Rockhurst University is a
private
Private or privates may refer to:
Music
* " In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation''
* Private (band), a Denmark-based band
* "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorde ...
Jesuit university in
Kansas City, Missouri. Founded in 1910 as Rockhurst College, Rockhurst University is
accredited
Accreditation is the independent, third-party evaluation of a conformity assessment body (such as certification body, inspection body or laboratory) against recognised standards, conveying formal demonstration of its impartiality and competence to ...
by the
Higher Learning Commission
The Higher Learning Commission (HLC) is an institutional accreditor in the United States. It has historically accredited post-secondary education institutions in the central United States: Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa ...
. It enrolled 2,980 students in 2019.
History
In 1909, Fr. Michael Dowling, S.J., the founder of Rockhurst, purchased of land at 53rd Street and
Troost Avenue
Troost Avenue is one of the major streets in Kansas City, Missouri and the Kansas City metropolitan area. It is 10.7 miles long, from the north point at 4th Street to the south point at Bannister Road.
History
The street is named after the first ...
in
Kansas City, Missouri for $50,000. Rockhurst was chartered by the state as Rockhurst College in August 1910. It included the Academy of Rockhurst College, an institution of
secondary education
Secondary education or post-primary education covers two phases on the International Standard Classification of Education scale. Level 2 or lower secondary education (less commonly junior secondary education) is considered the second and final pha ...
which became
Rockhurst High School
Rockhurst High School is a private, Roman Catholic, Jesuit, all-boys, preparatory school founded in 1910 along with Rockhurst College, in Kansas City, Missouri, United States. It moved away from the College in 1962 to a campus on State Line Road ...
in 1923, though the two remained under a single
corporate umbrella until the high school moved onto its own campus in 1962.
![RU central tower](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3b/RU_central_tower.png)
Sedgwick Hall was constructed in 1914, allowing the opening of high school classes, and college classes began in 1917, all held within the same building. The first Rockhurst University students were all taught by Alphonse Schwitalla. The first class graduated in 1921. In 1939, Rockhurst was granted
accreditation
Accreditation is the independent, third-party evaluation of a conformity assessment body (such as certification body, inspection body or laboratory) against recognised standards, conveying formal demonstration of its impartiality and competence to ...
by the
North Central Association
The North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCA), also known as the North Central Association, was a membership organization, consisting of colleges, universities, and schools in 19 U.S. states engaged in educational accreditation. It w ...
. In 1969 all divisions of Rockhurst became
coeducational
Mixed-sex education, also known as mixed-gender education, co-education, or coeducation (abbreviated to co-ed or coed), is a system of education where males and females are educated together. Whereas single-sex education was more common up to ...
. In 1999, Rockhurst College officially changed its name to Rockhurst University. In October 2006, Rockhurst officially installed its fourteenth president,
Thomas Curran, a Catholic priest and the school's first non-Jesuit president. In May 2015, Curran took his finals vows to become a Jesuit. Rockhurst and
Research College of Nursing jointly announced in 2018 that they were ending their partnership.
In 2020, Saint Luke's College of Health Sciences merged with Rockhurst University to form the
Saint Luke's College of Nursing and Health Sciences
Saint Luke's College of Nursing and Health Sciences is a health sciences-focused college of Rockhurst University with its main campus in Kansas City, Missouri. It was formerly a private college associated with Saint Luke's Health System. It enr ...
at Rockhurst University.
Service education
Rockhurst University adheres to a traditional
Ignatian
Ignatius of Loyola, S.J. (born Íñigo López de Oñaz y Loyola; eu, Ignazio Loiolakoa; es, Ignacio de Loyola; la, Ignatius de Loyola; – 31 July 1556), venerated as Saint Ignatius of Loyola, was a Spanish Catholic priest and theologian, ...
philosophy of educating students not only in academics, but in leadership and service as well. The university stresses a values and ethics based education with an emphasis on lifelong learning. Graduates from Rockhurst University receive two transcripts: one for academics and another for community service. 97% of all students participate in
community service
Community service is unpaid work performed by a person or group of people for the benefit and betterment of their community without any form of compensation. Community service can be distinct from volunteering, since it is not always performe ...
