Rosemont College

Rosemont College

Motto	Latin: Levavi oculos meos in montes
Motto in English	I will lift my eyes up to the hills
Type	Private university
Established	1921
Religious affiliation	Roman Catholic (Society of the Holy Child Jesus)
Academic affiliations	ACCU MSA NAICU CIC
President	Jim Cawley
Students	951
Undergraduates	512 (fall 2022)
Postgraduates	308 (fall 2022)
Location	Rosemont , Pennsylvania , U.S. 40.0328°N 75.3270°W / 40.0328; -75.3270
Campus	Suburban
Colors	Maroon and gray
Nickname	Ravens
Sporting affiliations	NCAA Division III – UEC
Mascot	Raven
Website	rosemont.edu

Rosemont College is a private Catholic university in Rosemont, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1921 as a women's college by the Sisters of the Holy Child Jesus, the undergraduate program opened to male students beginning in fall 2009. The university is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE). Rosemont also offers a range of master's degrees through its school of graduate studies and school of professional studies.

Academics

The university is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.

Undergraduate College

The traditional Undergraduate College confers Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Fine Arts, and Bachelor of Science degrees in twenty-five majors, as well as thirty-one minors, nine undergraduate education certification programs, and one premedical post baccalaureate certificate. It offers a 11:1 student to faculty ratio with an average class size of 13. Each program offers an in-depth study of a particular subject area, as well as a breadth of study in the liberal arts in addition to at least one internship, volunteer effort, or service learning opportunity.

Academic Partnerships

Rosemont College has developed inter-institutional cooperative partnerhsip agreements with Villanova University, Eastern University, Arcadia University, Cabrini College, Chestnut Hill College, Gwynedd Mercy University, Holy Family University, Immaculata University, and Neumann University. These agreements allow for cross-registration and the sharing of library resources between the institutions.

Rosemont also offers study abroad programs, internships, individualized majors, and the Cornelian Scholars program for early acceptance to Rosemont's graduate programs.

Education

Rosemont offers teacher certification programs at the undergraduate and graduate level with a reported outcome of 100% job placement rate for undergraduate education greaduates.

Medical School & Health Professions

Rosemont offers a 7-year BA/BS/MD Fast Track medical program with Drexel University College of Medicine in which students study for 3 years at Rosemont and after passing the required scores on the MCAT, move onto Drexel College of Medicine. The institution also offers an 8-year BA/BS/MD Early Assurance medical program. These programs report an outcome of a 95% acceptance to medical, nursing and osteopathic programs for qualified science graduates.

School of Professional Studies

The School Professional Studies is designed for working adults and offers online programs at both the undergraduate and graduate level. It offers accelerated degree programs, certificates, and corporate training. These programs are completed in five-week sessions, normally meeting once a week for four hours. The accelerated graduate courses are completed in seven-week sessions or over a weekend.

At the undergraduate level, there are nine online A.A., B.A., and B.S. Professional Studies degree options, and fifteen concentrations or credentials fully embedded within the degree.

School of Professional Studies: Graduate Programs

At the graduate level, there are eight online Professional Studies master degree options, and 12 online graduate certificates. Many of the School of Professional Studies master programs offer an online graduate certificate fully embedded within the online degree offering graduates multiple graduate credentials within a degree program.

Forbes Advisor ranks Rosemont College as fifth in the nation for the best online master's in Homeland Security, making it the highest ranking program the college offers. In 2023, the School Of Professional Studies also ranked as one of the Best Online Master's degree programs for Homeland Security and Organizational Leadership by Online Master's Degree.

School of Graduate Studies

The traditional School of Graduate Studies offers nine master degree options, five post baccalaureate certifications, and one graduate certificate. Many Graduate Studies programs are offered exclusively on campus. The School of Graduate Studies also offers three hybrid online and on-campus programs, and five fully online master level education programs.

The M.F.A. in Creative Writing was listed as an "M.F.A. Program to Watch" by Publishers Weekly in 2015.

Writer's Studio

Rosemont also offers a number of non credit master classes, workshops and writer's retreats that are open to the public.

Athletics

Rosemont, known athletically as the Ravens, is a Division III member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and is a member of the United East Conference (UEC). Rosemont was a charter member of the Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC), which merged into the UEC in July 2023.

