Fairfield University College Of Arts And Sciences
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Fairfield University is a private
Jesuit , image = Ihs-logo.svg , image_size = 175px , caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits , abbreviation = SJ , nickname = Jesuits , formation = , founders ...
university in
Fairfield, Connecticut Fairfield is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. It borders the city of Bridgeport and towns of Trumbull, Easton, Weston, and Westport along the Gold Coast of Connecticut. Located within the New York metropolitan area ...
. It was founded by the Jesuits in 1942. In 2017, the university had about 4,100 full-time undergraduate students and 1,100 graduate students, including full-time and part-time students. The school offers bachelor's degrees, master's degrees, and doctoral degrees through its five schools and colleges: the Fairfield University College of Arts and Sciences, the Charles F. Dolan School of Business, the School of Engineering, the Marion Peckham Egan School of Nursing and Health Studies, and the Graduate School of Education and Allied Professions.


History

In 1941, Rev. James H. Dolan, S.J., Provincial for the New England Province of the Society of Jesus, received written permission from Bishop Maurice F. McAuliffe of the Hartford Archdiocese to establish a Jesuit high school and college in the southwestern area of Connecticut. Fairfield University was officially founded in 1942 when the Jesuits acquired the two contiguous estates of the
Brewster Jennings Benjamin Brewster Jennings (June 9, 1898 — October 2, 1968) was a founder and president of the Socony-Vacuum company, which became, in 1955, the Standard Oil Company of New York (Socony), which would later become Mobil Oil, and then merged to be ...
and Walter Lashar families. Upon its founding, it became the 26th Jesuit college/university in the United States. In the same year, Rev. James H. Dolan, S.J. appointed the Rev. John J. McEleney, S.J. as the first President of the "Fairfield University of Saint Robert Bellarmine, S.J." and Vicar of the Fairfield College Preparatory School. In 1944, the Rev. James H. Dolan, S.J. himself, became the second President. During his tenure, the State of Connecticut chartered Fairfield University to grant degrees in 1945. In 1947, the College of Arts and Sciences admitted its first class of 303 male students. The State of Connecticut accredited the College of Arts and Sciences and the university held its first summer session of undergraduate courses in 1949. In 1970, Fairfield became co-educational, admitting its first undergraduate class of women. In the same year, the School of Nursing, which is now part of the Marion Peckham Egan School of Nursing and Health Studies was formed, offering four year undergraduate programs. The 1971
Supreme Court A supreme court is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts in most legal jurisdictions. Other descriptions for such courts include court of last resort, apex court, and high (or final) court of appeal. Broadly speaking, the decisions of ...
case ''Tilton vs. Richardson'' established an important legal precedent concerning the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment and government financial assistance to religious-based colleges and universities. This landmark court case questioned the legality of Fairfield and three other Connecticut religious-based institutions securing federal construction grants under the ''Higher Education Facilities Act of 1963''. An appeal by the plaintiffs was denied by the Supreme Court on June 28, 1971, ensuring Fairfield a significant amount of federal money which contributed to the construction of the Nyselius Library (1968) and Bannow Science Center (1971). In 1978, the School of Business, now known as the Dolan School of Business, was established, as a separate and standalone school. Prior to this the Department of Business was part of the College of Arts and Sciences. At the same time, the school began offering its first graduate business degree program, a Master of Science in Financial Management.
Aloysius P. Kelley, S.J. Aloysius Paul Kelley, S.J. (born October 4, 1929) was the 7th President of Fairfield University located in Fairfield, Connecticut Fairfield is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. It borders the city of Bridgeport and to ...
was installed as the school's seventh president in 1979. He would become Fairfield's longest serving leader, presiding over the school for 25 years. During his tenure, the relatively young school enjoyed a period of expansive growth. This period saw the construction of dozens of new campus buildings, the addition of multiple new undergraduate and graduate degree programs, and an increase the institution's endowment from under $2 million in 1979 to $131 million by 2003. Under Kelley, the School of Engineering was formed after the acquisition of Bridgeport Engineering Institute in August 1994, offering both undergraduate and graduate degree programs. The university was accepted as a member institution into Phi Beta Kappa in 1995. In 2004,
Jeffrey P. von Arx, S.J. Jeffrey Paul von Arx (born in Bellefonte, Pennsylvania, raised in Locust Valley, New York) was the 8th President of Fairfield University. He served as the President of Fairfield University from July 1, 2004 until December 31, 2016. Previously ...
became the eighth president of the university, having served as an administrator at fellow Jesuit institutions in Georgetown University and
Fordham University Fordham University () is a Private university, private Jesuit universities, Jesuit research university in New York City. Established in 1841 and named after the Fordham, Bronx, Fordham neighborhood of the The Bronx, Bronx in which its origina ...
prior. That year von Arx launched the capital campaign, "Our Promise: The Campaign for Fairfield University," which raised a then record of $137.9 million. The capital raised resulted in the construction and renovation of seven buildings, the creation of four new academic chairs, and the significant increase in the university's endowment. In October 2006, the school opened the Aloysius P. Kelley. S.J. Center, named in honor of its longtime president. The building in the center of campus is an
environmentally friendly Environment friendly processes, or environmental-friendly processes (also referred to as eco-friendly, nature-friendly, and green), are sustainability and marketing terms referring to goods and services, laws, guidelines and policies that clai ...
welcoming center and administrative center. After a twelve-year tenure, von Arx announced he would be leaving his position in 2016. A national search for his replacement followed, and on July 1, 2017, the school announced the appointment of
Mark R. Nemec Mark R. Nemec (born in Chicago, Illinois) is an American educator. He is the ninth person and first layperson to serve as the president of the Fairfield University. Nemec was previously the Dean of the Graham School of Continuing Liberal and Profe ...
, who became the first lay president in the history of the university. Prior to Fairfield, Nemec was the Dean of the Graham School of Continuing Liberal and Professional Studies at the University of Chicago.


