University Profile:
Dominican University

DOMINICAN UNIVERSITY—A GREAT PLACE TO BE YOU!

Dominican University is committed to helping students succeed in college as well as in life. A private, Catholic, coeducational institution founded in 1901 by the Dominican sisters of Sinsinawa, WI, the university focuses on preparing students to pursue truth, to give compassionate service, and to participate in the creation of a more just and humane world.

Dominican University is a distinctively relationship-centered educational community, rooted in the liberal arts and sciences and comprehensive in scope, known for its rigorous and engaging academic programs, for the care and respect with which it mentors students, for its enduring commitment to social justice, and for the enriching diversity of its students, faculty and staff. Integral to Dominican's success and distinction is the ongoing exploration, clear expression and shared experience of its Catholic Dominican identity.

Accredited by the North Central Association, Dominican University has an enrollment of over 3,300 students and offers 50 undergraduate academic programs in the Rosary College of Arts and Sciences and 17 graduate programs through the Graduate School of Library and Information Science, the Brennan School of Business, the School of Education, the Graduate School of Social Work, and the School of Leadership and Continuing Studies.

In the 2008 issue of its "America's Best Colleges," U.S. News & World Report again ranked Dominican University in the top tier of Midwest master's level universities and as a "great school at a great price" for the tenth consecutive year.

Campus and Community

Dominican University is located on 30 bucolic acres within a residential neighborhood 10 miles west of downtown Chicago. Throughout its growth, the university has maintained the signature Gothic architectural look established almost 100 years ago by renowned architect Ralph Adams Cram, the architect for Princeton University, the University of Chicago's Rockefeller Chapel and West Point Military Academy.

The villages of River Forest and Oak Park are renowned for the concentration of Frank-Lloyd Wright-designed homes that attract thousands of visitors from around the world each year. Oak Park is also recognized as the birthplace of Ernest Hemingway and modern dance pioneer Dorothy Humphrey, and the former home of Tarzan originator Edgar Rice Burroughs. Both the Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio Foundation and the Ernest Hemingway Foundation provide programming throughout the year celebrating these native sons.

Within walking distance of campus are restaurants, parks, museums, movie theaters, churches and retail districts. Public transportation conveniently connects the campus to a plethora of cultural and entertainment opportunities in Chicago.

Academics and Faculty

With an average class size of 15, Dominican University offers students and faculty the opportunity to develop mutually enriching relationships.

Many faculty and staff members are fully engaged in the university's commitment to social justice and its mission to create a more just and humane world. Faculty and staff have accompanied students on service learning trips at home and abroad, including Native American reservations in South Dakota and Montana, communities in Appalachia, and areas devastated by Hurricane Katrina in Louisiana and Mississippi. In addition, a group of 20 to 25 faculty, staff and students travel each year to Ft. Benning, GA to call for the closing of the School of the Americas.

Approximately 97 percent of the undergraduate faculty are full-time, 92 percent of who hold a doctoral or terminal degree in their field. Dominican faculty members are engaged in teaching, research and related work, as well as community affairs. Many of the part-time instructors share their expertise while remaining actively involved in their professions.

The university's newest academic building, the 124,000-square-foot Parmer Hall, houses state-of-the-art laboratories for biology, chemistry, physics, psychology and nutrition and dietetics programs as well as classrooms, faculty offices and numerous common areas for faculty-student interaction. The building conforms to LEED certification specifications.

Students and Student Life Programs

Fall 2007 enrollment was 1,598 undergraduate students and 1,740 graduate students, representing 24 states and 18 foreign countries with a mix of 30 percent minority students and 2 percent international students. Almost 42 percent of all undergraduate students elect to live on campus.

The university offers a wide range of curricular and extracurricular activities for students, including a highly regarded service learning program, 11 NCAA Division III varsity sports, and numerous clubs and organizations.

The university's service learning program was a finalist two years ago for the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Award for Campus-Community Collaboration for its partnership with Chicago's San Miguel Schools, two elementary schools located in underserved neighborhoods on Chicago's west and south sides. Through this ongoing partnership, the university provides the schools with volunteer tutors, teacher training and inservice workshops in reading and special education. The service learning program offers students opportunities for working with social service agencies and programs throughout the Chicago area.

The Dominican Stars men's soccer team has enjoyed great acclaim while competing in every NCAA Division III national championship since 2002, making it to the Elite Eight in 2003 and 2006. In addition, the men's volleyball club won back-to-back national championships in the National Intramural and Recreation Sports Association in 2005 and 2006.