St. John Fisher University

This article is about the college in New York. For the residential college in Tasmania, see St. John Fisher College (University of Tasmania).

St. John Fisher College

File:St John Fisher logo.jpg
Motto	"Teach me goodness, discipline, and knowledge"
Type	Private
Established	1948
President	Donald Bain, Ph.D.
Undergraduates	2,960
Postgraduates	1,048
Location	Rochester , New York , USA
Campus	Suburban, 154 acres (0.62 km2)
Athletics	23 varsity teams
Colors	Gold and Cardinal Red
Nickname	Cardinal
Website	www.sjfc.edu

St. John Fisher College is a private liberal arts college located in Pittsford, New York, United States, an eastern suburb of Rochester. Fisher is ranked by U.S. News & World Report among the Doctoral Research Universities (DRU), which reflects the college's growth in the area of doctoral program offerings. It is named after St. John Fisher, the former Bishop of Rochester, in England.

History

St. John Fisher College was founded as a men's college in 1948 by the Basilian Fathers and, with the aid of Father James E. Kearney, then the Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Rochester. In 1968, the College became independent from the Catholic Church, and coeducational in 1971. Recently, the College has experienced a large increase in on-campus housing, student enrollment, new facilities, and the establishment of both the Wegmans School of Nursing and the Wegmans School of Pharmacy.

Academics

St. John Fisher College is made up of the following five schools:

• The School of Arts and Sciences
• The Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. School of Education
• The School of Business
• The Wegmans School of Pharmacy
• The Wegmans School of Nursing

Fisher offers 33 undergraduate majors, 9 master's programs, and 3 doctoral programs.

School of Arts and Sciences

The School of Arts and Sciences is the largest school within St. John Fisher College and is characterized by its ample degree programs and departments. It offers degrees and minors in over 20 undergraduate academic disciplines.

The programs of the School of Arts and Sciences, serving both as a foundational component of the St. John Fisher College educational experience and as fields of specialized study, cultivate intellectual and ethical judgment and habits of thinking that prepare students to lead lives of integrity and thoughtful engagement in both the public and private spheres. The School is striving to provide an environment characterized by respect for individual potential, high expectations, and open and critical inquiry by applying the following guiding principles:

• Study in the Arts and Sciences is both pragmatic and enlightening.
• Engagement in the community and application of knowledge are essential to the development of the capacity for critical inquiry.
• Faculty members and students are jointly responsible for the educational experience, a collaboration guided by the words of William Butler Yeats: “Education is not the filling of a pail but the lighting of a fire.”
• Teaching, scholarship, and learning are enriched in an environment that encourages intellectual curiosity and explores social justice.
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The School of Arts and Sciences provides educational experiences that are rooted in the liberal arts and that prepare students to lead lives of intellectual, professional, and civic integrity. This is accomplished by:

• Providing opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students to develop proficiency in one or more of the major fields of study housed in the School
• Providing undergraduate students opportunities to develop in-depth knowledge in a field of study outside of the major through the pursuit of a minor
• Providing an educational foundation for all undergraduate students through a core curriculum that is intentional and reflective of the breadth of perspectives that characterizes the liberal arts at St John Fisher College
• Promoting the engagement of students, faculty members, and professional staff within a learning environment that creates high expectations, along with the support for all to achieve their full potential.

Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. School of Education

The mission of the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. School of Education at St. John Fisher College is to provide a quality educational experience that prepares candidates for distinguished careers in their chosen profession and for leadership roles in a diverse, rapidly changing, and increasingly technological society. To this end, we seek to:

• Prepare highly capable and ethically responsible professional educators who are committed to improving educational conditions, opportunities, and outcomes for all students.
• Prepare candidates who share the belief that all students can and will learn.
• Prepare candidates who understand educational theory, research, best practices, and the use of various technologies, and how to apply this knowledge in diverse school settings and communities.
• Prepare candidates to meet College, state and national standards and requirements for graduation and certification.

The school offers undergraduate degrees (B.A. or B.S., depending on content area) in Inclusive Adolescence Education and Inclusive Childhood Education. It also offers a master's degree (M.S.Ed.) and initial certification program for those areas. Teachers already holding initial certification can earn graduate degrees (M.S.Ed.) and professional certification in Literacy Education (B-6 and 5-12), Special Education, and Educational Leadership, as well as an accelerated Doctor of Education in Executive Leadership (Ed.D.) from the School of Education. The school is accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE).