, and every year students complete over 25,000 hours of service to the
Kansas City area and worldwide community. Before classes even begin in the fall, the freshmen class joins with upperclassmen and university
Regents
A regent (from Latin : ruling, governing) is a person appointed to govern a state ''pro tempore'' (Latin: 'for the time being') because the monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge the powers and duties of the monarchy, ...
for the Finucane Service Project as part of the Orientation program. Over 550 people participated in the Finucane project last fall, logging over 1,200 hours of service in a two-hour period. The university sponsors numerous annual service trips within the United States, as well as in
Guatemala,
Belize
Belize (; bzj, Bileez) is a Caribbean and Central American country on the northeastern coast of Central America. It is bordered by Mexico to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and Guatemala to the west and south. It also shares a wate ...
,
Ecuador
Ecuador ( ; ; Quechua: ''Ikwayur''; Shuar: ''Ecuador'' or ''Ekuatur''), officially the Republic of Ecuador ( es, República del Ecuador, which literally translates as "Republic of the Equator"; Quechua: ''Ikwadur Ripuwlika''; Shuar: ' ...
,
Honduras, Mexico,
El Salvador,
The Bahamas
The Bahamas (), officially the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, is an island country within the Lucayan Archipelago of the West Indies in the North Atlantic. It takes up 97% of the Lucayan Archipelago's land area and is home to 88% of the ar ...
and other
developing countries
A developing country is a sovereign state with a lesser developed industrial base and a lower Human Development Index (HDI) relative to other countries. However, this definition is not universally agreed upon. There is also no clear agreem ...
.
In recognition of its dedication to community service programs, including the number of people who participate in service and the number of service-learning courses, Rockhurst was recognized on the 2008
President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll
with Distinction, among only 127 schools in the country and one of nine Jesuit schools to receive that honor.
Rockhurst has continued to receive this distinction every year since 2007.
In addition to the service completed by its student body, Rockhurst has been recognized as a university by the
Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching with the foundation's
community engagement classification for its ongoing engagement with its neighborhood and the Kansas City community. Rockhurst was first school in the Kansas City area to receive this honor.
Campus
![Ignatius Science Bldg](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/12/Ignatius_Science_Bldg._Rockhurst_U.png)
Rockhurst sits on a campus located in Kansas City's cultural district, a short distance from the popular shopping and dining center,
Country Club Plaza
The Country Club Plaza (often called The Plaza) is a privately-owned regional shopping center in the Country Club District of Kansas City, Missouri. Opened in 1923, it was the first planned suburban shopping center and the first regional shoppi ...
.
Housing
The campus is home to three residence halls and the Townhouse Village, offering housing for interested students, as well as university-owned houses on two streets adjacent to campus. McGee Hall typically houses only freshmen women, while Corcoran Hall houses primarily freshmen men. Xavier-Loyola Hall is a co-ed residence hall for upper-class students, mainly consisting of sophomores and juniors, with male and female students living in separate wings. The Townhouse Village houses upper-class students in apartment-style living, with a full kitchen, dining room, living room, and two or three bedrooms. Upper-class students can also apply to live in university-owned houses on residential streets adjacent to campus, giving them the opportunity to live more independently. These houses are deemed "on-campus" and hold groups of 3 to 6 residents.
The quad
The main area of campus, including all classroom buildings, surrounds the
quad with the monumental Rockhurst
bell tower and adjacent
pergola flanking one end. In 2007 the quad has been renamed the Kinerk Commons by the university, in honor of Edward Kinerk, the thirteenth president of the university. The recently renovated Conway Hall is home to the Helzberg School of Management, the university finance office, and university computer services. Sedgwick Hall contains classrooms and faculty offices as well as the Mabee Theatre, where the university's players have put on four productions each year. The Greenlease Library holds the school's volumes of reference books and periodicals. The science center, built in 1996, holds the science classrooms and labs, as well as the doctoral program in physical therapy and doctoral program in occupational therapy. VanAckeren Hall holds the education department, the learning center (open to all students for free tutoring and writing help), and career services, which helps students find jobs and internships across the Midwest. Massman Hall is the center of the campus, both physically and organizationally. The admissions, business, student development, and administrative offices are all in Massman, as well as the cafeteria, the student pub, a coffee shop, Mabee Chapel, a fully equipped fitness and workout facility, and the Rock Room, which is a 24-hour recreational lounge for students.