Academics

Fairfield University is composed of five schools and colleges: the Fairfield University College of Arts and Sciences, the Charles F. Dolan School of Business, the School of Engineering, the Marion Peckham Egan School of Nursing and Health Studies, and the Graduate School of Education and Allied Professions. The university offers 43 majors and 19 minors for undergraduate students, as well as 41 different graduate programs. In 2016–17, the university awarded 930 bachelor's degrees, 367 master's degrees, and 36 doctoral degrees. Since 1993, 65 Fairfield students have been awarded Fulbright Scholarships. Academic and spiritual centers at the university include the Center for Faith and Public Life, the Center for Catholic Studies, the Center for Ignatian Spirituality, and the Carl and Dorothy Bennett Center for Judaic Studies. Among undergraduates, the most popular majors ranked in order of popularity are Nursing, Finance, Marketing, Accounting, Communication, Psychology, Biology, and English. The current freshman retention rate is 90%, and the four year graduation rate among the most recent graduating class was 80%. The faculty to student ratio is currently 12:1. The average class size is 22 students, and 80% of classes have under 30 students in them. As of fall 2017, there are 270 full-time and 319 part-time faculty members. Of the full-time faculty, 90% have a doctorate, 3% have a terminal master's, and 7% have a master's.


Rankings

* Ranked third overall for 2021 among Northern "Regional Universities" by '' U.S. News & World Report'', second for "Best Undergraduate Teaching", second for "Most Innovative", and 21st for "Best Value" in the regional category. * For 2020, '' Washington Monthly'' ranked Fairfield University 39th among 614 Master's universities in the U.S. based on its contribution to the public good, as measured by social mobility, research, and promoting public service. * '' Kiplinger's Personal Finance'' places Fairfield 41st in its 2019 ranking of the 177 best value private universities in the United States.


Admissions

According to ''U.S. News & World Report'' Fairfield is deemed a "More Selective" university. The school accepts the
Common Application The Common Application (more commonly known as the Common App) is an undergraduate college admission application that applicants may use to apply to over 1,000 member colleges and universities in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, as we ...
for admission. In the Fall of 2010, the school moved to a "test optional" admissions policy but recommended scheduling an interview for students who do not submit standardized test scores. Approximately 90% of students receive some type of financial assistance. Fairfield has the lowest percentage of Pell Grant recipients of any college in the United States. For fall 2019, Fairfield received 12,315 freshmen applications; 7,035 were admitted (57.1%), and 1,176 enrolled. The average GPA of the enrolled freshmen was 3.64, while the middle 50% range of composite SAT scores were 1220–1340, 610-670 for evidence-based reading and writing, and 600-680 for math. The middle 50% range of the ACT composite score was 26–30.


Region and campus


Town of Fairfield

Fairfield University is located in Fairfield, Connecticut, a coastal town along
Long Island Sound Long Island Sound is a marine sound and tidal estuary of the Atlantic Ocean. It lies predominantly between the U.S. state of Connecticut to the north and Long Island in New York to the south. From west to east, the sound stretches from the Eas ...
. It is less than 60 miles from New York City and approximately 1 hour 20 minutes away by
Metro-North Railroad Metro-North Railroad , trading as MTA Metro-North Railroad, is a suburban commuter rail service run by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), a New York State public benefit corporations, public authority of the U.S. state of New Yor ...
. As of the 2010 census, the town had a population of 59,404. Fairfield is known for its historic downtown, and its beaches - Jennings and Penfield Beach - which are only a few miles from the university campus.