The School of Education is active in a number of community outreach programs. Among these are a literacy center that provides tutoring and small group instruction in literacy for elementary through high school students. The School of Education works closely with local school districts including the Rochester City School District, which hosts a number of Professional Development Sites (PDS) where practicing teachers and pre-service teachers work alongside education faculty to develop best practices.

The School of Education is named after Ralph C. Wilson, Jr., the founder and owner of the NFL's Buffalo Bills. Mr. Wilson and his family have been long-time supporters of St. John Fisher College, especially with Bills Training Camp taking place every year at the college.

School of Business

The School of Business prepares professionally competent and ethically responsible graduates for careers as managers and professionals primarily for local and regional business. The school emphasizes excellence in teaching, close interaction with students, and recognizes that excellent teaching is informed by faculty actively engaged in research and scholarship. The faculty members produce research published in peer reviewed journals, and other recognized outlets for intellectual contribution that advances the scholarship of teaching, business practice, and disciplinary knowledge. The Victor E. Salerno Center for American Enterprise is now open as of Fall 2013.

Building on a strong liberal arts foundation, the College's Accounting, Finance, Human Resources Management, Management, and Marketing undergraduate programs have provided students with a comprehensive and well-rounded education in their respective areas of specialization since the very beginning’s of the institution’s history.

The MBA program is designed for individuals with passion and focus. Individuals who know where they want to go, and can’t wait to get there. The School of Business offers several concentrations for the MBA: Accounting, General Management, Health Systems Management, and Pharmaceutical Industry.

The MBA program examines real-life problems that business executives grapple with on a daily basis, so that students are able to develop informed, creative, strategic, and integrated perspectives necessary to take on a lifetime of leadership challenges.

A significant milestone in the history of Fisher’s business programs has been their accreditation by The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International), which is recognized as the hallmark of excellence in management education. At the time this accreditation was gained, all business programs at the College were brought together in 2003 to form St. John Fisher College’s first professional school, the School of Business.

Wegmans School of Pharmacy

The Wegmans School of Pharmacy is one of five pharmacy schools in New York State and is the first pharmacy school in the Greater Rochester community. The School of Pharmacy awards a Doctor of Pharmacy degree (Pharm.D.) to candidates who successfully complete four years of professional study. Two years (64 semester hours) of pre-professional education is required for admission, followed by four years of professional studies. The school became fully accredited in May 2010. The school was made possible by a $5 million gift from the late Robert Wegman, who served for many years as president of Wegmans Food Markets. The Wegmans School of Pharmacy opened in fall 2006. The school currently enrolls over 300 professional students. The School also boasts an extensive Drug Information Center (DIC), recognized as possibly the largest DIC in the Northeastern United States. Students can be found using the DIC at all hours of the day and night.

Wegmans School of Nursing

The Wegmans School of Nursing offers professional programs of study that prepare baccalaureate and master's degree graduates to positively influence health outcomes for culturally diverse individuals, families, and communities in a rapidly changing, highly complex health care environment. The College also offers the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree.

Fisher’s nursing program is fully accredited by the New York State Education Department and the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education.

The Wegmans School of Nursing is also named after Robert Wegman, who contributed $8 million to the College to create the School of Nursing.

Scholarships

Nearly 100% of first-year students receive some form of financial assistance. Need-based and merit-based scholarships, as well as grants, loans, and part-time employment, are available for eligible students. Two unique scholarships are awarded to incoming freshman - the Service Scholarship and First Generation Scholarship.

Athletics

St. John Fisher College Cardinals
University	St. John Fisher College
Conference	Empire 8, Eastern College Athletic Conference, Liberty League
NCAA	Division III
Athletic director	Bob Ward
Location	Rochester, NY
Varsity teams	23
Football stadium	Growney Stadium
Basketball arena	Manning & Napier Varsity Gymnasium
Baseball stadium	Dugan Yard
Nickname	Cardinals
Colors	Gold and Cardinal Red
Website	athletics.sjfc.edu

St. John Fisher College competes at the NCAA Division III level, and is a member of the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC), the Empire 8, and the Liberty League (men's and women's rowing). The College's mascot is the Cardinal.

Men compete at the varsity level in baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, indoor and outdoor track and field, lacrosse, rowing, soccer, and tennis. Women compete at the varsity level in basketball, cross country, field hockey, golf, indoor and outdoor track and field, lacrosse, rowing, soccer, softball, tennis and volleyball. The St. John Fisher College's women's lacrosse team won the Empire 8 conference championships in both 2007 and 2009. Also in 2009, the Cardinals advanced to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament for the first time in the program's history.

