Niagara University

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Not to be confused with Niagara College.
Niagara University
Nulogo.png
MottoUt Omnes Te Cognoscant
Motto in English
That All May Know You
TypePrivate university
EstablishedNovember 21, 1856; 164 years ago (1856-11-21)
Religious affiliation
Catholic
(Vincentians)
Endowment$93.3 million (2020)[1]
PresidentJames J. Maher
Academic staff
159 Full-time and 254 Part-time[2]
Students3,763[3]
Undergraduates2,816[4]
Location
Lewiston
,
New York
,
United States

43°08′17″N 79°02′13″W / 43.138°N 79.037°W / 43.138; -79.037Coordinates: 43°08′17″N 79°02′13″W / 43.138°N 79.037°W / 43.138; -79.037
CampusSuburban
ColorsPurple and White
   
AthleticsNCAA Division I – MAAC
   Atlantic Hockey (men's ice hockey)
NicknamePurple Eagles
AffiliationsACCU
NAICU
MascotMonte
Websitewww.niagara.edu
Niagara University wordmark.svg
Niagara University sign.jpg

Niagara University (NU) is a private Catholic university in the Vincentian tradition in Lewiston in Niagara County, New York. It is run by the Congregation of the Mission and has 3,300 undergraduate students in 50 academic programs. Approximately half of the students are residents while the other half commute from the surrounding area. The college is known as a liberal arts school but offers programs in technical and pre-professional disciplines as well. It was listed as a census-designated place in 2020.[5]

History[]

Founded by the Congregation of the Mission on 21 November 1856 as Our Lady of Angels Seminary, the school moved from Buffalo to its current location on May 1, 1857. After 26 years on its new campus, The College and Seminary of Our Lady of Angels.[6] It officially changed its name to Niagara University on August 7, 1883. In 1887, the university opened a Law school in Buffalo, what is now the University at Buffalo Law School after being acquired by the University at Buffalo in 1891.[7]

The university is still run by the Vincentian Fathers. All of Niagara's 26 presidents, including its current president, Rev. James J. Maher, C.M., have been Vincentian priests.

Rankings[]

In 2017, Niagara University was ranked #44 by U.S. News & World Report in the "Regional Universities North" category and tied for 25th under best colleges for veterans.[8][9] The magazine also ranked Niagara University 9th as the best value schools in the same category.[10] Taking into account educational quality, affordability, and alumni success, Money Magazine ranked Niagara University as the best college or university in the Buffalo-Niagara region in 2017 when it comes to delivering the most value for a student's educational dollar.[11][12] Kiplinger's Personal Finance ranked Niagara University #82 in the magazine's list of the 100 best values among private universities ahead of every other private institution in Western New York.[13][14]

Academics[]

Undergraduate students are able to choose an area of study in any of Niagara's five academic colleges. In addition to the College of Arts and Sciences, College of Business, College of Education, College of Nursing, and the College of Hospitality and Tourism Management, NU's Academic Exploration Program allows first and second year students take courses in various departments before deciding on a major.

The university also offers academic programs in Canada which operate under the written consent of the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities of Ontario. The Niagara University in Ontario, located in Vaughan, offers a bachelor's degree in Professional Studies in Education program (accredited by the Ontario College of Teachers) and the Master of Science degree in Education.[15] In 2019, Niagara University expanded their degree offerings with a Master of Business Administration (MBA), a Master of Science in Finance (MSF), and a Master of Science in Information and Security and Digital Forensics (MSISDF). The University also offers Ontario based Additional Qualifications for the teacher profession.[16]

College of Arts and Sciences[]

The College of Arts and Sciences forms the foundation of the Niagara University's curriculum and serves as the basis for its designation as a liberal arts college. All Niagara students complete a portion of their coursework in the College of Arts and Sciences, as numerous general education courses are housed within this unit.

