Briar Cliff University
| Motto | Mater Gratiae Caritas |
|---|---|
|
Motto in English
|
Mother of Grace, Love |
| Type | Private |
| Established | 1930 |
| Affiliation | Franciscan (Roman Catholic) |
| Endowment | $12.1 million |
| President | Dr. Hamid Shirvani |
| Students | 1,316 (fall 2016) |
| 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 1929, only briar patches covered a 175-foot hill located on the western outskirts of Sioux City, Iowa. But two people — Mother Mary Dominica Wieneke, Major Superior of the Sisters of Saint Francis of Dubuque, Iowa, and the Most Reverend Edmond Heelan, Bishop of the Sioux City Diocese — had a vision. They envisioned that hill crowned with a Catholic college for women.
Mother Dominica and Bishop Heelan met on March 9, 1929, with members of the Sioux City business community. These community leaders committed themselves to raising $25,000 to support the establishment of a college in Sioux City. On March 30, 1930, at the laying of the cornerstone for the first building, Heelan Hall, Bishop Heelan commented that, "the duty of education must not only prepare one for citizenship but also prepare one for eternity." This was truly the spirit of the education that the Sisters of Saint Francis brought to Sioux City.
The College was dedicated on Sept. 18, 1930, and named Briar Cliff — after the hill on which it is located. Four days later, 25 women started classes in Heelan Hall, then the only building on campus.
The 12 foundresses of the College were carefully chosen by Mother Dominica. They were led by Sister Mary Servatius Greenen, who was named the first president.
In 1937, Briar Cliff's two-year education program was expanded to four years. The subsequent years saw rapid growth in the student population and the campus. In 1965, fifty-five men were admitted to the College; and Briar Cliff formally became a coeducational college in 1966 with the admission of 150 full-time male students. In addition to its liberal arts and sciences curriculum, the College added professional programs to serve the needs of its students.
The innovative “Weekend College” program started in the fall of 1979, and became the basis for the University’s successful adult degree completion programs. In 1980, Briar Cliff added a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program, soon recognized as one of the region’s strongest. Master’s programs were implemented in the summer of 2001, and the college officially became a University on June 1, 2001. The first online courses were offered to students in 2006, as part of the degree completion program. The University’s first doctoral degree, a Doctorate of Nurse Practitioner (DNP) program, was introduced in 2013. The growth in students and academic programs required an expansion of Briar Cliff’s physical campus.
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