Seton Hill University

Infobox_University


motto=Hazard Yet Forward-- and more recently,"This Way Up"
name=Seton Hill University
established=1883
type=Private
president=JoAnne Boyle
city=Greensburg, Pennsylvania
state=Pennsylvania
country=USA
undergrad=| postgrad=
faculty=
endowment=
campus=Suburban
mascot=Griffin
colors=Crimson and Gold

website= [http://www.setonhill.edu/ www.setonhill.edu]

Seton Hill University is a small Catholic liberal arts university in Greensburg, Pennsylvania, near Pittsburgh. Formerly a women's college, it became a coeducational university in 2002.

The school was founded in 1883 by the Sisters of Charity. It is named for Elizabeth Ann Seton (1774–1821), who founded the Sisters of Charity, and who after her death was canonized as the United States' first native-born saint. (Both Seton Hall University and the College of Saint Elizabeth in New Jersey are also named after Elizabeth Ann Seton.)

During the 1980s, men were regularly admitted to many programs at Seton Hill College, including music and theater. After president JoAnne Boyle formalized the school's new status as a university, the school's nickname was changed from "Spirits" to "Griffins," and several men's athletics teams were added, including American football. In 2006, Seton Hill announced it was transferring to NCAA Division II and joining the West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WVIAC). They had belonged to the NAIA.

The addition of programs and facilities designed to attract male athletes, and the presence of so many men on campus (in 2005, 60% of the entering class was male) created some initial tension, as well as a great deal of positive publicity for the school.

The Seton Hill University Department of Athletics currently sponsors men's intercollegiate baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, wrestling, lacrosse, soccer, tennis and track along with women's intercollegiate softball, basketball, cheerleading, cross country, field hockey, equestrian, lacrosse, soccer, volleyball, golf and tennis.

In addition, a major expansion to the performing arts program will involve the construction of a new complex located in downtown Greensburg.

The school is home to the National Catholic Center for Holocaust Education, E-Magnify (formerly The National Education Center for Women in Business), and a graduate program in Writing Popular Fiction.

Active clubs demonstrating the diversity of political views of the student body include the College Republicans and (new in 2007) University Democrats, the Gay-Straight Alliance, and the Respect Life Club. In 2003, the school conferred an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree upon Steve Forbes, President and CEO of Forbes, Inc. In 2006, the convocation speaker was U.S. Representative John Murtha (D-Pa).

External links

* [http://www.setonhill.edu/ Seton Hill University web site]
* [http://www.nytimes.com/glogin?URI=http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/10/education/10football.html Small Colleges, Short on Men, Embrace Football] (New York Times)
* [http://ncche.setonhill.edu National Catholic Center for Holocaust Education]
* [http://www.e-magnify.com E-Magnify (National Education Center for Women in Business)]
* [http://www.setonhill.edu/academics/wpf_homepage.cfm?ACID=102 Writing Popular Fiction]
* [http://setonian.setonhill.edu Setonian] (student newspaper)
* [http://blogs.setonhill.edu/nmj New Media Journalism @ Seton Hill University (weblog community)]