![ArrupeHallRockhurstU](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/86/ArrupeHallRockhurstU.JPG)
A major addition to the Rockhurst campus was Arrupe Hall, opening in August 2015, a classroom and faculty office building which includes a 500-seat auditorium. It features versatile classrooms accommodating modern teaching methods and technologies and has a variety of small gathering spaces along the corridors to facilitate sharing and friendship among the students. It was also built with a view to energy conservation and openness to natural light. Its name honors the vision of Jesuit Superior General
Pedro Arrupe
Pedro Arrupe Gondra, SJ (14 November 1907 – 5 February 1991) was a Spanish Basque priest who served as the 28th Superior General of the Society of Jesus from 1965 to 1983. He has been called a second founder of the Society, as he led the Jesui ...
who coined the term "men and women for others" that has become integral to Jesuit education, and who “called the
Society
A society is a group of individuals involved in persistent social interaction, or a large social group sharing the same spatial or social territory, typically subject to the same political authority and dominant cultural expectations. Soci ...
to the service of faith and the promotion of justice. His call clearly resonates with the message from (Jesuit)
Pope Francis
Pope Francis ( la, Franciscus; it, Francesco; es, link=, Francisco; born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, 17 December 1936) is the head of the Catholic Church. He has been the bishop of Rome and sovereign of the Vatican City State since 13 March 2013. ...
.”
Athletic facilities
The campus has several athletic facilities, including the soccer stadium, recently renovated with new grass-like turf, a baseball stadium, softball field, and a tennis complex. The Mason-Halpin Fieldhouse holds the basketball and volleyball court, and the adjacent Convocation Center contains a multipurpose court, racquetball courts, and a workout facility. Plans are in place for a new Health and Wellness Complex to be built connecting the Convocation Center and Fieldhouse to Massman Hall.
Religious worship facilities
The Campus Ministry Center (CMC) is located in a house adjacent to campus. The CMC is used by the many Campus Ministry programs for their weekly meetings and activities, including the
Christian Life Communities (CLCs), student-led faith sharing and reflection groups. Within Massman Hall is the Mabee Chapel, where daily mass is held each school day, and where student
devotional prayer and
praise-and-worship groups meet weekly. Across the street from campus is
St. Francis Xavier Church, a
Jesuit parish church, used by the university for student masses every Sunday evening.
Community center
The Rockhurst University Community Center is located at 54th and Troost, where children's literacy programs, community programs, and the RU College Bound high school tutoring program all are held. The Community Center serves as a physical link between the university and the surrounding neighborhood.
Academics
Rockhurst University offers over fifty graduate and undergraduate programs, serving over 3,000 students annually. The core undergraduate curriculum is designed to shape students into leaders who are engaged in the world around them in whatever path they choose, and the graduate programs aim to prepare professional leaders with a hands-on curriculum, nationally recognized faculty and flexible schedules. Rockhurst University operates under one president, but has the following schools with their own deans or directors: College of Arts and Sciences, College of Business, Influence, and Information Analysis, and Saint Luke's College of Nursing and Health Sciences.
In 2018, ''
U.S. News & World Report'' ranked Rockhurst University as the 11th best institution among Midwest regional universities,
up from No. 15 in previous years. The Helzberg School of Management earned several top accolades, including the school's undergraduate management program listed at No. 11 (tied with the
University of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame du Lac, known simply as Notre Dame ( ) or ND, is a private Catholic university, Catholic research university in Notre Dame, Indiana, outside the city of South Bend, Indiana, South Bend. French priest Edward Sorin fo ...
), and the undergraduate quantitative analysis program listed at No. 9 (one spot behind the
University of Michigan
, mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth"
, former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821)
, budget = $10.3 billion (2021)
, endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...
).
Campus ministry
![Xavier student Mass](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/76/Xavier_student_Mass.png)
Rockhurst University's campus ministry offers many opportunities for students and staff to live out the school's Catholic, Jesuit tradition. They offer daily mass in the Mabee Chapel every weekday at noon, as well as a student mass every Sunday at 6:00 pm at St. Francis Xavier Parish. Campus ministry also offers
RCIA to any interested students.
