Siena Heights University (SHU) is a

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Roman Catholic university in

Adrian, Michigan Adrian is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Lenawee County. The population was 20,645 at the 2020 census. Adrian lies in Michigan's 7th congressional district. History Adrian was founded on June 18, 1826 by Addison Co ...

. It was founded by the

Adrian Dominican Sisters The Adrian Dominican Sisters is a Catholic religious institute of Dominican sisters in the United States. Their motherhouse is in Adrian, Michigan. Current Mission The Congregation serves in ministries education, health care, pastoral and retreat ...

in 1919.

History

The institution was founded for women in 1919 as St. Joseph's College by the

. In 1939, it was renamed as Siena Heights College, after

Saint Catherine of Siena Catherine of Siena (Italian: ''Caterina da Siena''; 25 March 1347 – 29 April 1380), a member of the Third Order of Saint Dominic, was a mystic, activist, and author who had a great influence on Italian literature and on the Catholic Church. ...

. In 1969, it became coeducational. In 1998, after expansion of graduate studies, it was renamed Siena Heights University. The sisters minister in 29 states, the District of Columbia, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and in seven countries outside the United States.

Campuses

The main campus has 55 acres with 17 buildings in

. SHU is across town from Adrian College. The main campus has the distinction of being the first all wireless college or university in the state of Michigan. There are satellite campuses in Southfield,

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Benton Harbor Benton Harbor is a city in Berrien County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is 46 miles southwest of Kalamazoo and 71 miles southwest of Grand Rapids. According to the 2020 census, its population was 9,103. It is the smaller, by population, of ...

, Monroe, Battle Creek, Kalamazoo, Lansing, Jackson, and online.Siena Heights: Facts
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Affiliation

Siena Heights is affiliated with and sponsored by the Dominican Sisters of

, and accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. The college seal uses the Dominican Shield of the International Order of Preachers, consisting of four white and four black gyrons or triangles. These symbolize the unity of a body of people working together for the common good. The "cross fleury" (or cross with a fleur de lis at each end) superimposed on the gyrons, signifies victory, duty and self-sacrifice. The sable (or black of the shield) symbolizes wisdom, silence, fortitude and penance. The light color signifies peace, purity, charity and sincerity. The motto surrounding the shield, "Laudare, Benedicere, Praedicare," means "to praise God, to bless His people and to preach His gospel." The shield may also be surrounded by the six- or eight-pointed star that is the distinguishing symbol of St. Dominic.

Academics

The university has more than 40 academic programs of study between the College of Arts and Sciences, the College for Professional Studies and the Graduate College. The undergraduate college is further divided into seven academic divisions: Business & Management; Computing, Mathematics & the Sciences; Humanities; Nursing; Social & Behavioral Science; Visual/Performing Arts & Teacher Education. Siena Heights also provides classes for high school students through dual enrollment. This gives juniors and seniors who meet certain criteria to get college credit and experience while still in high school, getting students a step closer to going to college and learning about college life and class work. The student-to-faculty ratio is 12:1.

Athletics

The Siena Heights athletic teams are called the Saints. The university is a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), primarily competing in the Wolverine–Hoosier Athletic Conference (WHAC) for most of its sports since the 1992–93 academic year; while its football team competes in the Mideast League of the Mid-States Football Association (MSFA) since the 2012 fall season. Prior to the addition of women's lacrosse by the WHAC, the women's lacrosse team competed in the

National Women's Lacrosse League The National Women's Lacrosse League (NWLL) is a National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) women's lacrosse-only college athletic conference. The vast majority of NAIA women's lacrosse programs play at the club level as part of the ...

(NWLL). Siena Heights competes in 24 intercollegiate varsity sports: Men's sports include baseball, basketball, bowling, cross country, football, golf, lacrosse, soccer, track & field, volleyball and wrestling; while women's sports include basketball, bowling, cross country, golf, lacrosse, soccer, softball, track & field, volleyball and wrestling; and co-ed sports include cheerleading, dance and eSports.

Mascot

The mascot of the Saints is "Halo the Husky", created by former student, Matt Larson.

Accomplishments

Recently, the Saints baseball team won the WHAC tournament in 2012 to earn a bid to the regional site in Daytona Beach, FL. Siena Heights University is a five-star member of the NAIA's Champions of Character program.

Student housing

Siena Heights offers a variety of housing options for students. Students are required to live on campus, but are exempted from this requirement if they live with family within 35 driving miles to campus, are 21 or older, have 88+ completed hours, are married, have dependent children, or are veterans. Ledwidge Hall and Archangelus Hall are the traditional residence halls on campus. St. Catherine Hall was completed in fall 2015. Three residence halls accommodate a total of approximately 500 students, all of which are required to carry a university meal plan used in the Dining Hall and SHU Shop convenience store located in the McLaughlin University Center. The residence halls have a variety of room types, including private rooms, shared suites and standard rooms with community bathrooms. Campus Village Apartments, located on the western edge of campus, is a privately owned modern apartment building that is managed by the University. A total of 154 students live in Campus Village.

Notable alumni

* Darrell Issa, member of the

U.S. 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 ...

representing a Southern California district

References

External links

Official website

Official athletics website
{{Coord, 41, 54, 20.4, N, 84, 00, 56.5, W, region:US-MI_type:edu_scale:2000, display=title Catholic universities and colleges in Michigan Dominican universities and colleges in the United States Liberal arts colleges in Michigan Adrian, Michigan Education in Lenawee County, Michigan Schools in Lenawee County, Michigan Roman Catholic Diocese of Lansing Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities Educational institutions established in 1919 1919 establishments in Michigan