A majority of Niagara's academic departments and faculty are housed within Arts and Sciences, including: Biochemistry/Chemistry, Biology/Life Sciences, Communications, Computer Science, Criminal Justice, English, History, International Studies, Liberal Arts, Mathematics, Modern Languages, Political Science, Philosophy, Psychology, Religious Studies, Sociology, Social Sciences, Social Work, and Theater Studies.

In 2008, Niagara University announced that a $10 million gift, the largest gift in the university's history, had been made to the College of Arts and Sciences by B. Thomas Golisano, the CEO of Paychex and the former owner of the Buffalo Sabres.[17] The gift funded the construction of the B. Thomas Golisano Center for Integrated Sciences. The school broke ground on the center during the 2011–2012 school year and the 50,000 sq/ft facility opened in August 2013.

College of Business[]

The business college includes programs in accounting, economics, finance, management, and marketing. The College of Business is accredited by AACSB International[18] and has maintained accreditation since 2001.[19] As the longest serving global association dedicated to advancing management education worldwide, AACSB accredits 786 of the world's best business schools across 53 countries and territories.[20]

Residence life[]

A statue of St. Vincent de Paul talking to students, which is common to all Vincentian universities in the United States.

Niagara University features five traditional residence halls, as well as six community houses called the Varsity Village and on-campus student apartments. Traditional buildings include Clet, Lynch, O’Donoughue, O'Shea, and Seton Halls.

  • Lynch Hall (coeducational by floor); a five floor building with one straight hallway on each floor accommodating rooms and common area facilities. Rooms are mostly single occupancy with a limited number of non-singles. The dorm's basement features a large lounge and game room.
  • O’Donoughue Hall (coeducational by floor with one coed floor); a four floor building with one straight hallway on each floor accommodating rooms and common area facilities. Rooms are mostly single occupancy with a few doubles.
  • Clet Hall (coeducational by floor); a four floor building with straight hallways making up three wings in a “U” shape. Common area facilities are located at the ends of the wings. Rooms are fashioned for single, double and triple occupancy. The campus's Dining Commons and Theatre are located on the north side of the building.
  • Varsity Village (male/female); consists of six separate houses (three for male students and three for female students) of two floors each. Common area facilities are located in each house and rooms are fashioned for single, double and triple occupancy. The majority of the spaces in "the village" are generally chosen by upperclassmen.
  • O'Shea Hall (coeducational by floor); a high rise building with eight floors set up in a rectangular fashion with common area facilities in the center of each floor. Rooms are fashioned for double occupancy. Location of some International and some athlete housing, as well as the Housing Office.
  • Seton Hall (coeducational by floor); a high rise building with eight floors set up in a rectangular fashion with common area facilities in the center of each floor. Rooms are fashioned for double and triple occupancy. The dorm houses a number of student-athletes as well as the Academic Support and Career Services offices.
  • Apartments (coeducational building/single gender apartments); consists of six separate buildings of two floors each with eight 4-person apartments. Each apartment is fully furnished and contains all the amenities of an off campus apartment. Each individual bedroom contains a vanity with mirror, sink and cupboards. Apartments are available to juniors, seniors and graduate students only.

Campus activities[]

The Campus Activities Office, along with the Niagara University Student Government Association, sponsors numerous opportunities to get involved in campus life, including concerts, comedians, and weekly late-night events. Currently Tau Kappa Epsilon is the only fraternity active on Niagara University's campus. There are also two active national sororities, Alpha Sigma Alpha and Phi Sigma Sigma. In addition to these, there are many clubs which celebrate and support cultural diversity, under the auspices of the Office of Multicultural Affairs.[21]

Castellani Art Museum[]

The Castellani Art Museum of Niagara University is centrally located on the main campus and is Niagara County's only collecting museum. The museum features exhibitions of contemporary artists and traditional folk arts. The museum owns a permanent collection of over 5,700 art works, most of which are from the 19th-century, modern and contemporary art movements.