Men's sports include baseball, basketball, cross country, golf, lacrosse, soccer; tennis and outdoor track & field (in 2023–24); while women's sports include basketball, cross country, lacrosse, soccer, softball, tennis, golf, volleyball, outdoor track & field (in 2023–24) and lacrosse (in 2023–24). Rosemont's Athletic Complex is home to a fully gray synthetic turf multi-purpose field, the first all gray field in the United States. The baseball team will play its first season during the institution's centennial.

Campus

Rosemont College is in the Rosemont census-designated place, and in Lower Merion Township.

Built in the iconic University Gothic Style of architecture, the sprawling 58-acre campus is located in an area known as the Main Line outside of Philadelphia in the historic residential neighborhood of Rosemont, Pennsylvania. In May 1925, the cornerstone of Connelly Hall, named after foundress Cornelia Connelly, was laid and was built with a courtyard overlooking Connelly Green.

Connelly Hall

In 2006, the historic Connelly Hall was modernized and expanded to 30,000 square feet and was re-opened in August 2022 after a $7.5 million restoration project. The current Mayfield Hall stands where the Joseph Sinnott family’s stables once were. After the Society of the Holy Child Jesus acquired the land that would become Rosemont College, the stables were repurposed in 1921 to house a science lab, an art studio, and an auditorium.

By 1929, there was a growing need for additional dormitory and dining space. To meet this demand, a plan was devised to retain the back portion and foundation of the stables, adding a new front and upper floors. If you look at the back of Mayfield Hall today, you can still spot the remnants of the original arched stable doors.

Though the dining room was removed in 1956, Mayfield Hall has continued to serve as a residence hall for over ninety years.

Gertrude Kistler Memorial Library

In 2010, Kimmel Bogrette completed a major transformation of Rosemont College's outdated library, originally built in 1926, turning it into a modern, 10,000 square-foot learning hub that fosters collaboration and embraces technology. The $556,000 renovation was designed to incorporate cutting-edge learning tools and create spaces for group interactions, better equipping students for their future careers. The project was driven by a vision shared by Kimmel Bogrette and Rosemont administrators: to build an environment that encourages teamwork, supports new technologies, and adapts to the evolving needs of today's college students.

The result is a dynamic, contemporary library experience anchored by an open, airy Information Commons, designed to be flexible and student-focused. This transformed space offers a lively atmosphere for learning and collaboration, becoming a central hub on campus. As part of the renovation, "Eleanor’s Café" was added, named in honor of Eleanor M. Weisbrod, who funded the library upgrade in memory of her sister, Sr. Helen Mary Weisbrod, SHCJ. The redesign of the library reflects Rosemont College’s commitment to fostering an engaging, forward-thinking educational environment.

Immaculate Conception Chapel

The institution's Immaculate Conception Chapel is one of only two chapels in the United States whose stained-glass windows depict only women, a project conceived by Rosemont's second president, Mother Mary Ignatius Carroll. The windows were crafted by Willet Stained Glass Studios, located in Germantown, PA. The sisters who helped select the saints carefully considered how each depiction would influence and inspire future students.

Main Building: Rathalla

The iconic Main Building better known on campus as "Rathalla" (which means "home of the chieftain on the highest hill" in Gaelic) was originally built as the Joseph Sinnott Mansion summer home and was registed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. In 1927, the Sisters of the Holy Child of Jesus acquired the former summer home of Joseph F. Sinnott for $1.00 to serve as the school campus. The English origins of the Sisters of the Holy Child influenced the campus architecture and layout. Unlike other local Catholic colleges, Rosemont's campus eschewed cloistered buildings and convent motifs in favor of a campus with "modestly-sized buildings arranged around a gentle rise in the landscape.... Students found it easy to walk to the Rosemont train station or to the shops in nearby Bryn Mawr, which was very different from the relative isolation encountered by students at Chestnut Hill and especially at Immaculata."

Rotwitt Theater at the McShain Performing Arts Center

In 2014, Rosemont College's McShain Performing Arts Center was renamed the Rotwitt Theater in recognition of the generous support from Jeffrey and Dianne Rotwitt. The $700,000 renovation of the theater was designed to create a modern performance and learning space that would benefit current and future Rosemont students, as well as the entire college community. Today, the Rotwitt Theater stands as a state-of-the-art venue for students, faculty, and visitors, further enhancing the distinctive spirit that has long defined Rosemont College.