Main campus

Fairfield's campus consists of 35 buildings anchored by the three manor homes of the original estates: Bellarmine Hall (1921), formerly the Lashar's 'Hearthstone Hall', renamed to honor Saint Robert Bellarmine, S.J; McAuliffe Hall (1896), originally O.G. Jennings' 'Mailands', renamed for Bishop Maurice F. McAuliffe, who sanctioned the creation of Fairfield University; and David J. Dolan House, Lawrence Jenning's 'Larribee', dedicated to honor the uncle of Charles F. Dolan who made the 1989 acquisition of Dolan Campus possible. Bellarmine Hall, the main administration building on campus, is named in honor of Saint Robert Bellarmine, S.J. Many of the classrooms and residence halls on the campus are named in honor of Jesuit priests. Behind each building name is a story of a Jesuit priest who was an exemplar of the Jesuit mission and their pursuit of educational and intellectual contributions, human rights, and social justice. The Barone Campus Center (named in honor of university Provost and Chemistry Professor Dr. John Barone), is the home for student life including the Tully Dining Commons, the Oak Room, the Main Dining Hall, offices for FUSA, StagCard, WVOF, Residence Life, and Student Affairs. Built in 1968, the DiMenna-Nyselius Library originally was named the Nyselius Library in honor of benefactors Gustav and Dagmar Nyselius. They were Swedish immigrants who had settled in Stamford and wanted to make a donation to Fairfield University. In 2001, the Library underwent a major renovation and expansion and was renamed the DiMenna-Nyselius Library in recognition of a donation from alumnus Joseph A. DiMenna, Jr. '80. The campus is home to Fairfield College Preparatory School (Fairfield Prep), which is a 900-student all-male preparatory high school that has been aligned with the college since its founding in 1942. It is located at the southeastern corner of the campus, near the entrance on North Benson Road.


Environmental sustainability

In 2007, the university opened a $9.5 million combustion turbine-based combined heat and power plant on its campus with a capacity of 4.6 MW; the university was honored by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) with a 2010 Energy Star CHP Award for the project. In 2008, university president von Arx signed the American College & University Presidents' Climate Commitment, a high-visibility effort to address global warming by garnering institutional commitments to neutralize greenhouse gas emissions, and to accelerate the
climate change mitigation Climate change mitigation is action to limit climate change by reducing Greenhouse gas emissions, emissions of greenhouse gases or Carbon sink, removing those gases from the atmosphere. The recent rise in global average temperature is mostly caus ...
efforts in research and education. In 2011, a $12.5 million, 22,000-square-foot contemporary-style home for the Jesuit priests of Fairfield University (then numbering 22) was completed; the building is located near the center of campus and contains
sustainable Specific definitions of sustainability are difficult to agree on and have varied in the literature and over time. The concept of sustainability can be used to guide decisions at the global, national, and individual levels (e.g. sustainable livin ...
elements. In August 2009, Fairfield University became the first university in the United States to install
Tomra TOMRA is a Norwegian multinational corporation manufacturing collection and sorting products, such as reverse vending machines for the food, recycling and mining industries. With over 82,000 ( RVMs) installed, 10,000 food sorters and 6,000 recy ...
UNO reverse vending machines (RVM), an all-in-one recycling machine for
bottle deposit Container-deposit legislation (also known as a container-deposit scheme, deposit-refund system or scheme, deposit-return system, or bottle bill) is any law that requires the collection of a monetary deposit on beverage containers (refillable or ...
s.


Student life

, the university had about 4,100 full-time undergraduate students and 1,100 graduate students (full-time and part-time). 76.9% of undergraduates were white, 7.5% were Hispanic and Latino Americans, 2.2% were black or African American and 2.3% were Asian. As of fall 2017, there were 125 international students in the undergraduate class (including non-degree-seeking and part-time international students) and 100 international graduate students. The student population is represented by students from 32 states and 55 foreign countries. The gender composition of the most recently admitted class is 58.8% female and 41.2% male.


Community service

The goal of Jesuit education is ''homines pro aliis'', "men and women for others". As a result, Fairfield students are involved in many community service opportunities. Fairfield was among 119 colleges in the United States named to the Carnegie Classification for Community Engagement in 2008. The university was named to the 2009 and 2010 President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll by the Learn and Serve America Program of the Corporation for National and Community Service. The Annual Hunger Clean Up is a one-day service-a-thon where the university community works at 40-plus local agency sites throughout Fairfield County and to raise money for local and national hunger and homelessness causes. The Fairfield chapter of Colleges Against Cancer hosts an annual
American Cancer Society The American Cancer Society (ACS) is a nationwide voluntary health organization dedicated to eliminating cancer. Established in 1913, the society is organized into six geographical regions of both medical and lay volunteers operating in more than ...
Relay for Life, an overnight event designed to spread awareness of cancer prevention, treatments and cures, celebrate
cancer survivors A cancer survivor is a person with cancer of any type who is still living. Whether a person becomes a survivor at the time of diagnosis or after completing treatment, whether people who are actively dying are considered survivors, and whether ...
and raise money for cancer research. The Adrienne Kirby Family Literacy Project, recognized as a model program by the Corporation for National and Community Service, involves about 175 Fairfield student-volunteers a year in providing individual tutoring to preschool children at the Action for Bridgeport Community Development's Early Learning/Head Start Program. Internationally, 'Ignatian Solidarity Corps volunteers annually participate in two-week international service trips during their spring and winter breaks traveling to Ecuador, Mexico, Jamaica, Belize and
Haiti Haiti (; ht, Ayiti ; French: ), officially the Republic of Haiti (); ) and formerly known as Hayti, is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean Sea, east of Cuba and Jamaica, and ...
. In 2004, Mikaela Conley '06 and Aamina Awan '07 founded The Afghan Children's Project to raise awareness and funds for children who have suffered the effects of war, violence, and poverty in Afghanistan. Both were interviewed on CNN Daybreak in August 2005 for their work in funding the building of a water well for Aloudine, a small village outside Kabul. And in 2008, nine Fairfield students, inspired by 2006 Nobel Peace Prize recipient Muhammad Yunus and the
Grameen Bank Grameen Bank ( bn, গ্রামীণ ব্যাংক) is a microfinance organisation and community development bank founded in Bangladesh. It makes small loans (known as microcredit or "grameencredit") to the impoverished without requi ...
, started Sustainable Equity for Women, a
micro-lending :''This article is specific to small loans, often provided in a pooled manner. For direct payments to individuals for specific projects, see Micropatronage. For financial services to the poor, see Microfinance. For small payments, see Micropayme ...
project designed to raise and invest money in small businesses run by women in developing countries in conjunction with
Kiva Microfunds Kiva (commonly known by its domain name, Kiva.org) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization headquartered in San Francisco, California, that claims to allow people to lend money via the Internet to low-income entrepreneurs and students in 77 c ...
.


