a special water drainage system.

In 2013, the college bought Huxley Avenue. This allowed them to start a big campus improvement project. They planned to update facilities for students. By October 2015, they had started building the Arthur and Patricia Ryan Center for Business Studies. They also made Aquinas Hall more accessible for people with disabilities. Outdoor classrooms were also added.

Academics and Learning

U.S. university rankings

Forbes	264

In 2019, Providence College accepted about 47.5 percent of students who applied. The average class size is 21 students. Almost half of all classes have fewer than 20 students. There are 12 students for every teacher.

All classes are taught by full-time professors. The college offers 49 different majors and 34 minors. Most students choose to study liberal arts (like history or literature) or business. No matter what they major in, all undergraduate students must complete a core set of courses. These include classes in the Development of Western Civilization, mathematics, philosophy, theology, natural science, English, fine arts, and social science.

The Phillips Memorial Library was built in 1969. It has 242,000 books and can access 3.5 million more through a library network in Rhode Island.

Academic Schools

Providence College has four main schools:

The School of Arts & Sciences
The School of Business
The School of Education and Social Work
The School of Nursing and Health Sciences

The School of Arts & Sciences was created in 2008. It offers undergraduate degrees in social sciences, natural sciences, mathematics, humanities, and fine arts. It also has graduate programs for advanced degrees in history, biblical studies, mathematics, and theology.

The School of Business was also created in 2008. It quickly became accredited by the AACSB in 2012. This school offers four undergraduate degrees: management, finance, accountancy, and marketing. It also has graduate programs like a Master of Business Administration (MBA) and a Master of Science in Business Analytics.

The School of Professional Studies offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in education, special education, social work, and health policy.

The School of Continuing Education offers courses for people to earn an associate's degree or bachelor's degree. Programs include social sciences, theology, and liberal studies. It also has certificate programs, like the Teacher Certification Program.

Special Academic Programs

Liberal Arts Honors Program

The Liberal Arts Honors Program started in 1957. It accepts about the top 125 students in each freshman class. Students in this program can receive academic scholarships. Honors students take special Development of Western Civilization courses with smaller class sizes. They also take one or two honors-level classes in other subjects and a final honors "colloquium" course.

Development of Western Civilization

The Ruane Center for the Humanities was built in 2013 for the Development of Western Civilization program.

The Development of Western Civilization (often called "Civ" or "DWC") is a two-year program required for all students. Students take these courses during their first four semesters. The classes meet three days a week in the Ruane Center for the Humanities, a building made specifically for this program in 2013.

The class is taught by a team of professors who teach literature, theology, philosophy, or history. Students learn about Western history by reading original texts. The newer program, started in 2012, has three semesters of lectures that go in order from ancient history to modern times. The last semester is made up of different "colloquia," which are specialized courses taught by two professors. These courses are more focused on students' interests and majors.

There's a tradition called "Civ Scream" that happens the night before the DWC final exams in December and May. It's a way for students to release stress from studying for the intense course. It usually takes place in the "Quad" area between Aquinas, Meagher, and McDermott Halls. It's an unofficial gathering where students can be loud and have fun.

Student Life and Activities

Student body composition as of May 2, 2022
Race and ethnicity	Total
White	77%	77
Hispanic	10%	10
Other	5%	5
Black	3%	3
Asian	2%	2
Foreign national	2%	2
Economic diversity
Low-income	16%	16
Affluent	84%	84

Providence College has about 3,852 undergraduate students and 735 graduate students. As of 2012, 58 percent of the students are female, and 42 percent are male. Most students come from the New England states like Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and Connecticut, as well as New York and New Jersey. About one-third of new students attended Catholic high schools.

Diversity at Providence College

Providence College is working to create a welcoming environment for students from all backgrounds. In 2011, President Brian Shanley created an Office of Institutional Diversity. He also hired a Chief Diversity Officer. Their goal is to help make the college more diverse and inclusive for everyone.

Most students (95 percent) live on campus in dorms or apartments. About 17 percent live in off-campus housing nearby. For freshmen, there are rules about when students of different genders can visit each other's dorm rooms.

Clubs and Activities

Students at Providence College run their own radio station, WDOM. They also have an on-campus television station, PCTV. In 2011, WDOM was ranked the 11th-best college radio station in the country. The Cowl has been the student-run campus newspaper since 1935.

The college does not officially recognize fraternities and sororities. This means there are no official Greek life groups on or off campus. However, some students might join groups from other nearby schools like Brown University or Rhode Island College.

