St. John's University (Minnesota)

The College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University are two closely related private, Benedictine liberal arts colleges in Minnesota. The College of Saint Benedict is a college for women in St. Joseph and Saint John's University is a university for men in Collegeville. Students at the institutions have a shared curriculum and access to the resources of both campuses. Together, the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University offer over 70 areas of study to undergraduate students, plus graduate programs in nursing and theology.

History

College of Saint Benedict

The College of Saint Benedict opened in 1913, with six students enrolled, and grew out of St. Benedict's Academy, which was founded by Saint Benedict's Monastery in 1889. The Benedictine community incorporated CSB in 1961.

In addition to its undergraduate offerings, CSB offers three graduate nursing tracks that confer Doctor of Nursing and Master of Science in Nursing degrees.

Saint John's University

Saint John's University is the oldest continuously operating institution of higher learning in Minnesota. It was founded in 1857 by the Benedictine monks of Saint John's Abbey. The Benedictine community incorporated SJU in 2012.

In addition to its undergraduate offerings, SJU includes Saint John's School of Theology and Seminary (SOT), a graduate school that confers Master of Divinity and master of arts degrees and also prepares seminarians for the priesthood.

Minnesota Public Radio began on January 22, 1967, when KSJR signed on from the campus of Saint John's University. The station's director of broadcasting was SJU alumnus Bill Kling.

SJU has produced its own coarse-grained bread, Johnnie Bread, since 1856, and used the proceeds to fund projects such as the Abbey Church.

Saint John's University operated St. John's Indian Industrial School, a Native American residential school from 1885 to 1896. In 1888, Indigenous residential school students represented 47 percent of the university's student population.

Institutional partnership

Starting in 1955, CSB and SJU began offering joint evening classes, where men and women attend classes together on both campuses. They began sharing a common academic program in the 1960s, and a classes now are co-educational and taught by a shared faculty of approximately 300 professors, mostly full-time, permanent appointees. About 3,000 students are enrolled in CSB and SJU.

Prior to 2022, the two institutions were led by separate presidents. Brian J. Bruess became the first person to serve as president of both the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University on July 1, 2022, succeeding transitional presidents Laurie Hamen and James Mullen.

Academics

Ninety percent of CSB and SJU graduates finish in four years, 95% of CSB and SJU students receive financial aid, and 95% of CSB and SJU alums rate their college experience as good or excellent.
CSB and SJU have produced four Rhodes Scholars and nine Truman Scholars. CSB and SJU are also a consistent producer of Fulbright scholarship winners. From 2013 to 2020, 39 students from CSB/SJU received Fulbright Scholarships. CSB/SJU has also been recently recognized as a top producer of Peace Corps volunteers.

The most popular majors at CSB, by 2021 graduates, were:
::Psychology (54)
::Biology/Biological Sciences (48)
::Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse (46)
::Elementary Education and Teaching (42)
::Accounting (29)
::Speech Communication and Rhetoric (29)

The most popular undergraduate majors at SJU, by 2021 graduates, were:
::Business Administration and Management, General (64)
::Accounting (52)
::Computer Science (33)
::Biology/Biological Sciences (27)
::Speech Communication and Rhetoric (25)
::Economics (24)
::Psychology (23)

85% of CSB and SJU professors are full-time, the student-to-faculty ratio is 12:1, and the average class size is 19.

Phi Beta Kappa

Phi Beta Kappa is the nation's oldest academic honor society. CSB/SJU's Phi Beta Kappa chapter, Theta of Minnesota, was established in 2009.

Study abroad

CSB and SJU have achieved national recognition for strength in study abroad and international education opportunities. The Institute of International Education ranks CSB and SJU among the top baccalaureate institutions in the nation for the number of students who study abroad. According to Open Doors 2018, CSB and SJU ranked second in the nation among undergraduate institutions for participation in semester-long study abroad programs. There are 17 semester-long study abroad sites available on six different continents. These destinations include: Austria, Chile, China, France, Germany, Greece/Italy, Japan, London, Australia, Guatemala, South Africa, Spain, Northern Ireland and multiple cities in Republic of Ireland.

Internationalization

CSB and SJU enroll approximately 250 students from 50 countries and offer 200 undergraduate courses that have a global focus. In 2012, CSB and SJU received the Senator Paul Simon Award for Comprehensive Internationalization.

Center for Ethical Leadership in Action

In 2017, an anonymous donor provided a $10-million gift to create the Center for Ethical Leadership in Action at the College of Saint Benedict. This gift is now used to fund student experiences and research as well as provide financial assistance for students completing unpaid internships.

Campus

The campuses are located on of forests, prairies, and lakes. Since CSB and SJU are located about three and a half miles apart, a regular inter-campus bus service known as "The Link" connects the campuses.

Marcel Breuer, renowned Brutalist architect, designed several buildings on the Saint John's campus in the 1960s, including the Saint John's Abbey Church and bell banner; Alcuin Library; Peter Engel Science Center; the Ecumenical Institute, and Saints Thomas, Bernard, Boniface, and Patrick Residence Halls.

The central cores of the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University are both listed as historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places.

The campus area first appeared as a census-designated place (CDP) in the 2020 Census with a population of 1,585.