Fairfield University Student Association

The Fairfield University Student Association (FUSA) is the official student association for full-time undergraduate students and is the largest student organization on campus. The association exists to represent student issues and concerns to the faculty and administration and to sponsor a multitude of student programs and activities. All full-time undergraduate students are members. The association is organized into three branches – legislative, executive, and the judiciary (FUSA Court). The legislative branch consists of the Student Senate, comprising 20 elected representatives (5 from each undergraduate class year). The executive branch is headed by the popularly elected President of FUSA, who serves as the official spokesperson for undergraduate students in addition to administering the student association on a daily basis. In 2002, Karen Donoghue '03 became the first woman elected President of FUSA. The FUSA President is assisted by a popularly elected vice president, elected class officers, and a number of other appointed officers, including the Director of Programming, the Director of the Club Operations and Student Organisations(COSO), the Director of Marketing & Public Relations, the Director of the Treasury, and the Director of Diversity and Inclusion. The judicial branch, known as the FUSA Court, facilitates elections, serves as a hearing body in appeals, as well as performing the judicial functions required for the student association.


Student activism

A central tenet of a Jesuit education is the promotion of the values of peace and social justice. In 1988, 1989 and 1990, the Coalition for a Better World constructed "Cardboard City" and held a 36-hour vigil, and again in 2008, the Students for Social Justice constructed "Homeless Village" and hosted the "
Oxfam Oxfam is a British-founded confederation of 21 independent charitable organizations focusing on the alleviation of global poverty, founded in 1942 and led by Oxfam International. History Founded at 17 Broad Street, Oxford, as the Oxford Co ...
Hunger Banquet" to raise awareness of the plight of the homeless in the United States. In 1999, students staged an 11-hour sit-in at the home of the university president and later a hunger strike to protest a contracting company used by the university that the students said was anti-union and paid janitors poorly. Each year, the Students for Social Justice travel to Columbus, Georgia for the annual School of the Americas Watch protest at a combat training school for Latin American soldiers now known as the
Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation The Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation (WHINSEC), formerly known as the School of the Americas, is a United States Department of Defense school located at Fort Benning in Columbus, Georgia, renamed in the 2001 National Defens ...
. The date of the protest marks the anniversary of the murder of six Jesuit priests, their maid, and her daughter in
El Salvador El Salvador (; , meaning " The Saviour"), officially the Republic of El Salvador ( es, República de El Salvador), is a country in Central America. It is bordered on the northeast by Honduras, on the northwest by Guatemala, and on the south b ...
at the hands of soldiers trained at the School of the Americas. And in 2008, Fairfield for Peace NOW created "Hope Trail", a pathway of flags around campus symbolizing the cost in life and casualties from the Iraq War, and ''A Cry For Peace'', a play written and performed with Theatre Fairfield demonstrating the toll of the Iraq War on the families of soldiers back in the United States.


Student media

* StagsTV – The Student Television Station of Fairfield University * The Mirror – The Independent Student Newspaper of Fairfield University * WVOF – The Voice of Fairfield University


Athletics

Fairfield University is a member of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) and is classified as NCAA Division I for a majority of its athletic programs. It sponsors 20 varsity sports – baseball, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's crew, men's and women's cross country, field hockey, men's and women's golf, men's and women's lacrosse, men's and women's soccer, softball, men's and women's swimming and diving, men's and women's tennis, and women's volleyball. Men's lacrosse is a member of the
Colonial Athletic Association The Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) is a collegiate athletic conference affiliated with the NCAA's Division I whose full members are located in East Coast states from Massachusetts to South Carolina. Most of its members are public universi ...
and field hockey is an associate member of the America East Conference.