Christian Life Communities (CLCs) are student-led faith-sharing and reflection groups that meet for an hour each week as small groups. Unity, a gay-straight alliance that meets weekly for prayer, support and service, is open to students of all faith traditions and sexual orientations. Voices for Justice is a student-led social justice group that explores the justice implications of Christianity and raises awareness of social justice issues on campus and beyond. People for People is a group of students exploring issues relating to the respect for life.
The Campus Ministry Center (CMC) is a house located just off-campus across Rockhurst Road from Conway Hall. Christian Life Communities, Voices for Justice, Unity, and People for People all hold their meetings in the CMC, and Campus Ministry offers several social activities in the CMC during the school year.
Retreats
Campus Ministry runs several different
retreat programs during the academic year. The Frosh Getaway, offered annually on a September weekend, is an opportunity for freshmen, led by sophomore leaders, to get to know their new classmates and to adjust to college life with a fun stress-free weekend. The Retreat on the Rock is designed as a college adaptation of
Kairos-style retreats. The Fifth Week Retreat is intended as a follow-up to Kairos, Search, TEC, Retreat on the Rock, or similar style retreats, offering ample time for personal reflection and group discussion. The Busy Persons Retreat, offered annually in the spring, is an opportunity for spiritual guidance and reflection within the context and schedule demands of daily college life. The SuperNatural Christian's retreat is a six-day backpacking retreat in upper Michigan's
Sylvania Wilderness Tract. This retreat is offered biannually along with the Lumberjack Service Retreat, which offers students the chance to travel to Michigan's
Keweenaw Peninsula (specifically the town of
Hancock Hancock may refer to:
Places in the United States
* Hancock, Iowa
* Hancock, Maine
* Hancock, Maryland
* Hancock, Massachusetts
* Hancock, Michigan
* Hancock, Minnesota
* Hancock, Missouri
* Hancock, New Hampshire
** Hancock (CDP), New Hampshir ...
) and chop wood for elderly residents of the area.
Athletics
Rockhurst University is home to the Hawks, the university's athletic program. After a generation in the
NAIA, Rockhurst University joined
NCAA
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...
Division II in 1999, as a founder of the
Heartland Conference. In 2005 it moved to the
Great Lakes Valley Conference
The Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division II level. Its thirteen member institutions are located in the U.S. states of Illinois ...
. In July 2009 the
Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA) rejected a proposal for Rockhurst to join the conference to compete with geographically closer teams. The MIAA said at that moment it currently did not want to expand beyond 12 teams.
Rockhurst has 15 varsity athletic teams, including men's and women's basketball, cross country, soccer, golf, lacrosse and tennis, men's baseball, women's softball, and women's volleyball. The school also offers two club sports: tennis and the Spirit Squad, composed of the Dance Team and the coed cheerleading squad. It is a popular joke around campus that the Rockhurst University football team has remained undefeated since 1949 (the year that the team was dissolved).
The university will add seven NCAA sports in the coming years. First, in the 2023–24 school year, swimming & diving, plus indoor and outdoor track & field, will be added for both sexes. All of these sports are already sponsored by the GLVC. Then, in 2024–25, men's volleyball will be added. That team will be a de facto
NCAA Division I
NCAA Division I (D-I) is the highest level of intercollegiate athletics sanctioned by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in the United States, which accepts players globally. D-I schools include the major collegiate athletic ...
program; the NCAA holds a
combined championship for Divisions I and II, and scholarship limits are identical between the two divisions. In addition to the new varsity sports, competitive cheerleading and dance teams will be added in 2023–24.
![Rockhurst field](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ed/Rockhurst_field.JPG)
The Rockhurst Men's Soccer team competed in the
NAIA from 1973 to 1997, Rockhurst played in 17 national tournaments, advanced to the
Final Four 10 times, and finished national runner-up four times in 1973, 1976, 1979, and 1997. Since joining the
NCAA
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...
in 1998, the soccer team has played in 19 national tournaments, advancing to the
Final Four 3 times (2013, 2015, and 2016).
In 2013, Rockhurst University added three varsity athletic teams: men's and women's lacrosse and women's cross country.
