Providence College

Providence, Rhode Island

www.providence.edu

Overview
Situated between New York City and, even
more closely, to Boston, is the historic and
one-time industrial city of Providence, Rhode
Island. The city, the largest in the most con-
centrated Catholic state in the nation, hosts
seven colleges, the most notable being Ivy-
League Brown University and the Domini-
cans’ Providence College.
Bordering the diverse Elmhurst neigh-
borhood, the 105-acre Providence College
traces its history back to 1917 when then-Bish-
op Matthew Harkins promoted the establish-
ment of a Catholic college. The Dominican
quick facts
Friars of the Province of St. Joseph launched
the institution two years later. Founded: 1919
It is the only U.S. college affiliated with Type of institution: Medium-size university
the Dominican friars, and that is good reason Setting: Urban
Undergraduate enrollment: 3,966 (2008–09
to expect commitment to faithful Catholic ed-
academic year)
ucation. The Dominicans are known for their
Total average cost: $43,680 (tuition, room
orthodoxy. The noticeable presence of 49 Do-
and board for 2009–10)
minican friars and sisters, including Father Undergraduate majors: 49
Brian Shanley, O.P., the college president, is a
key feature of the college. Five Key Points
The college continued to grow through-
out the 20th century, adding a graduate school 1. Providence is the only U.S. college
in 1964 and admitting women for the first run by Dominican friars.
time in 1971. Today PC has nearly 4,000 un- 2. The Dominican presence is wide-
dergraduate students, about 68 percent who spread and enhances Catholic identity.
come from New England and the remainder 3. The Development of Western Civiliza-
from throughout the United States and 14 tion Program is widely respected.
other countries. About four out of every five 4. The current president has enhanced
students are Catholic. the college’s Catholic identity.
There are 49 undergraduate majors, but 5. The college has impressive retention
none predominates. Forty-three percent of and graduation rates.
students are enrolled in seven majors in this

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Providence College
order of popularity: biology, marketing, man-
agement, political science, English, education
and finance. There also are 34 minors avail-
able.
Perhaps the most well-known aspect of
the school is its Development of Western Civ-
ilization Program, a multi-disciplinary, two-
year program that constitutes about 40 percent
of the 50-credit core curriculum. It also has a
prestigious honors component, which traces
its roots back to 1957, and includes about 10
percent of the freshmen and sophomores.
In addition to undergraduate studies
and the schools of
arts and sciences,
business, and pro-
fessional studies,
PC has a School of
Continuing Educa-
tion, which allows
flexibility for part-
time students.
There also are
11 master’s degree
programs, mostly
in education and
business (M.B.A.).
Among these grad-
uate programs are
master’s degrees in biblical studies, theology
and theological studies. Approximately 800
students are enrolled in graduate programs.
PC has been accredited by the New Eng-
land Association of Schools and Colleges since
1933. The college is proud of its very high
graduation rate of 85 percent, which ranks it
among the top in the nation, and its highly
enviable 90 percent freshman retention rate.
Governance
Providence College is administered by a cor-
poration and board of trustees. Members of
the board are selected by the corporation,
which also has authority over college prop-
186
erty and approval of a president. There are 12
members of the corporation, including four
Dominicans and three other ex officio reli-
gious members: the Dominican provincial,
the bishop of Providence (currently Bishop
Thomas Tobin) and the college president.
General governance is entrusted to a 35-
member board of trustees, nine of whom are
Dominicans. Corporation members also are
members of the board.
Father Shanley, 51, has led the college
since 2005. He is a Rhode Island native and
Providence alumnus who began his teach-
ing career at the
college. He subse-
quently taught at
Emory University
and The Catho-
lic University of
America before
returning to Provi-
dence. A widely
published Thomist
scholar, he received
his doctorate in
philosophy from
the University of
Toronto.
Father Shanley
is the 12th college president, all of whom have
been Dominicans. The president is required
to be a Dominican.
Among the eight members of the presi-
dent’s cabinet—the senior staff—are three Do-
minican friars who hold the positions of exec-
utive vice president/treasurer, vice president
of mission and ministry, and vice president of
student affairs administration.
Public Identity
One long-time faculty member told us that
the Dominican presence is strongly felt. “Any-
one who comes here to visit has to know this
is a Catholic institution. The evidence is too
The Newman Guide