Fisher offers some of the top athletic facilities in the state. Growney Stadium is home for Fisher's football, soccer, and lacrosse teams. The stadium's all-weather playing field extends the outdoor sports season through the winter with lighting and a 2,100 seat grandstand. The Student Life Center boasts a 19,000-square-foot (1,800 m²) addition, which houses team locker rooms, training rooms, and fitness facilities. The field house now has an all-purpose floor with four module courts that can be used for a variety of sports. The Manning & Napier Varsity Gymnasium is home to the men's and women's basketball teams. Dugan Yard, Fisher's baseball field, is one of the finest collegiate facilities in the state. Other outdoor facilities include the Polisseni Track and Field Complex, a nine-hole golf course, regulation-sized practice fields (which serve as the home rugby fields) and a softball diamond.

St. John Fisher College is a founding member of the Empire 8 Athletic Association and competes with other full member schools: Alfred University, Elmira College, Hartwick College, Ithaca College, Nazareth College, Rochester Institute of Technology, Stevens Institute of Technology, and Utica College. The Empire 8 also has affiliate members in football (Springfield College) and field hockey (Washington & Jefferson College).

In 2006, Fisher's football team had the best season in the program's 20-year history. The Cardinals finished the season with a 12-2 record overall and shared the Empire 8 Conference title. Fisher received an at-large bid into the NCAA Division III Tournament, in which they defeated Union College, Springfield College, and Rowan University to reach the national semifinals, which they lost to Mount Union College, the defending national champions, by a score of 26-14.

In 2007, Fisher's men's basketball team won the Empire 8 Conference title for the 5th consecutive year and the 6th time in seven years. In 2006, Fisher advanced to the "Elite 8" of the NCAA Men's Division III Basketball Championship Tournament.

The women's basketball program was led for 34 seasons by Phil Kahler, who posted a career record of 797 wins (the most in Division III history) and 175 losses with a career winning percentage of .821. Under Kahler, the women's basketball program reached the NCAA Division III Championship Tournament 14 times and played in the NCAA Women's Division III Basketball Championship game in 1988 and 1990. Kahler retired shortly before the start of the 2008-09 basketball season and was replaced on the bench by Marianne O'Connor Ermi, his top assistant coach for 20 seasons.

Fisher offers the following club sports: Equestrian, Men's Ice Hockey, and Rugby (men's and women's). Intramural sports include Co-ed Volleyball, Floor Hockey, Basketball (men's, women's, and co-ed), Flag Football, and Co-ed Soccer (indoor and outdoor). Both the men's and women's rugby clubs have enjoyed success, with the men's rugby club earning New York State Championship titles in 1999 and 2012. The most recent championship for the Fisher Kings was under coach Rich Worden and Club President Bill Walter. The club hockey team achieved success in 2006-07, winning the Upstate New York Collegiate Hockey League championship.

Fisher has added rowing to their athletic events.

Buffalo Bills Training Camp

Since 2000, St. John Fisher College has been home to the Buffalo Bills' NFL summer training camp. Training camp at Fisher is considered one of the best in the NFL and attracts a wide range of fans from the northeast and Canada. In addition to the Bills' players and coaches, the camp features numerous attractions for all ages. The camp is free and open to the public, except for night practices.

Student life

Students may choose from a wide range of campus clubs and organizations. Four of the major organizations on campus include the Student Government Association (SGA), the Student Activities Board (SAB), the Resident Student Association (RSA), and Commuter Council. Other clubs include music groups, language clubs, cultural organizations, student publications, and intramural sports. Many academic departments also sponsor clubs. Fisher students can contribute to the community through a variety of service organizations and projects, including Students With a Vision (SWAV), and a group that has traveled to New Orleans during Spring Break to assist in the city's reconstruction. The Annual Teddi Dance for Love is a 24-hour dance marathon started by Lou Buttino in 1983 that benefits Camp Good Days and Special Times, Inc. This project funds a trip to Florida for the children of Camp Good Days. The National Residence Hall Honorary (NRHH), an organization composed of the 1% of resident student leaders, has a commitment to service, as well as recognition, leadership, and knowledge. Fisher's Office of Campus Life organizes activities for students.

See also

• Cardinal Courier, Fisher's student newspaper

External links

• Official website
• Official athletics website