There is also an
intramurals
Intramural sports are recreational sports organized within a particular institution, usually an educational institution, or a set geographic region. The term, which is chiefly North American, derives from the Latin words ''intra muros'' meaning " ...
program on campus, with many students participating in a 30-event program throughout the school year.
National rankings
Since becoming an
NCAA
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...
Division II member institution in 1998, Rockhurst men's soccer has finished in the final Top 25 Poll 10 times, and since 2011, the Hawks have finished in the top 10 each season. Men's soccer finished #3 in the nation in 2015 and 2016.
![GymRockhurst](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b2/GymRockhurst.png)
Men's soccer coach Tony Tocco has coached for 46 seasons and led the team to 13 Final Four appearances. At the end of the 2016 season, Tocco's 680 career victories ranks second in men's college soccer history, three fewer than Ohio Wesleyan head coach Jay Martin.
Following the 2007–2008 school year, Rockhurst was recognized by the
National Soccer Coaches Association of America
The United Soccer Coaches (formerly known as the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA)) is an organization of American soccer coaches founded in 1941. It is the largest soccer coaches organization in the world, with more than 3 ...
as one of 67 colleges and universities in the nation (among all
NCAA
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...
and
NAIA divisions) to have both men's and women's soccer teams receive the NSCAA Team Academic Award. To receive the award, a team must achieve a
grade point average of 3.0 or higher. The women's soccer team achieved a 3.62
GPA
Grading in education is the process of applying standardized measurements for varying levels of achievements in a course. Grades can be assigned as letters (usually A through F), as a range (for example, 1 to 6), as a percentage, or as a numbe ...
, ranking them #4 in the nation.
Rockhurst University alumnus, Kyle Miller (class of 2011), recently signed with the
MLS
Major League Soccer (MLS) is a men's professional soccer league sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation, which represents the sport's highest level in the United States. The league comprises 29 teams—26 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada ...
Sporting Kansas City soccer team in Kansas City, Kansas, for the 2012 season.
Student activities
Rockhurst students participate in many diverse activities throughout the school year both on campus and within the wider community. Some general campus organizations include:
* Active Minds
*
Alpha Phi Omega (APO) service fraternity
* American Humanics Student Association (AHSA)
* Art Club
* Biology Club
* Black Student Union (BSU)
* Cheerleading/Dance Team
* Chorus
* Commuter Club
*
Delta Sigma Pi
Delta Sigma Pi () (officially the International Fraternity of Delta Sigma Pi, Inc.) is a coeducational professional business fraternity and one of the largest in the United States. Delta Sigma Pi was founded on November 7, 1907, at the Schoo ...
(Deltasig) professional business fraternity
* Education Club
* English Club (Walter J. Ong Society for Literary Study)
* Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA)
* French Club
* Hawks for Life
* Hockey Club
* International Students Club
* Lacrosse Club
* Math & Physics Club
* PEERS (Positively Educating Each Rockhurst Student)
*
Phi Delta Epsilon
Phi Delta Epsilon () (commonly known as PhiDE) is a co-ed international medical fraternity and a member of the Professional Fraternity Association.
History
Phi Delta Epsilon was founded on October 13, 1904, at Cornell University Medical College. ...
(Pre-Medical Fraternity)
* Players
* Pre-Law Club
* Pre-Medical Club
* Pre-Physical Therapy/Occupational Therapy Club (Pre- PT/OT)
* Psychology Club
* RAKERS (Random Acts of Kindness Sharers)
* The Rock Yearbook
* Rockhurst Organization of Collegiate Women (ROCW)
* Rockhurst Republicans
* Running Club
*
The Rockhurst Sentinel Newspaper
* Student Activities Board
* Society for the Advancement of Pre-Medical Studies
* Student Occupational Therapy Association (SOTA)
* Student Organization of Latinos (SOL)
* Student Senate
* UNITY
* VOICES for JUSTICE (VOICES)
Rockhurst has several academic
honorary societies (membership by invitation only):
*
Alpha Psi Omega
Alpha Psi Omega National Theatre Honor Society () is an American recognition fraternity for participants in collegiate theatre.
History
The ''Alpha Cast'' (Alpha Psi Omega's term for "chapter") was founded at Fairmont State College (now Fairm ...