From the
Financial Aid Office
“Providence College has a long-standing
commitment to making a high quality
education accessible to students and their
families. We offer an extensive and com-
prehensive financial aid program which
includes assisting families through our
institutional merit and need-based schol-
arships and grants, as well as federal
grant, loan, and employment opportuni-
ties. Each year, approximately 60 – 70% of
enrolled first-year students receive some
form of need-based institutional and/or
federal financial aid.
“Providence College uses the Federal
Methodology required by the Higher
Education Act, as amended, to determine
a student’s eligibility for federal financial
aid programs. Students who wish to be
considered for all federal programs are
required to complete a Free Application
for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
“For Institutional need-based aid, the
College subscribes to a more comprehen-
sive analysis of a family’s ability to con-
tribute known as Institutional Method-
ology. The information provided on the
College Scholarship Service (CSS) PRO-
FILE allows the College to utilize a more
systematic and objective measurement of
a family’s financial situation to determine
the amount of financial assistance a fam-
ily truly requires to manage the cost of a
student’s education. For the 2008 – 2009
Academic Year, the total Providence Col-
lege Grant and Scholarship Commitment
was $39,484,000.”
great. There are 40 [officially 49] guys walk-
ing around in long white robes; crucifixes on
The Newman Guide
Providence College
the walls; a big, new copper-domed chapel;
and a Western civilization program with
theology and philosophy featured as well as
additional core curriculum requirements in
both subjects.”
The college promotes its Catholic and
Dominican identity on its website and else-
where. On its website, the college proclaims:
“Catholic teaching guides the investment of
the endowment, the enforcement of parietals
in the residence halls, and the generosity ex-
tended to students and employees in need.”
Father Shanley has been a strong force in
maintaining and strengthening the Catholic
identity at Providence. In his inaugural ad-
dress in 2005, he partially articulated his vi-
sion by stating: “Aquinas’s ultimate argument
for the unity of truth and corresponding uni-
ty of all disciplines at a university is relatively
simple: the source of all truth is the one God
who is both (1) the creator of our minds and
the world that they are designed to know and
(2) the source of all revealed truths believed
in faith.”
One way he implemented this philoso-
phy was by prohibiting a campus perfor-
mance of the lewd play The Vagina Monologues
in 2006, not long after taking office. In a long
and impressive statement, he said, “A Catho-
lic college cannot sanction the performance of
works of art that are inimical to the teaching
of the Church in an area as important as fe-
male sexuality and the dignity of women.”
Organizers of The Vagina Monologues on
college campuses worldwide argue that their
play raises awareness of violence against
women. But Providence has addressed this
serious issue in a clearly more appropriate
way by developing an annual weeklong Proj-
ect S.A.V.E. (Sexual Assault and Violence Ed-
ucation), which was last held in March 2009.
Among the many activities is a Mass to com-
memorate victims of abuse.
Another way that PC promotes its iden-
tity is through its Center for Catholic and
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Dominican Studies, which sponsors a lec-
ture series and a variety of other events. The
speakers, who are presented four times a year,
are very good and have covered topics such
as vocations, historical figures in the Catho-
lic intellectual tradition, and religion and the
Constitution.
There also is the Rev. Robert Randall
Professorship of Christian Culture, estab-
lished in 2002, and which has brought visit-
ing scholars to campus. Among recent honor-
ees have been Dr. Russell Hittinger, a prolific
writer and holder of Warren Chair of Catholic
studies at the University of Tulsa, and Father
Fergus Kerr of Oxford University.
Commencement speakers and honorees
are usually individuals with a Providence Col-
lege or local relationship. Examples include
the 2007 speaker, Dave Gavitt, an alumnus,
former PC basketball coach and retired Big
East basketball commissioner. The 2009 com-
mencement speaker was Martin Doblmeier,
another alumnus and a noted filmmaker who
has produced several religious-oriented mov-
ies. Princeton professor and Catholic com-
mentator Robert George was among those

