Briar Cliff College
| Motto | Mater Gratiae Caritas |
|---|---|
|
Motto in English
|
Mother of Grace, Love |
| Type | Private |
| Established | 1930 |
| Affiliation | Franciscan (Roman Catholic) |
| Endowment | $9.5 million |
| President | Dr. Hamid Shirvani |
| Students | 1,174 (fall 2013) |
| Location | Sioux City, Iowa, USA |
| Campus | Urban (70 acres (28 ha)) |
| Colors | Blue and Gold |
| Nickname | Chargers |
| Affiliations |
Great Plains Athletic Conference Sisters of St. Francis of Assisi Roman Catholic Diocese of Sioux City |
| Website | briarcliff |
Briar Cliff University is a private, Franciscan, Roman Catholic, liberal arts university located in Sioux City, Iowa, United States.
In March 1929, Mother Mary Dominica Wieneke, Major Superior of the Sisters of Saint Francis of Dubuque, along with the Most Rev. Edmond Heelan, Bishop of the Sioux City Diocese, co-founded Briar Cliff College after meeting with members of the Sioux City community, who committed to raising $25,000 to support the establishment of a Catholic women's college in Sioux City. The twelve foundresses of the College were carefully chosen by Mother Dominica. They were led by Sister Mary Servatius Greenen, who was named the first president.
On September 18, 1930, the college, named Briar Cliff after the hill on which it is located, was dedicated. Four days later, 25 women started classes in Heelan Hall, the only building on campus at the time. In 1937, the university’s two-year program was extended to four years. Fifty-five men were admitted to Briar Cliff in 1965 and co-education was formalized in 1966 with the admission of 150 full-time male students. In 1967, the campus added the residence hall Toller to the facilities available to students, and continued in 1968 with the addition of Noonan Hall. In 1982, the athletic programs also received a new venue as the Newman Flanagan Center was built to house athletic competitions, coaches' offices, and recreational classes.
New Master's programs were implemented in the summer of 2001. The college officially became a University on June 1, 2001. Online courses were first offered to students in 2006. The Center for Justice and the Center for Health Care Initiatives were established in 2012. The first doctoral degree, the Doctorate of Nurse Practitioner, was introduced in 2013.
Briar Cliff University is a community committed to higher education within a liberal arts and Catholic perspective. In the Franciscan tradition of service, caring, and openness to all, Briar Cliff emphasizes quality education for its students combining a broad intellectual background with career development. The University challenges its members to grow in self-awareness and in their relationships to others and to God.
Briar Cliff University is situated on a scenic hilltop on the outskirts of Sioux City, a few minutes from downtown. Sioux City (which has a population of about 90,000) is located on the Missouri River and is the principal city of a three-state metropolitan area. Directly across the river are the states of South Dakota and Nebraska.
...
Wikipedia