(Theatre)
*
Alpha Sigma Nu
Alpha Sigma Nu () is the honor society of Jesuit colleges and universities. ΑΣΝ is a member of the Association of College Honor Societies. Founded in 1915 at Marquette University as Alpha Sigma Tau, it adopted the current name in 1930. The s ...
(Jesuit)
*
Beta Beta Beta
Beta Beta Beta ( or TriBeta), is a collegiate honor society and academic fraternity for students of the biological sciences. It was founded in 1922 at Oklahoma City University by Dr. Frank G. Brooks and a group of his students. As of 2012, it has ...
(Biology)
*
Kappa Delta Pi
Kappa Delta Pi International Honor Society in Education, () is an honor society for education. It was founded in 1911 and was one of the first discipline-specific honor societies. Its membership is limited to the top 20 percent of those entering ...
(Education)
*
Phi Alpha Theta (History)
*
Phi Lambda Upsilon
Phi Lambda Upsilon National Honorary Chemical Society () was founded in 1899 at the Noyes Laboratory of the University of Illinois. Phi Lambda Upsilon was the first honor society dedicated to scholarship in a single discipline, chemistry.
Object ...
(Chemistry)
*
Phi Sigma Tau
Phi Sigma Tau (, or PST) is an international honor society for philosophers. Its essential purpose is to promote ties among philosophy departments in accredited institutions and students in philosophy nationally. In addition to providing a means o ...
(Philosophy)
*
Pi Delta Phi
Pi Delta Phi () is the National French Honor Society—La Société d'Honneur de Français—for undergraduate and graduate students at accredited public and private colleges and universities in the United States.
Founded as a departmental honor ...
(French)
*
Psi Chi
Psi Chi () is a college student honor society in psychology with international outreach founded in 1929 at the University of Kansas in the United States.
Psi Chi is one of the largest honor societies in the United States, with more than 1,150 cha ...
(Psychology)
*
Sigma Delta Pi Sigma Delta Pi () is the National Collegiate Hispanic Honor Society (La Sociedad Nacional Honoraria Hispánica). It was established on November 14, 1919, at the University of California at Berkeley.
History
Sigma Delta Pi, the National Collegi ...
Hispanic Honor Society (Hispanic)
*
Sigma Tau Delta
Sigma Tau Delta () is an international excelled English honor society for students of English at four-year colleges and universities who are within the top 30% of their class and have a 3.5 GPA or higher. It presently has over 850 chapters in ...
(English)
*
Sigma Theta Tau
The Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing () is the second-largest nursing organization in the world with approximately 135,000 active members. While often referred to by nurses as simply Sigma, its official name is "Sigma Theta ...
(Nursing)
*
Theta Alpha Kappa
Theta Alpha Kappa () is the national honor society for religious studies and theology. It was founded in 1976 at Manhattan College in Riverdale (the Bronx), New York City to recognize the academic achievements of religion and theology students. ...
(Theology)
Greek life
Rockhurst's Greek life consists of five
fraternities
A fraternity (from Latin ''frater'': "brother"; whence, " brotherhood") or fraternal organization is an organization, society, club or fraternal order traditionally of men associated together for various religious or secular aims. Fraternity ...
and four
sororities
Fraternities and sororities are social organizations at colleges and universities in North America.
Generally, membership in a fraternity or sorority is obtained as an undergraduate student, but continues thereafter for life. Some accept gradua ...
(totaling over 30% of the undergraduate population):
''Fraternities''
*
Alpha Delta Gamma
Alpha (uppercase , lowercase ; grc, ἄλφα, ''álpha'', or ell, άλφα, álfa) is the first letter of the Greek alphabet. In the system of Greek numerals, it has a value of one. Alpha is derived from the Phoenician letter aleph , whic ...
(Zeta Chapter)
*
Pi Kappa Alpha (Kappa Epsilon Chapter)
*
Sigma Alpha Epsilon
Sigma Alpha Epsilon (), commonly known as SAE, is a North American Greek-letter social college fraternity. It was founded at the University of Alabama on March 9, 1856. Of all existing national social fraternities today, Sigma Alpha Epsilon is t ...
(Missouri Delta Chapter)
*
Tau Kappa Epsilon
Tau Kappa Epsilon (), commonly known as or Teke, is a social college fraternity founded on January 10, 1899, at Illinois Wesleyan University. The organization has chapters throughout the United States and Canada, making the Fraternity an interna ...
