Xavier University (Cincinnati)

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Xavier University is a private, co-educational Catholic university in the United States located in Cincinnati, Ohio. Today, Xavier University is one of 28 member institutions of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities. It educates over 4,000 undergraduate and 2,500 graduate students annually. Xavier is primarily a liberal arts institution. Graduate programs include education, psychology, and business.

1 History
2 Core Curriculum
3 Mission Statement
4 Athletics
5 Notable Alumni
6 See also
7 External links

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History

The first Catholic institution of higher learning in the Northwest Territory, Xavier was founded in 1831 as a men's college called the Athenaeum. Bishop John Purcell asked the Jesuits to take control of the school in 1840, and the name was changed to Xavier. Initially located in downtown Cincinnati, Xavier moved to a location about 5 miles from downtown in 1919. Xavier initially included both a high school and a college. Saint Xavier High School and the college separated over a period of time in the early 20th century, with final finacial separation coming in 1934. Xavier first admitted women in 1969. In recent years, a number of building projects have been completed on campus, including the Cintas Center, Schiff Family Conference Center, the Gallagher Student Center, and the restoration of a number of buildings. The current University President is Fr. Michael J. Graham, S.J. who was appointed by the Board of Trustees as the 34th President of the University in January, 2001.

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Core Curriculum

Undergraduate students attending Xavier must complete a significant number of distribution requirements that are more commonly known as the Core Curriculum. More than half the classes a student takes at Xavier are not in their major field. There are required courses in: Theology, Philosophy, Mathematics, Fine Arts, History, Physical Science, Literature, Foreign Language, and the Social Sciences. It provides students with the foundation necessary for academic success, a lifetime of continuous learning and career advancement. The Core Curriculum is a confluence of Jesuit ideals, and Great Books rigors. However, the Core Curriculum is not unique to Xavier, but is a trademark of Jesuit universities across the country.

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Mission Statement

Xavier's mission statement can be found at http://www.xu.edu/mission/. The President's Message summarizes the mission of the school by saying, "Xavier University is dedicated to engaging and forming students intellectually, morally and spiritually, with rigor and compassion, toward lives of solidarity, service, and success.

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Athletics

Image:Logo xavier.jpgXavier competes at the NCAA Division I level in the Atlantic Ten Conference, and their mascot is the Musketeer. Xavier sponsors eight intercollegiate sports for men, and eight sports for women. Xavier sports teams have several traditional rivalries with local universities, including Cincinnati.

The Xavier men's basketball team is perhaps the best known of the sports sponsored at Xavier. The team has enjoyed considerable recent success, reaching the Elite Eight in the NCAA tournament in 2004. Several Xavier alumni have gone on to play in the NBA, among which:

The annual basketball competition between Xavier and Cincinnati is called the Crosstown Shootout, while Xavier and Dayton play for the Blackburn/McCafferty Trophy, named for former coaches at the respective universities.

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Notable Alumni

While Xavier's basketball program has produced several exemplary professional athletes, Xavier is also the alma mater to several notable politicians, public servants and corporate executives.