Basketball

The men's basketball team is currently coached by Jay Young. The Stags have participated in
National Invitational Tournament The National Invitational Tournament (NIT) is a men's college basketball tournament operated by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Played at regional sites and traditionally at Madison Square Garden (Final Four) in New York City ...
in
1973 Events January * January 1 - The United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland and Denmark enter the European Economic Community, which later becomes the European Union. * January 15 – Vietnam War: Citing progress in peace negotiations, U.S. ...
,
1974 Major events in 1974 include the aftermath of the 1973 oil crisis and the resignation of United States President Richard Nixon following the Watergate scandal. In the Middle East, the aftermath of the 1973 Yom Kippur War determined politics; f ...
,
1978 Events January * January 1 – Air India Flight 855, a Boeing 747 passenger jet, crashes off the coast of Bombay, killing 213. * January 5 – Bülent Ecevit, of Republican People's Party, CHP, forms the new government of Turkey (42nd go ...
,
1996 File:1996 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: A Centennial Olympic Park bombing, bomb explodes at Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta, set off by a radical Anti-abortion violence, anti-abortionist; The center fuel tank explodes on TWA Flight 8 ...
,
2003 File:2003 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The crew of STS-107 perished when the Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated during reentry into Earth's atmosphere; SARS became an epidemic in China, and was a precursor to SARS-CoV-2; A des ...
and
2011 File:2011 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: a protester partaking in Occupy Wall Street heralds the beginning of the Occupy movement; protests against Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, who was killed that October; a young man celebrate ...
, and the
NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament The NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament, branded as NCAA March Madness and commonly called March Madness, is a single-elimination tournament played each spring in the United States, currently featuring 68 college basketball teams from ...
in
1986 The year 1986 was designated as the International Year of Peace by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 ** Aruba gains increased autonomy from the Netherlands by separating from the Netherlands Antilles. **Spain and Portugal ente ...
,
1987 File:1987 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The MS Herald of Free Enterprise capsizes after leaving the Port of Zeebrugge in Belgium, killing 193; Northwest Airlines Flight 255 crashes after takeoff from Detroit Metropolitan Airport, k ...
and
1997 File:1997 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The movie set of ''Titanic'', the highest-grossing movie in history at the time; ''Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'', is published; Comet Hale-Bopp passes by Earth and becomes one of t ...
. In the first round of the 1997 NCAA Tournament, the Stags nearly achieved a historic upset over top ranked and Final Four bound North Carolina, leading the Tar Heels by seven points at halftime, before ultimately losing 82–74. UNC's win was Coach Dean Smith's 876th win as a Division I college coach, tying him for first all-time. That record has since been broken. In 2010, during the first round of the
CIT CIT or cit may refer to: Organizations * CIT Group, an American banking and financial services company * CIT Bank, a subsidiary of CIT Group * Center for Information Technology, of the US government * Compagnia Italiana Turismo, an Italian travel ...
, the team set the national record for the largest comeback in Division I college basketball postseason history by overcoming a 27-point deficit with under 16 minutes to play to defeat George Mason in overtime, 101–96. Head coach Ed Cooley was named the Ben Jobe National Coach of the Year in 2010. Thirteen Stags have been either drafted or signed to play in the
NBA The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United St ...
. The
women's basketball Women's basketball is the team sport of basketball played by women. It began being played in 1892, one year after men's basketball, at Smith College in Massachusetts. It spread across the United States, in large part via women's college compet ...
team has won the MAAC title in 1988, 1991, 1998, and 2022 and regular season titles in 1990, 1991, 2000, and 2022. They are currently coached by Joe Frager.


Lacrosse

The men's lacrosse team currently competes in the
Colonial Athletic Association The Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) is a collegiate athletic conference affiliated with the NCAA's Division I whose full members are located in East Coast states from Massachusetts to South Carolina. Most of its members are public universi ...
(CAA). The team has previously competed in the MAAC, GWLL, and ECAC. Since 1996, the team has won 8 Conference Regular Season Titles and 2 Conference Tournament Titles. The team has been ranked nationally over the years, and earned berths to the 2003 and 2005 NCAA Men's Lacrosse Championship tournaments. 14 players have received All-American honors over the years, and 12 players have gone on to play professionally in Major League Lacrosse (MLL). The team plays their home games at the lacrosse-only
Rafferty Stadium Rafferty Stadium is a 3,500-seat lacrosse stadium on the campus of Fairfield University in Fairfield, Connecticut. It is home to the Fairfield Stags men's and women's lacrosse teams. The facility opened officially on February 2, 2015. The stadi ...
and are currently coached by Andrew Baxter, who succeeded
Andrew Copelan Andrew "Andy" Copelan (born in Pittsford, New York) is the head coach of the Waterdogs Lacrosse Club. Previously, Copelan was the head coach of Fairfield University from 2008 to 2019. Prior to that, Copelan was an assistant coach and offensive coo ...
in 2019. On April 21, 2013, men's lacrosse set the school record for the defeat of the highest ranked opponent in any sport, when the Stags upset the Denver Pioneers 9–8, who were then ranked no. 1 in the United States. The previous record was set on March 13, 2010, when the Stags upset the then no. 3 nationally ranked (and eventual 2010 NCAA tournament runner-up) Notre Dame Fighting Irish 10–8 while competing in the inaugural 'Beating Cancer With A Stick Classic' at The Kinkaid School in Houston, Texas. The women's lacrosse team has won 12 MAAC Regular Season Titles in the last decade and earned a berth to the 2009, 2015, 2018, 2021, and 2022 NCAA Women's Lacrosse Championship.