Message from the President

Dear Parents and Prospective Students:

Before it was a place, providence was a theological term denoting

God’s loving plan to bring each created being into fulfillment. Thus the
name Providence College does not only reflect our location, but also our
mission: to help students discover and embrace their role in God’s loving
plan and pursue it with excellence.

At Providence College, we prepare you to make the best decisions for fulfilling your role
within God’s plan. As a Catholic college rooted in the 800-yearold intellectual tradition of the
Dominican Order, we teach you to love and live truth. We challenge you to ask tough questions,
evaluate competing arguments, integrate diverse perspectives, and contemplate the meaning of
truth both in and beyond the classroom.

We provide a rigorous liberal arts education with Core Curriculum requirements in the
arts, sciences, philosophy, and theology and a two-year interdisciplinary course in the Develop-
ment of Western Civilization. In the tradition of St. Thomas Aquinas, we introduce you to faith
and reason as compatible and complementary and engage you in the lively intellectual debate
we call “disputed questions.”

Transformed by wisdom and enabled by God’s grace, you are challenged to live a life of
virtue and purpose that will transform society.

Yours in Christ,

Rev. Brian J. Shanley, O.P., Ph.D.

188 The Newman Guide


who received an honorary degree.
In April 2009, Providence forbade for-
mer U.S. Rep. Tom Tancredo from speaking
on campus, to a group that was not officially
recognized by the university, because Tan-
credo’s views on immigration contrast with
the teaching of Bishop To-
bin. The flap raised concerns
about holes in Providence’s
speaker policy which in past
years has allowed pro-abor-
tion Sen. Chris Dodd and
Rep. Patrick Kennedy (both
Providence graduates) and
Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse to
speak on campus on issues
not related to abortion. We
could identity no such inci-
dents since 2007.
Academics
Undergraduates need to
complete a 50-credit core
curriculum plus nine credits
of non-major electives and
demonstrate English proficiency. Included in
this core are six credits of theology and six
credits of philosophy.
A key part of the core, which has earned
accolades from leading Catholic intellectuals,
is the Development of Western Civilization
Program that students take throughout their
freshmen and sophomore years. One Provi-
dence professor called the program “the heart
of Catholic identity at Providence College for
the last 35 years.” A parent of two young
alumni said, “It was the best thing they ever
took” in college.
In this Western Civilization program, stu-
dents are taught by teams of professors in his-
tory, literature, theology and philosophy, with
some art and music added. The program, one
professor noted, “was not originally designed
to preserve or enhance Catholic identity, but
The Newman Guide
Providence College
it is, in fact, where the ‘practical transmission’
of Catholic identity takes place.”
We are told that professors who have
taken jobs in the departments of history, Eng-
lish, theology and philosophy have under-
stood that they would be required to teach in
the Western civilization se-
quence and, therefore, those
attracted to the college have
tended to be self-selecting.
As a result, there is a higher
number of practicing Catho-
lics in these departments
than in others. Also, we are
told that sometimes other
faculty members have been
brought back to the faith
through their involvement
with the program.
The theology depart-
ment is reported to be gener-
ally solid, but a few courses
are considered somewhat
weak. Nearly all the profes-
sors hold the mandatum.
Overall, there is a strong
Thomistic element in the department. We
were told that one of the best courses in the
department is the “Introduction to Thomas
Aquinas.”
The faculty members in the philosophy
department are predominantly Catholic. Ac-
cording to one philosophy professor, “in the
20-person department, there are no moral
relativists.”
We received an estimate that about 70
percent of the humanities faculty members
are Catholic, and about 35-40 percent outside
of the humanities are Catholic. There also are
non-Catholic Christians and some observant
Jews who support or respect the mission of
the college. We could identify no department
which has no Catholic faculty member.
Every faculty job candidate has to write
a response to the college’s mission statement,
189
Providence College