The oldest student club at the college is the Providence College Debate Society. It was founded in 1921.

Athletics and Sports

The Friars playing Cornell University at the Dunkin' Donuts Center in 2019.

The school's 19 men's and women's sports teams are called the Friars. This name comes from the Dominican Catholic order that runs the school. They are the only college team with this unique name. All teams play in NCAA Division I, which is the highest level of college sports. Most teams compete in the Big East Conference. However, the men's and women's ice hockey teams play in Hockey East. In 2015, the men's hockey team won its first NCAA Division I National Championship.

The current athletic director is Robert Driscoll. The team colors are black and white, just like the Dominicans. Silver is also used as an accent color. The school's logos were updated in 2002. They show the side profile of a friar wearing the black hood of the Dominicans, with the word "Friars" below. The hockey teams use a different "skating Friar" logo, which they have had since 1973. Besides the Friar mascot, the school's animal mascot used to be a Dalmatian named "Friar Boy."

Providence College has strong rivalries with Boston University and Boston College in hockey. They also have rivalries with the University of Connecticut and the University of Rhode Island in other sports like soccer, tennis, swimming, and basketball. Providence College once had a football team, but the program stopped in 1941.

Men's Basketball

Xavier University playing Providence College at the Dunkin' Donuts Center in 2016.

The Friars men's basketball team was one of the first members of the Big East Conference. This conference was started in 1979 by former Providence coach Dave Gavitt. The Friars play their home games at the 13,000-seat Amica Mutual Pavilion in downtown Providence. This arena was updated in 2008. Even though Providence College has the smallest number of students among Big East schools, the Friars often have over 10,000 fans at their games. Many players from the team have gone on to play in the National Basketball Association.

Many former Friars players and coaches have become famous in the basketball coaching world. These include Rick Pitino, Billy Donovan, Lenny Wilkens, and John Thompson. Ed Cooley coached the team from 2011 to 2023.

Providence College won the NIT championship in 1961 and 1963. They also reached the Final Four in the NCAA tournament in 1973 and 1987. The teams in 1965 and 1997 made it to the NCAA Elite Eight. Overall, the team has been in the NCAA basketball tournament 19 times and the NIT 18 times. Many players have also been named All-Americans.

College Symbols

The college's main symbol looks like a window from Harkins Hall with a flame inside. This flame stands for Veritas, which means Truth. "Truth" is the official motto of the college. This motto was taken from the Dominican Order and has been used since the college began.

The official seal of Providence College is a fancy triangle. This triangle represents the Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in Christianity). It has the flame of learning and a scroll with the college motto, Veritas, on it. Around the seal, there's a ring with the words Sigillum Collegii Providentiensis, which means "Seal of Providence College."

Famous Alumni

Many well-known politicians and judges have graduated from Providence College. Chris Dodd, a former United States Senator from Connecticut, graduated in 1966. His father, Thomas J. Dodd, who was also a U.S. Senator, graduated in 1930. Patrick J. Kennedy, a former United States Representative from Rhode Island and son of Senator Ted Kennedy, earned his degree in 1991.

Raymond Flynn (Class of 1963), a former basketball player, became a three-term Mayor of Boston and later the United States Ambassador to the Holy See. Richard M. Daley, who was the six-term Mayor of Chicago, graduated in 1964. J. Howard McGrath, a former United States Attorney General, U.S. Senator, and Governor of Rhode Island, graduated in 1926.

In sports, two Basketball Hall of Fame members, Lenny Wilkens and John Thompson, graduated from Providence College. Olympic champion ice hockey goalie Sara DeCosta also played for Providence. Billy Donovan (Class of 1987), who won two NCAA Division I men's basketball tournaments as a coach, also graduated from Providence.

Other famous alumni in sports include John Marinatto (Class of 1979), a former commissioner of the Big East Conference. Brian Burke (Class of 1977), a former general manager for the Toronto Maple Leafs, and Lou Lamoriello (Class of 1963), a former CEO/President of the New Jersey Devils and current general manager for the New York Islanders, are also alumni. Rich Gotham (Class of 1986), the president of the Boston Celtics, also attended Providence.

In entertainment, actor John O'Hurley (Class of 1976), film directors Peter Farrelly (Class of 1979) and James O'Brien (Class of 1992), and actress/comedian Janeane Garofalo (Class of 1986) are graduates. ESPN commentator Doris Burke (Class of 1987) and sports journalist Sean McAdam (Class of 1981) also went to Providence College.