Marylhurst University

Marylhurst University
Motto	Cor Sapientis Quaerit Doctrinam
Established	1893
Type	Private
Endowment	$12,067,233
Academic staff	125
Students	1917
Undergraduates	932
Postgraduates	985
Doctoral students	N/A
Location	Marylhurst, Oregon, United States 45°23′54″N 122°38′46″W
Campus	Suburban 73 acres (300,000 m2)
Colors	Gold Royal blue
Affiliations	Roman Catholic
Website	http://www.marylhurst.edu

Marylhurst University is a private Catholic liberal arts university located in Marylhurst, Oregon, United States, nine miles (14 km) south of Portland on the Willamette River. It is among the oldest collegiate degree-granting institutions in Oregon, awarding its first degree in 1897. Marylhurst was founded and run for many years by the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary, a Roman Catholic teaching Roman Catholic religious institute.

History

St. Mary's College

Marylhurst College was founded in 1893, by members of the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary, a Roman Catholic religious teaching congregation. The Sisters came to Oregon in 1859 from Montreal at the request of the people and clergy of the city to serve their educational needs.

In 1893, the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary founded Marylhurst as the first liberal arts college to serve the educational needs of Pacific Northwest women. The school was originally located in downtown Portland, Oregon, and called St. Mary's Academy and College. In 1908 the Sisters purchased 63 acres (250,000 m²) between Lake Oswego and West Linn. The Sisters named the pastoral land Marylhurst, which means "Mary's Woods". The college was moved to the new property in 1930, and St. Mary's College was renamed Marylhurst College. The following year, the school received its first accreditation from the Northwest Association of Secondary and Higher Schools.

Marylhurst College

Main walkway into Marylhurst University campus

The BP John building at the effective center of campus

In 1959, Marylhurst College became an independent institution and formed a Board of Trustees, separate from the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary. In 1974 the college transitioned to a co-educational institution and the first liberal arts college in the United States to be designated as a college for lifelong learning.

Marylhurst began the Master of Art Therapy program in 1986, the only accredited art therapy program in the Pacific Northwest. The American Art Therapy Association has reviewed the program positively numerous times including 1991, 1996 and 2002.

In 1990, Marylhurst inaugurated its Master of Business Administration program while a concentration in interior design was added to Marylhurst's art program. In 2002, the University began to offer a BFA in interior design.

Beginning in 1996, US News & World Report's Guide to America's Best Colleges recognized Marylhurst as the best value in higher education among Western regional colleges and universities. The University has remained in the top tier for the Western Region in the US News & World Report college rankings since the mid-1990s.

Marylhurst University

In 1998, Marylhurst College became Marylhurst University, Clackamas County's first university. Several new academic programs were added including:

• The Master of Arts in Applied Theology program, a graduate degree in interfaith pastoral and spiritual care, is established.
• The Bachelor of Music Therapy program, the only program in the Northwest accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music and approved by the American Music Therapy Association.
• The International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education (IACBE) awards Marylhurst University accreditation of its MBA, BS in Business and BS in Real Estate Studies degree programs. In October 2009, the Portland Business Journal ranked the Marylhurst MBA #1 in total enrollment having the largest MBA program in the state.
• A cooperative Doctor of Ministry degree program with San Francisco Theological Seminary.

Beginning in 2003, Marylhurst University began being ranked as a "Best Value" in the 2003 US News & World Report college guide.

Marylhurst University placed among the 50 Best Business Schools in Finance by the Princeton Review in 2008.

It Placed among Best Universities - Master's (Western Region) in US News & World Report's Best Colleges 2005.

Marylhurst is one of six institutions—and the only institution in the Western United States—recognized by the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL) for best practices in adult learning.

Academics

In addition to undergraduate and graduate degrees, Marylhurst has a dual enrollment agreement with Portland Community College.

Marylhurst Art Gym

Main article: The Marylhurst Art Gym

The Art Gym is a contemporary arts exhibition space located on campus. It was the brainchild of Kay Slusarenko, who was the art department chair for 20 years, from 1978-1998. Along with contemporaries Terri Hopkins and Paul Sutinen, the three rallied the student body and community support to turn the unused gym into the cultural center that it is now. Each spring the gym displays the year's thesis projects. Since 1980, over 300 artists have shown their work at the gym.

Demographics

Although Marylhurst is traditionally recognized as a Catholic university, less than a quarter of the current students are Catholic. Religious observances are not required, and 32 different faiths are represented in the student body.

Notable alumni

• Madeline DeFrees, poet, author
• Elizabeth Engstrom, author
• Barbara Roberts, former Governor of Oregon
• Mary F. Sammons current president and chief executive officer of Rite Aid

External links

• At Marylhurst University, all the wall's a stage - The Oregonian
• Co-admissions with Clark College
• History of the Sisters of the Holy Names in the Oregon Encyclopedia