The Niagara University Fine Arts Program has studio and classroom space in the Museum for students. Docent and volunteer programs are offered to any interested member of the community. The bachelor's degree in Art History with Museum Studies has been offered since the fall of 2013, and is now one of the very few places in the country that offer Museum Studies at an undergraduate level.

Athletics[]

Main article: Niagara Purple Eagles
See also: Niagara Purple Eagles men's basketball, Niagara Purple Eagles men's ice hockey, Niagara Purple Eagles women's ice hockey, and Niagara Purple Eagles men's soccer

The Niagara University Athletics Department sponsors 18 Division I sports. The Purple Eagles compete in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) in all sports except ice hockey. The men's ice hockey team competes in Atlantic Hockey. Niagara named Simon Gray as its athletics director on May 16, 2014.

The men's basketball team won the MAAC Championship in 2005 and in 2007, earning automatic bids to the 2005 and 2007's NCAA tournaments, known colloquially as the "Big Dance". Niagara's first appearance in the Dance came in 1970, when All-American Calvin Murphy led the Purple Eagles to the Sweet Sixteen. On March 13, 2007, Niagara defeated Florida A&M 77–69 in the so-called "Play-In Game". NU was crowned the 2012-2013 MAAC regular season champions. This title earned them an automatic bid into the NIT where they faced the University of Maryland in the first round.

The men's hockey team won the College Hockey America Championship in 2000, 2004 and 2008, appearing in the NCAA Men's Ice Hockey Championship those years. In 2000, the "Purps" pulled an upset against University of New Hampshire to advance to the Elite Eight.

Two years later, the women's hockey team, under head coach Margot Page, shocked the college hockey world by advancing to the Frozen Four, eventually tying the University of Minnesota in the third-place game.

Five other Niagara teams have advanced to the NCAA Tournament in their respective sports: softball (1998); women's soccer (2006); women's tennis (2003 & 2005); Men's soccer (2012); women's volleyball (2009, 2010 & 2011).

Clubs[]

During the 2019-2020 School Year, NU teams competed in Men's Baseball, Basketball, Ice Hockey, Lacrosse, Rugby, Soccer and Volleyball at the club level. Women teams competed in Basketball, Lacrosse, Rugby, Soccer, Softball, and Volleyball while Co-Ed teams competed in E-Sports, Field Hockey and Golf. Badminton, Roller Hockey, Running, and Tennis clubs have also been active on campus in prior years.[22]

Intramurals[]

The Athletics Department also operates the Kiernan Center – Niagara's on-campus fitness facility – and sponsors a comprehensive slate of intramural sports, including basketball, broomball, flag football, indoor soccer, softball, street hockey, and rugby union.

Notable alumni[]

Main article: List of Niagara University people

Niagara has approximately 40,000 living alumni worldwide. Niagara alumni are distinguishing themselves in the fields of academics, government, law, religion, and sports