(Kappa Nu Colony)
*
Beta Theta Pi (Rockhurst Colony)
''Sororities''
*
Gamma Phi Beta
Gamma Phi Beta (, also known as GPhi or Gamma Phi) is an international college sorority. It was founded in Syracuse University in 1874, and was the first of the Greek organizations to call itself a sorority. The main archive URL iThe Baird's Man ...
(Eta Iota Chapter)
*
Alpha Sigma Alpha Alpha Sigma Alpha () is a United States National Panhellenic sorority founded on November 15, 1901, at the Virginia State Female Normal School (later known as Longwood College and now known as Longwood University) in Farmville, Virginia.
Once a sor ...
(Zeta Eta Chapter)
*
Theta Phi Alpha
Theta Phi Alpha (), commonly known as Theta Phi, is a women's fraternity founded at the University of Michigan – Ann Arbor on August 30, 1912. The main archive URL iThe Baird's Manual Online Archive homepage Theta Phi Alpha is one of 26 nation ...
(Gamma Nu Chapter)
*
Zeta Tau Alpha
Zeta Tau Alpha (known as or Zeta) is an international women's fraternity founded on October 15, 1898 at the State Female Normal School (now Longwood University) in Farmville, Virginia. Its International Office is located in Carmel, Indiana. It ...
(Kappa Eta Chapter)
Notable alumni
*
Hector Barreto Jr., B.S.B.A., 21st Administrator of the U.S.
Small Business Administration
The United States Small Business Administration (SBA) is an independent agency of the United States government that provides support to entrepreneurs and small businesses. The mission of the Small Business Administration is "to maintain and stre ...
*
Tom Dempsey
Thomas John Dempsey (January 12, 1947April 4, 2020) was an American professional football player who was a placekicker in the National Football League (NFL) for the New Orleans Saints, Philadelphia Eagles, Los Angeles Rams, Houston Oilers and ...
, restaurateur, current Republican State Senator
*
Wild Bill Elliott
Wild Bill Elliott (born Gordon Nance, October 16, 1904 – November 26, 1965) was an American film actor. He specialized in playing the rugged heroes of B Westerns, particularly the Red Ryder series of films.
Early life
Elliott was born Gor ...
,
B-Western
The B movie, whose roots trace to the silent film era, was a significant contributor to Hollywood's Golden Age of the 1930s and 1940s. As the Hollywood studios made the transition to sound film in the late 1920s, many independent exhibitors began ...
star best known for playing
Red Ryder
Red is the color at the long wavelength end of the visible spectrum of light, next to orange and opposite violet. It has a dominant wavelength of approximately 625–740 nanometres. It is a primary color in the RGB color model and a seconda ...
*
Tommy Frevert
Thomas Frevert (born November 24, 1986) is an American football placekicker who is currently a free agent. He played college football at Northwest Missouri State. He has been a member of the Kansas City Renegades, Oklahoma Defenders, Salina Bo ...
, American football player
*
Diego Gutierrez, '05,
midfielder
A midfielder is an outfield position in association football.
Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in that case known as defensive midfielders. As central midfielders often go across boundarie ...
for the
Major League Soccer team
Chicago Fire
*
Tommy Heinemann, '09,
forward for the
USL First Division
The USL First Division (usually referred to as USL-1) was a professional men's soccer league in the United States and Canada from 2005 to 2010.
During its existence, it formed the second tier of soccer in the United States soccer league system ...
(USL-1) team
Charleston Battery
The Charleston Battery are an American professional soccer club based in Charleston, South Carolina, and member of the USL Championship. Founded in 1993, the Battery are one of the oldest continuously operating professional soccer clubs in th ...
*
Herbert Harris, B.A. '48, former member of the
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...
*
Sly James
Sylvester "Sly" James, Jr. (born December 9, 1951) is an American politician who served as the 54th mayor of Kansas City, Missouri from 2011 to 2019. James has lived in Kansas City's Union Hill neighborhood. As mayor, he was known for wearing bo ...
, B.A. '80, Kansas City mayor
*
Mark Lamping
Mark Lamping is the current team president of the Jacksonville Jaguars. He was formerly CEO of the MetLife Stadium. Prior to his stint in New York, he was president of the St. Louis Cardinals Major League Baseball team, a post he held from Septembe ...