which if not adequate will have to be rewrit- students to obtain a graduate degree in edu-
ten for consideration. Father Shanley picks cation.
from among the final candidates and has been Providence supports study abroad. One
known to overrule departments’ final slate of program offered is through International
candidates and declare a search to be failed. Educational Exploration, which had a 10-day
He holds “town meetings” every semester for trip to Costa Rica in 2008. To assist students
campus discussions; a recent topic addressed to engage in overseas study, an alumna estab-
was: “How would a Catholic teach at this lished the Father Philip A. Smith, O.P. Student
school? How would a non-Catholic teach at Fellowships for Study and Service Abroad in
this school?” October 2008.
Among notable faculty members recom-
mended to us were Dr. Anthony Esolen, pro-
fessor of English and a Renaissance scholar
Spiritual Life
who informally meets with students to discuss
Religious activities at Providence revolve
issues of faith and scholarship; Dr. Richard
around St. Dominic Chapel, a 600-seat cha-
Grace, a professor of history who has headed
pel dedicated in 2001. In addition to many
the honors program for the past 19 years; Dr.
stained-glass windows, the chapel has a large
Jay Pike, assistant professor of chemistry; and
pipe organ. Outside of
Dr. Dana Dillon, assis-
the chapel there is an at-
tant professor of theol-
tractive grouping of the
ogy.
Stations of the Cross.
Father Nicanor
The chapel has three
Pier Giorgio Austriaco,
daily Masses Monday
O.P., who holds joint
through Thursday and
appointments in the bi-
two on Friday. There is a
ology and theology de-
Saturday vigil and three
partments, is a popular
Sunday Masses. Adora-
professor. He told us,
tion is available on Tues-
“I am able to bring the
day and Wednesday eve-
truths of Catholic teach-
nings. Students can join
ing to my teaching of
the Dominicans in their
science.” Father Austri-
liturgical life, such as for
aco teaches a section on
compline. Confessions
bioethics and courses
are heard three times a
on biochemistry.
week.
One of the college’s
One recent alumnus
notable graduate pro-
told us that the rotat-
grams is its eight-year-
ing Dominican priests
old Providence Alliance
who celebrate Mass are
for Catholic Teachers
“skilled homilists, some
(PACT), which helps re-
really phenomenal.” He
cruit college graduates to teach in the region’s
also said they exhibited sound doctrine in
Catholic schools. This program, affiliated
their homilies.
with similar institutions at other schools, in-
The Sunday evening Mass at 10:30 p.m.,
cluding the University of Notre Dame, allows
the so-called “Last Chance Mass,” is reported