  • In academia, Niagara alumni include: Teresa J. Domzal, former Dean of the George Mason University School of Management; Dennis Holtschneider, President of DePaul University; David M. O'Connell, Bishop of the Diocese of Trenton, NJ; and David Sylvester, Principal of King's University College
  • In the field of government, Niagara alumni include: William J. Donovan, Former Ambassador to Thailand and Father of Military Intelligence; Alfred F. Beiter, former U.S. Representative from New York; Thomas F. Burchill, former U.S. Representative from New York; Joseph L. Carrigg, former U.S. Representative from Pennsylvania; Leo W. O'Brien, former U.S. Representative from New York; Gilbert Parent, former Speaker of the House of Commons of Canada; and Dan Schaefer, U.S. Representative from Colorado
  • In the field of law, Niagara alumni include: Frank D. O'Connor, former Judge on the New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division; Hugh B. Scott, Magistrate Judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of New York and the first African American to become an Assistant United States Attorney; Frederick J. Scullin, Senior Judge on the United States District Court for the Northern District of New York
  • In the field of religion, Niagara alumni include: Venerable Nelson Baker, Founder of the "City of Charity" and candidate for canonization; Michael J. McGivney, Founder of the Knights of Columbus; Anthony Raymond Ceresko, Old Testament scholar; and several American prelates of the Roman Catholic Church including Octavio Cisneros, Edmund Michael Dunne, Joseph Lennox Federal, Edmund Gibbons, Thomas Francis Lillis, James Johnston Navagh, and Donald Walter Trautman.
  • In the field of sports, Niagara alumni include: Hubie Brown, two-time NBA Coach of the Year and Basketball Hall of Fame member; Larry Costello, six-time NBA All-Star and NBA coach; Frank Layden, NBA Coach of the Year and Executive of the Year; Sal Maglie, two-time MLB National League All-Star; Joe McCarthy, seven-time MLB World Series Champion and National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum member; and Calvin Murphy, three-time All-American, NBA All-Star and Basketball Hall of Fame member
  • Other notable Niagara alumni include: Bill Press, host of nationally syndicated radio talk show and former co-host of CNN's Crossfire; John O'Hara, best-selling novelist and National Book Award winner; Michael Scheuer, former CIA Chief of the Bin Laden Issue Station and author of Imperial Hubris; Robert Wegman, founder of Wegmans Food Markets; and John Katko, Congressional Representative for the 24th District of New York State.

  • Gilbert Parent,
    Speaker of the House of Commons of Canada

  • Hubie Brown,
    Basketball Hall of Fame Member

  • Joe McCarthy,
    National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum Member

  • Venerable Nelson Baker,
    Founder of the "City of Charity" in Lackawanna, New York

  • John Katko, Congressional Representative of the 24th district of New York State (Syracuse Area)

References[]

  1. ^ As of June 30, 2020. U.S. and Canadian Institutions Listed by Fiscal Year 2020 Endowment Market Value and Change in Endowment Market Value from FY19 to FY20 (Report). National Association of College and University Business Officers and TIAA. February 19, 2021. Retrieved February 20, 2021.
  2. ^ https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/?q=Niagara+University&s=all&id=193973
  3. ^ https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/?q=Niagara+University&s=all&id=193973
  4. ^ https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/?q=Niagara+University&s=all&id=193973
  5. ^ "State of New York Census Designated Places - Current/BAS20 - Data as of January 1, 2019". tigerweb.geo.census.gov. Retrieved 2020-02-24.
  6. ^ "Niagara Through the Years". Niagara University. Retrieved 6 February 2021.
  7. ^ ""University at Buffalo Law School 100 Years: 1887–1987"".
  8. ^ "Best Colleges for Veterans". Archived from the original on 2017-03-12.
  9. ^ "Ranking Indicators". Archived from the original on 2017-03-12.
  10. ^ "Best Value Schools". Archived from the original on 2017-03-12.
  11. ^ "NU News". Archived from the original on 2017-03-12.
  12. ^ "Money's Best Colleges". Archived from the original on July 11, 2016.
  13. ^ "NU News". Archived from the original on 2017-03-12.
  14. ^ "Kiplinger's Best College Values".
  15. ^ "Niagara University campus opens doors to 300 students in Vaughan". yorkregion.com. 21 January 2019.
  16. ^ Niagara University in Ontario. "Program Offerings".
  17. ^ Rey, Jay (2008-10-08). "Golisano's $10 million gift to Niagara University largest in school's history". Buffalo News. Archived from the original on October 11, 2008. Retrieved 2007-10-08.
  18. ^ "Niagara University MBA".
  19. ^ "NU News". Archived from the original on 2017-03-12.
  20. ^ "AACSB".
  21. ^ University, Niagara. "Office of Multicultural Affairs".
  22. ^ http://clubsports.niagara.edu/

External links[]

Media related to Niagara University at Wikimedia Commons

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