,
B.A.
Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four yea ...
, former President of the
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Since the 2006 season, the Cardinals ha ...
baseball team, now
CEO of the
Meadowlands Stadium
MetLife Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium at the Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford, New Jersey, 5 mi (8 km) west of New York City. Opened in 2010 to replace Giants Stadium, it serves as the home for the New York Giants an ...
Company
*
Phillip H. Muller
Phillip Henry Muller (born January 2, 1956) is a Marshall Islands, Marshallese politician and diplomat.
From 1982 to 1984, Muller was the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs for the Marshall Islands. In 1984, he was elected to the Legislature of th ...
, Permanent Representative of the
Republic of the Marshall Islands
The Marshall Islands ( mh, Ṃajeḷ), officially the Republic of the Marshall Islands ( mh, Aolepān Aorōkin Ṃajeḷ),'' () is an independent island country and microstate near the Equator in the Pacific Ocean, slightly west of the Intern ...
to the
United Nations
The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be a centre for harmoniz ...
*
Walter Ong, S.J., B.A. '33, world-renowned philosopher
*
G. Joseph Pierron, '68, American
judge serving on the
Kansas Court of Appeals
The Kansas Court of Appeals is the intermediate-level appellate court for the U.S. state of Kansas.
History
The Kansas Legislature created the first Kansas Court of Appeals in 1895, to help the Kansas Supreme Court with an increasingly heavy casel ...
.
*
Bill Reardon, B.A. '63, former Kansas State Representative
*
Joe Reardon
Joe Reardon (born 1968) is an American attorney who is the former mayor/CEO of the consolidated city-county of Kansas City, Kansas and Wyandotte County. He is a member of the Democratic Party.
Personal life and education
Reardon is the son of ...
, '90, 27th Mayor of the City of
Kansas City, Kansas
Kansas City, abbreviated as "KCK", is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Kansas, and the county seat of Wyandotte County. It is an inner suburb of the older and more populous Kansas City, Missouri, after which it is named. As of ...
*
Michael P. Ryan, Marine Major general
*
Joseph P. Teasdale, former Governor of Missouri
*
Denny Thum, ’74, former President of the
National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...
's
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division.
The ...
.
*
Josh Tols
Joshua Peter Tols (born 6 October 1989) is an Australian former professional baseball pitcher.
Tols played college baseball at John Wood Community College and Rockhurst University. Undrafted, he then played three seasons of independent basebal ...
, baseball pitcher
*
Joseph J. Urusemal, '76, sixth President of the
Federated States of Micronesia
The Federated States of Micronesia (; abbreviated FSM) is an island country in Oceania. It consists of four states from west to east, Yap, Chuuk, Pohnpei and Kosraethat are spread across the western Pacific. Together, the states comprise a ...
*
George Wendt
George Robert Wendt Jr. (born October 17, 1948) is an American actor and comedian. He is best known for playing Norm Peterson on the television sitcom '' Cheers'' (1982–1993), which earned him six consecutive nominations for the Primetime Em ...
, B.A., actor best known for his portrayal of "
Norm
Naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM) and technologically enhanced naturally occurring radioactive materials (TENORM) consist of materials, usually industrial wastes or by-products enriched with radioactive elements found in the envi ...
" on the
sitcom
A sitcom, a portmanteau of situation comedy, or situational comedy, is a genre of comedy centered on a fixed set of characters who mostly carry over from episode to episode. Sitcoms can be contrasted with sketch comedy, where a troupe may use ...
''
Cheers''
*Paul Wagner, '02, first president of the
Discovery Union of Brazil
Gallery
See also
*
List of Jesuit sites
This list includes past and present buildings, facilities and institutions associated with the Society of Jesus. In each country, sites are listed in chronological order of start of Jesuit association.
Nearly all these sites have bee ...
References
External links
*
{{Authority control
Roman Catholic Diocese of Kansas City–Saint Joseph
Educational institutions established in 1910
Jesuit universities and colleges in the United States
Universities and colleges in Kansas City, Missouri
1910 establishments in Missouri
Private universities and colleges in Missouri
Catholic universities and colleges in Missouri