Soccer

The Fairfield Stags men's soccer team won the 2005, 2006 and 2011 MAAC Regular Season Championship as well as the 1999, 2006, 2008 and 2011 MAAC Tournament Championship. In 2012 Fairfield goalkeeper, Michael O'Keeffe, was called up to play with the New Zealand National Team's Olympic squad. In summer 2021 Matt Turner (soccer) was called up to the US Men's National Team and won the Gold Cup Golden Glove award for best Goalkeeper of the tournament. The women's soccer team has advanced to the NCAA Women's Soccer Championship five times and has won the MAAC Championship seven times since 1993.


Volleyball

The Fairfield Women's Volleyball team have won the 1998, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2021 MAAC Regular Season Championships. The Stags have also won the 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019 MAAC Tournament Championships. Head Coach Todd Kress has coached for 11 seasons with an overall record of .694 and 234 Wins. The team has an overall record of 649-469 (.581) and overall MAAC Record of 314-71 (.816).


Club sports

Sport clubs offer baseball, equestrian, men's and women's ice hockey, martial arts, men's and women's rugby, sailing, men's and women's skiing and snowboarding, men's and women's soccer, men's and women's track and men's and women's volleyball. The Men's Rugby Football Club or Red Ruggers, established in 1963, is the longest continuously running sport club at Fairfield University. The Red Ruggers won the 2008 MET NY Rugby Football Union Division II Title and have produced two USA Rugby Collegiate All-Americans. Former Red Ruggers
Paul Sheehy Paul Sheehy (born August 14, 1963) is an American former Rugby union footballer for the United States. He started four matches for the U.S. in 1991–1992, including two starts at the 1991 Rugby World Cup. His position was fullback. Sheehy was b ...
'81 competed for the USA Eagles at the
1991 Rugby World Cup The 1991 Rugby World Cup was the second edition of the Rugby World Cup, and was jointly hosted by England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland and France: at the time, the five European countries who participated in the Five Nations Championship. This was ...
and
Will Brazier William Brazier (born October 17, 1983) is an American rugby league footballer who plays for the United States national rugby league team, USA Falcons, Old Blue Rugby Football Club in the Rugby Super League (US) and the Connecticut Wildcats in ...
'05 competed for the United States national rugby league team at the 2004 Liberty Bell Cup. The Equestrian Club was Regional Champions in 1996, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2002, & 2003 and in 2007 seven Fairfield riders were invited to the elite Tournament of Champions, a horse show for the nation's top collegiate equestrian teams. The Men's Hockey Club (formerly an NCAA level Division I program of the now-defunct MAAC) competed in the 2007
MCHC The mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC) is a measure of the concentration of hemoglobin in a given volume of packed red blood cell. It is calculated by dividing the hemoglobin by the hematocrit. Reference ranges for blood tests are ...
Championship game and the 2008, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 ACHA National Tournaments. The Men's Volleyball Club won the 2006 and 2007 New England Collegiate Volleyball League Division II Championship and competed in the 2001, 2002, 2005, 2006 and 2008 National Intramural-Recreational Sports Association (NIRSA) Volleyball Championships.


Arts and culture


Quick Center for the Arts

The
Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts The Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts is the major center of theatre and the arts at Fairfield University located in Fairfield, Connecticut. The Center includes events such as popular and classical music, dance, theatre, and programs for young a ...
is the major center of theatre and the arts at Fairfield. The center opened in 1990 and hosts events such as popular and classical music, dance, theatre, and programs for young audiences. It houses the 740-seat Kelley Theatre, the 150-seat Lawrence A. Wien Experimental (Black Box) Theatre, and the Thomas J. Walsh Jr. Art Gallery. The center is home to the Open VISIONS Forum, which under the direction of Dr. Philip Eliasoph brings speakers to campus to participate in dialogue about topical issues.


Fairfield University Art Museum

The Fairfield University Art Museum, opened in October 2010, is located in a 1920s Tudor mansion. The Museum features four galleries with about of space. Its main gallery, The Frank and Clara Meditz Gallery, is named in honor of the parents of the lead donor to the project, University Trustee John Meditz '70. It was previously known as the Bellarmine Museum.