190 The Newman Guide


to be “packed.” One faculty member estimat-
ed that about 100-150 students go to at least
one daily Mass each week.
Again emphasizing the Dominican in-
fluence, there is a St. Thomas Aquinas Priory
Chapel on the campus, which offers daily and
Sunday Masses. There also
is a nearby diocesan par-
ish, St. Pius V, run by the
Dominicans. In addition,
there are two oratories,
one in Harkins Hall and
another in Saint Catherine
of Siena Hall.
The office of mission
and ministry, headed by
a vice president and asso-
ciate vice president (both
Dominicans), oversees
the office of the chaplain
and campus ministry. The
chaplain and two assistant
chaplains also are Domin-
icans. The office publishes
a biannual newsletter, Lo-
gos, and does annual as-
sessments. In March 2008,
it issued a 41-page report entitled “Casting
a Broader Net: A Pastoral Plan for Outreach
and Evangelization at Providence College.”
Campus ministry is active. In addition
to various committees that assist with Mass,
there are others which deal with RCIA, re-
treats and talks. Among activities identified
as social justice initiatives there are those
dealing with senior citizens, hunger, children
and Special Olympics.
Students participate in an alternative
spring break. In March 2009, campus minis-
try organized Habitat for Humanity work for
students in 11 U.S. cities. Among other efforts
was a Faith, Politics, and Service program in
New Orleans arranged by Dr. Joseph Cam-
marano, a political science faculty member.
The Newman Guide
Providence College
Student Activities
There were more than 60 recognized clubs in
the 2008-09 academic year. There are numer-
ous honor and pre-professional societies re-
flecting academic interests. The Battle of the
Brains, previously called
the College Bowl, holds
competitions for student
teams. Publications are The
Cowl, the weekly student
newspaper; Alembic, the lit-
erary journal, which dates
back to 1920; and VERITAS,
the yearbook.
Service organizations
include the Knights of Co-
lumbus, the Campus Min-
istry Council, an interfaith
Pastoral Service Organiza-
tion and the Friars Club,
founded on campus in 1928.
The Best Buddies group,
which has about 35 mem-
bers, was instrumental in
the mayor of Providence is-
suing a “Best Buddies Day”
proclamation in March 2009.
There is an active pro-life club, PC for
Life, which in recent years has had as many
as 40 students and has participated in the
March for Life in Washington, D.C.
As mentioned earlier, Dr. Esolen partici-
pates in an informal group of about 20 men
who gather to listen to professors’ talks and
pray. There also is an informal group of wom-
en students who get together for reading and
prayer; a recent study book was Dr. Alice von
Hildebrand’s The Privilege of Being a Woman.
We were concerned about two campus
organizations, a chapter of Amnesty Inter-
national, whose official international policy
supports abortion; and a homosexual sup-
port group called Stopping Homophobia,
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Providence College

Eliminating Prejudices And Restoring Dig- member in 1979. Among the most followed
nity (S.H.E.P.A.R.D.). However, neither group sports is men’s basketball, which played in the
appears to act openly in defiance of Catholic National Invitational Tournament in March
teachings. 2009. This squad plays its home games at the
The new Smith Center for the Arts holds Dunkin’ Donuts Center, an off-campus facil-
concerts, dramatic presentations and other ity opened in 1972. The team has been a top
performing arts events. It includes a small local attraction since at least the 1960s, with
stage called the Angell Blackfriars Theatre, prominent coaches and players.
where five plays were presented in 2008-2009. There is an active intramural sports pro-
The Blackfriars Theatre group is named for a gram which includes flag football, kickball,
Dominican friary near London that was used soccer, field and ice hockey, dodgeball and
for theatrical productions during the Refor- tennis.
mation when Catholic religious orders were
suppressed.
Other performing groups include I Can-
Residential Life
tori, a chorus that sings sacred and secular
Nearly all—97 percent—of underclassmen
music and, with the Concert Chorale, has
live in campus housing. Freshmen and sopho-
performed in several European cities. The Li-
mores live in nine traditional residence halls.
turgical Choir has performed at the Vatican.
There are four each for men and women; the
There are other music ensembles and dance
ninth, Aquinas Hall, has separate wings for
groups, such as the Irish Dance Club. In anoth-
men and wom-
er genre, students
en. Upperclass-
are able to enjoy
men can choose
art exhibits in the
between five
Hunt-Cavanagh
college apart-
Gallery.
ment buildings
To help in-
or a newer 348-
crease facilities
student suite-
where students
style residence,
can socialize
Suites Hall,
and hold group
which opened
activities, the
in 2004.
Slavin Center is
The col-
being expanded
lege notes on its
in 2009. Various
website, “The
social activities
Office of Resi-
are also available
dence Life is
at McPhail’s En-
strongly committed to upholding the Judaeo-
tertainment Facility. And students can take
Christian heritage of Providence College and
advantage of the Concannon Fitness Center, a
the traditions of the Dominican Order that
23,000-square foot facility opened in 2007.
celebrate the dignity and sacredness of the
Sports are important at Providence. An
individual.”
NCAA Division I school, Providence com-
As a result, overnight opposite-sex visita-
petes in 19 sports, most of them in the Big
tion in residence halls is prohibited; disciplin-
East Conference, of which it was an original
ary procedures are enforced. Dominican fri-