Originally built in 1953, McShain Auditorium has hosted numerous memorable events and performances throughout the years. The recent renovation included upgrades to the mechanical and electrical systems, as well as a full modernization of the space, allowing it to better serve contemporary needs. The improvements not only support campus activities but also increase the theater's appeal as a rental venue for external organizations. Local cultural arts groups regularly use the Rotwitt Theater to stage a variety of performances, making it a vital resource in the community.

Sharon Latchaw Hirsh Community Center

In 2019, Kimmel Bogrette completed the design and planning for a major renovation and expansion of Rosemont College's Cardinal Hall, transforming the building into the dynamic Sharon Latchaw Hirsh Community Center. The new 75,000 square-foot facility, with a total cost of $11 million, features an expansive indoor campus commons that serves as a central gathering space for students, faculty, staff, and visitors. This inviting "campus family room" is surrounded by a variety of modern amenities, including offices, classrooms, seminar rooms, a dining court with a catering kitchen, a fitness center, a multi-purpose room, a bookstore, and the Raven's Nest Cafe. These versatile spaces support a wide range of activities, making the Sharon Latchaw Hirsh Community Center the first place on campus to unite the entire Rosemont community—students of all ages, faculty, staff, and local neighbors. It provides a space to live, learn, socialize, eat, exercise, and connect in a collaborative environment.

Cardinal Hall Dining Center

Located inside the Sharon Latchaw Hirsh Community Center, Phase I of the $2.6 million Campus Center project at Rosemont College revitalized the outdated Cardinal Hall dining area, transforming it into an 18,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art dining court. This spacious facility features 400 seats and includes a separate Café with seating for 85, providing a more intimate dining experience. The renovation incorporated subtle branding elements throughout the space, prominently showcasing the Rosemont College logo and the Raven mascot. A sculpted metal Raven soars above the new Pizza Oven, while another is featured on the railing around the stage, reinforcing school spirit. The design also incorporates a sleek color palette of grey, black, and white, with Raven Red accents that create a vibrant and dynamic atmosphere. Completed in the summer of 2013, this updated dining venue opened its doors to students in late August, offering a modern, welcoming space for the campus community.

History

Founded in 1921 by the Society of the Holy Child Jesus, Rosemont College is an independent university in the Catholic tradition located on the Philadelphia Main Line in Southeastern Pennsylvania. In the fall of 2009, the traditionally women's undergraduate college began accepting male students.

One of the oldest Catholic women's colleges in the region, Rosemont originally "had a reputation for educating the daughters of more well-to-do Catholics."

Rosemont's first chairman of the board was Cardinal Dougherty, who was instrumental in gaining Rosemont its first accreditation from the Middle States Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools by personally guaranteeing the college's financial solvency.

Bishop Fulton J. Sheen was likewise involved in the early life of the college, describing Rosemont as "the finest girls' college in the United States."

During World War II, Rosemont students aided the war effort by selling war bonds serving as air-raid wardens while the college hosted Villanova College's summer programs as Villanova's campus was in use during the summers by the United States Navy.

However, Rosemont evolved over the course of the twentieth century; "As views on women changed, the original—what some would call convent—atmosphere gradually moved toward more freedom for students to come and go, later curfews, and greater interaction with college men."

In 1957, United States Senator (35th U.S. President) visits Rosemont and speaks to students and faculty in Main Building, Rathalla.

In 1963, Rosemont students insisted that the college begin bringing non-Catholic speakers to campus, and by the early 1970s, the college ceased holding religious retreats due to lack of attendance.

Notable Alumnae

• Mari Carmen Aponte, United States Ambassador to El Salvador
• Virginia Samaras Bauer, 9/11 survivors activist
• Pat Ciarrocchi, news reporter
• Marion Donovan, inventor of the disposable diaper
• Linda Fiorentino, actress
• Patricia Kennedy Lawford, socialite and philanthropist
• Patricia McCormick, journalist and author
• Rosalind Russell, actress, winner of five Golden Globes and a Tony Award
• Claudine Schneider, former congressional representative from Rhode Island

External links

• Official website
• Official athletics website