Theatre Fairfield

Theatre Fairfield is the resident production company of the Theatre Program of the Department of Visual &
Performing Arts The performing arts are arts such as music, dance, and drama which are performed for an audience. They are different from the visual arts, which are the use of paint, canvas or various materials to create physical or static art objects. Perform ...
at the university. Theatre Fairfield's season includes professionally directed and designed productions, a Festival of student-written, directed, and designed plays, performances by On the Spot, an improv company, Director's Cut or A Class Act, which features the work of advanced directing and acting students, and independent projects created by junior and senior theatre majors. The PepsiCo Theatre, a renovated 1922 carriage house, is the home to Theatre Fairfield. This theatrical facility includes a 70-seat flexible black box theatre, coffeehouse, dance studio, design studio and costume shop/dressing room. Veterans of Theatre Fairfield include
Paul Marcarelli Paul Marcarelli (born May 24, 1970) is an American actor, who is currently the spokesperson for T-Mobile. He is best known for being the ubiquitous "Test Man" character in advertising, commercials ("Can you hear me now?") for Verizon Wireless fro ...
'92 and January LaVoy '97.


Alumni

* In academia and education, Fairfield alumni include: J. Kevin Dorsey, Interim President of the Southern Illinois University;
Katherine Lapp Katherine N. Lapp is an American lawyer, civil servant, and university executive. Notably, she served as Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer of Harvard University from 2009 to 2022. Prior to working at Harvard, Lapp had a dis ...
, Executive Vice President of Harvard University;
David J. McCarthy Jr. David J. McCarthy Jr. is Dean EmeritusDavid J. McCarthy.
Georgetown Law, 2011 ...
, Dean Emeritus of the Georgetown University Law Center; Mark Reed, President of St. Joseph's University;
Charles E. Schaefer Charles E. Schaefer (November 15, 1933 – September 19, 2020) was an American psychologist considered by many to be the "Father of Play Therapy" who has appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show, The Today Show and Good Morning America. He was Professor ...
, psychology professor considered the "Father of Play Therapy." * In arts and entertainment, alumni include: Pat Jordan, author of ''A False Spring''; Donald Preziosi, art historian and former Slade Professor of Fine Art at Oxford University; Bob Sullivan, two time New York Times Best Seller author and founding member of MSNBC.com. * In business and finance, alumni include:
Donatella Arpaia Donatella Arpaia Stewart (born September 15, 1971) is an American restaurateur and a television personality who appears on The Food Network. Arpaia is a regular judge on The Food Network's ''Iron Chef America'' and ''The Next Iron Chef''. She ha ...
, New York's 50 Most Powerful Women;
E. Gerald Corrigan Edward Gerald Corrigan (June 13, 1941 – May 17, 2022) was an American banker who was the seventh President of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and Vice-Chairman of the Federal Open Market Committee. Corrigan served as a partner and managing ...
, seventh President of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York;
William P. Egan William P. Egan is an American venture capitalist. He is the founder and general partner at Alta Communications, a venture capital firm, and Marion Equity Partners, a private equity firm, both based in Boston, Massachusetts. Egan also founded Alta ...
, venture capitalist;
John L. Flannery John L. Flannery (born 1962) is an American business executive. He succeeded Jeff Immelt as the eleventh CEO and tenth Chairman of General Electric, serving as CEO from August 2017 until October 1, 2018. Prior to ascending to the CEO role, Flanne ...
, Chairman & CEO of General Electric (GE); Kathleen Murphy, Fortune Magazine's 50 Most Powerful Business Women;
Joseph DiMenna Joseph A. DiMenna is a U.S. hedge fund manager and Managing Director of Zweig-DiMenna Associates. He is the Chief Investment Officer of the Zweig-DiMenna partnerships and funds. He co-founded the first fund with Martin Zweig in 1984, serving as ...
, hedge fund manager; Christopher McCormick, president & CEO of L.L.Bean;
Jennifer Piepszak Jennifer Piepszak is an American financial executive and co-head of J.P. Morgan’s Commercial & Investment Bank. Her appointment was announced on January 25, 2024. Prior to this, Piepszak served as co-chief executive officer (CEO) of Consumer a ...
, CFO of JPMorgan Chase; Ronan Ryan, central character in Michael Lewis' book '' Flash Boys: A Wall Street Revolt'' * In law and government, alumni include:
John A. Danaher III John A. Danaher III (born August 22, 1950) is a Connecticut Superior Court Judge sitting in Litchfield, Connecticut. Between March 5, 2007, and May 5, 2010, he served as the Commissioner of the State of Connecticut Department of Public Safety. ...
, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut; Raymond J. Dearie, Judge of the United States Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court;
Joseph P. Flynn Joseph P. Flynn (born in Derby, Connecticut) was the Chief Judge of the Connecticut Appellate Court. Flynn was appointed judge of the Connecticut Appellate Court on February 7, 2001 and Chief Judge on February 1, 2006. Judge Flynn subsequently ass ...
and
William J. Lavery William J. Lavery (born March 26, 1938 in Bridgeport, Connecticut) is the Chief Court Administrator and former Chief Judge of the Connecticut Appellate Court. Lavery was appointed judge of the Connecticut Appellate Court on October 4, 1989; C ...
, Chief Judges of the Connecticut Appellate Court;
Martin Looney Martin M. Looney (born July 23, 1948) is an American politician. Looney, a Democrat, has been a state senator from Connecticut since 1993. From 2003 to 2014, Looney served as Majority Leader of the Senate; in 2015 he became President Pro Tempore o ...
, Connecticut Senate President Pro Tempore;
Jorge E. Pérez-Díaz Jorge E. Pérez-Díaz ( April 24, 1956 in San Juan, Puerto Rico) served as Secretary of Justice of Puerto Rico from 1991 to 1992. He was appointed by former Governor Rafael Hernández Colón. Prior to becoming the Secretary of Justice, Pérez-D ...
, Attorney General of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. * In medicine and science, alumni include:
James Lewis Abbruzzese James Lewis Abbruzzese is the Chief of the Duke Division of Medical Oncology and associate director for Clinical Research for the Duke Cancer Institute. Previously, Abbruzzese was Chairman of the Department of Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology ...
, Chief of the Division of Medical Oncology at the Duke Cancer Institute;
Tatiana Foroud Tatiana Foroud is a genetic researcher and currently the Joe C. Christian Professor Medical and Molecular Genetics, Distinguished Professor and Chancellor's Professor at the Indiana University School of Medicine. Early life and education Foroud wa ...
, genetic researcher and Distinguish Professor at the Indiana University School of Medicine; John T. Lis, Guggenheim Fellow and Barbara McClintock Professor of Molecular Biology & Genetics at Cornell University; Brian Monahan, Attending Physician of the United States Congress; Peter Pronovost, 2008 Time 100 World's Most Influential People and MacArthur Fellow;
Caitlin O'Connell-Rodwell Caitlin Elizabeth O'Connell-Rodwell (born 1965) is an American conservation biologist and author. She is an instructor at Harvard Medical School, scientific consultant, co-founder and chief executive officer of ''Utopia Scientific'', and an exper ...
, world-renowned elephant expert. * In social justice, alumni include:
G. Simon Harak G. Simon Harak (1948-2019) was an American author, peace activist and professor of theology and Director of the Center for Peacemaking at Marquette University. From 2003 to January 2007, Harak served as the Anti-Militarism Coordinator of the Na ...
, Pax Christi National Peacemaker of the Year;
Paula Donovan Paula Donovan is an American AIDS and women's rights activist. She is the co-executive director with Stephen Lewis of AIDS-Free World, an international advocacy organization that works to promote more urgent and effective global responses to HIV/A ...
, the founding executive director of AIDS-Free World;
Joseph Moylan Joseph Anthony Moylan (July 14, 1938, in Hartford, Connecticut – May 16, 2013, in Durham, North Carolina) was founder and president of Durham Nativity School in Durham, North Carolina. He was a former clinical professor of surgery at the Duke Uni ...
, founder and president of Durham Nativity School. File:Donatella_Arpaia.jpg,
Donatella Arpaia Donatella Arpaia Stewart (born September 15, 1971) is an American restaurateur and a television personality who appears on The Food Network. Arpaia is a regular judge on The Food Network's ''Iron Chef America'' and ''The Next Iron Chef''. She ha ...