192 The Newman Guide


ars live in most of the residence halls and are
available to counsel and befriend students.
Students have access to a traditional din-
ing facility in Raymond Hall as well as a food
court, coffee shop and a convenience store.
Drinking, as with most colleges, is a
concern for the
ad m i n i st rat ion
which is aggres-
sively address-
ing the issue. An
open campus ses-
sion was held in
April 2009 to get
student input and
discuss changes
in campus drink-
ing policies (al-
cohol is available
on campus at
McPhail’s).
Crime on
campus is very
low, restricted to
liquor violations, some drug violations and
burglaries. However, there has been an in-
crease in crime in the surrounding area.
The on-campus health center handles
routine illnesses and wellness matters. For
more serious problems, there are several
Providence hospitals, including Roger Wil-
liams Medical Center, which is about one mile
from campus, and the 719-bed Rhode Island
Hospital about three miles away.
The Community
Providence has a population of about 175,000,
ranking behind Boston and Worcester, Mas-
sachusetts, in New England. The city, which
was founded by Puritan preacher Roger Wil-
liams in 1636, has had a long mercantile and
industrial history. One notable industry was
textiles and, as with other such cities in the
region, the decline of that sector aversely
The Newman Guide
Providence College
affected Providence; the city’s population
peaked in the 1940 census.
The city has worked to diversify its
economy, but the non-seasonally adjusted
unemployment rate for March 2009 was 12.5
percent. Those below the poverty line in Prov-
idence are about
one-third of
the population.
Providence Col-
lege’s bordering
neig hborho od
of Smith Hill
has had a large
recent influx
of immigrants,
and it continues
to experience
economic diffi-
culties.
Despite fac-
ing many of the
same challenges
that confront
older Rust Belt cities, Providence is a hospi-
table, livable and compact city. Among its at-
tractions are cultural offerings, including the
diverse Rhode Island School of Design Muse-
um and the Providence Performing Arts Cen-
ter. The Providence Bruins play professional
hockey in the American Hockey League.
Also, students are attracted to the many cul-
tural, sports and social opportunities in Bos-
ton, which is only about one hour away.
Partly as a result of its geographic loca-
tion in the Northeast corridor, Providence is
easily accessible. Seven large commercial air-
lines serve the T.F. Green International Air-
port in Warwick, Rhode Island. Amtrak and
the busy Massachusetts Bay Commuter Rail-
road Company links Providence with Boston
and New York and other major cities. There
is a local Rhode Island Public Transportation
Authority, which also provides bus service to
Green Airport.
193
Providence College
Catholics in the Diocese of Providence,
which encompasses all of Rhode Island, rep-
resent 59 percent of the state’s population of
1.05 million.
The Bottom Line
Providence College has been educating New
England Catholics for 90 years. While there
may have been challenges at times to live up
to its standards amid the secularization of
most other New England Catholic colleges,
Providence today enjoys the leadership of Fa-
ther Shanley, the witness of his Dominican
194
brethren and the ongoing contributions of
committed lay faculty.
The Dominican presence is complement-
ed by one of the most impressive core curricu-
la, which relies heavily on a unique two-year
immersion in Western civilization. We were
constantly reminded by students and faculty
how this program reinforces Catholic values
and identity on a day-to-day basis.
Providence College is really a small
university, and for those looking for a faith-
ful school offering a large number of majors
and minors while still deepening their liberal
arts knowledge, this New England institution
may be the right match.
The Newman Guide