Restaurateur & ''Food Network'' TV Personality File:Vincent Cianci mayor of Providence RI.jpg, Vincent "Buddy" Cianci
Former mayor of Providence, Rhode Island File:Corrigan_(14103256853)_(cropped).jpg,
E. Gerald Corrigan Edward Gerald Corrigan (June 13, 1941 – May 17, 2022) was an American banker who was the seventh President of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and Vice-Chairman of the Federal Open Market Committee. Corrigan served as a partner and managing ...

7th President of Federal Reserve Bank of New York File:John Flannery (GE).jpg,
John L. Flannery John L. Flannery (born 1962) is an American business executive. He succeeded Jeff Immelt as the eleventh CEO and tenth Chairman of General Electric, serving as CEO from August 2017 until October 1, 2018. Prior to ascending to the CEO role, Flanne ...

CEO of General Electric (GE) File:Brian Monahan.JPG, Brian Monahan
Attending Physician of the United States Congress The Attending Physician of the United States Congress is the physician responsible for the medical welfare of the members of the United States Congress (the 435 representatives, five delegates, Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico, and 100 sen ...
Image:Kathleen Murphy.jpg, Kathleen Murphy
''Fortune'' 50 Most Powerful Women in Business File:Peter Pronovost.png, Peter Pronovost
''Time'' 100 Most Influential People in the World File:CINvRIC_2017-07-09_-_Matt_Turner_(40074313270)_(cropped).jpg, Matt Turner
USMNT
Goalkeeper


See also

* List of Jesuit sites


References


External links

* * {{Authority control Educational institutions established in 1942 Fairfield, Connecticut Jesuit universities and colleges in the United States Roman Catholic Diocese of Bridgeport Universities and colleges in Fairfield County, Connecticut Buildings and structures in Fairfield, Connecticut Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities Catholic universities and colleges in Connecticut 1942 establishments in Connecticut Census-designated places in Fairfield County, Connecticut Census-designated places in Connecticut