Sustainability

CSB and SJU were listed in "The Princeton Review's Guide to 361 Green Colleges: 2016 Edition" as an institution that "demonstrates notable commitments to sustainability in their academic offerings, campus infrastructure, activities and career preparation." The campuses each have their own sustainability office to foster a strong culture of sustainability among the students and the broader community. The institutions signed the American College and University Presidents' Climate Commitment (ACUPCC) in 2007, which formalized their goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2035. Dramatic steps have been taken by CSB/SJU to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In the most recent report, Saint John's reported a 56 per cent reduction in emissions since 2008 levels. Both institutions also complete STARS reports on sustainability and are signatories of the Catholic Climate Covenant.

Saint John's Abbey Energy Farm. The Saint John's Abbey is well known for having one of the largest solar fields in the state. The original 3.9-acre facility was built in 2009, and its tracking panels provide the university with about 4% of its annual energy needs and up to 20% of its real-time needs in peak conditions. In 2014, the Solar Farm was expanded to include 616 additional fixed panels. These new panels will allow the Solar Farm to produce more than 600 kilowatts of electricity—enough energy to power up to 30% of the SJU campus in peak conditions, and 6% of its energy annually. This project creates a research opportunity for students and others to compare the performance differences between the two types of panels.

Fine arts

Fine Arts Programming is a department of CSB and SJU that presents professional performances and art exhibitions from a range of national and international artists, and also supports and enhances the academic mission of CSB-SJU through its programming, resources, and personnel. Events take place in either the Benedicta Arts Center, a performing and visual arts center located on the CSB campus, or the Stephen B. Humphrey Theater or Alice R. Rogers Gallery and Target Gallery in the Art Center at SJU.

The Benedicta Arts Center is home to Escher Auditorium, Gorecki Family Theater, Colman Black Box Theater, Darnall Amphitheater, Helgeson Dance Studio, Gorecki Gallery & Gallery Lounge, the BAC Box Office, and classroom and rehearsal spaces, faculty and staff offices, and other music, theater, and art-related spaces.

Residential life

Residency requirement

Both the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University are residential liberal arts colleges that require students to live on-campus for four years.

Rankings

The College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University both consistently rank among the top 100 liberal arts colleges in the country. In 2017, ''U.S. News & World Report'' ranked St. John's University as tied for the 77th-best liberal arts college in the United States, and College of St. Benedict as tied for the 87th-best liberal arts college in the United States.

CSB and SJU are two of the nation's best colleges for students seeking great academics, outstanding career preparation, and generous financial aid, according to ''The Princeton Review''s book ''Colleges That Pay You Back: The 200 Best Value Colleges and What It Takes to Get In – 2015 Edition''.

CSB and SJU were rated very highly in ''MONEY''s list of Best Liberal Arts Colleges for 2016 (SJU was No. 3, while CSB was No. 11) and lower as Best Colleges overall (SJU was No. 25, while CSB was No. 47). In the Best Colleges list, CSB and SJU were the only two institutions in Minnesota ranked in the top 50. They also rated well in ''MONEY''s 2015 lists.

Student life

Student government

The Saint John's Senate (SJS) is SJU's elected student government, and the Saint Ben's Senate (SBS) is CSB's elected student government.

The Senates, while individually governing in the interest of their own student body, work closely together with students, faculty, staff, and university administrators to enhance all aspects of student life.

Student-run media

All student media are run independently of the CSB and SJU administration.

*''The Record:'' The official SJU newspaper since 1888, ''The Record'' also became the official newspaper of CSB in 2001. Its coverage is exclusively focused on CSB/SJU related news and sports. It also features an opinion section, with articles sourced via submissions from students, faculty, and community members. The newspaper is published weekly during the fall and spring semesters and has been recognized among the best weekly college newspapers in Minnesota and the U.S. ''The Record'' is a member of the Associated Collegiate Press (ACP) and the Minnesota Newspaper Association, and has won awards from each body for its work. Most recently, it took home second place accolades for General Excellence at the 2019 ACP "Best of the Midwest" awards. All content is written, edited, and designed by student volunteers. All back issues of CSB newspapers are available through Vivarium, the CSB/SJU Digital Image Collection.
* Johnnie Bennie Media: Johnnie Bennie Media is "a student-run organization that strives to provide engaging learning opportunities for students at the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University while producing relevant media content for the campus communities. Johnnie Bennie Media's goal is to foster media literacy as part of the organization's partnership with Media Services and Clemens and Alcuin libraries." Alcuin Library's new Dietrich Reinhart Learning Commons features a state-of-the-art video studio, control room, and editing room. Johnnie Bennie Media combines four previously existing student clubs: Johnnie Bennie Campus News, KJNB Radio, Johnnie Bennie Productions, and the StreamTeam.
** Johnnie Bennie Campus News: Produces a weekly online video news show highlighting CSB/SJU events and information.
** KJNB: The official CSB/SJU student-run radio station allows students to host an hour-long talk and music-oriented shows. Broadcasts are streamed online, on closed-circuit campus TV Channel 8. When KJNB first started out in 1954 (as KSJU), it was a carrier-current AM station located in the basement of Mary Hall, which broadcast on FM from 1977 to 1988. In 2001, the studio moved to its current location in the lower level of Guild Hall. New automation software was recently purchased "to allow for operating, organizing, and scheduling the streaming audio content.
** Johnnie Bennie Productions: Creates online video programming that includes talk shows, short films, and documentaries.
** StreamTeam: A CSB/SJU group that provides live streaming of SJU athletic events."
*Extending the LINK: (ETL) is a non-profit student-founded and run documentary organization. Every year ETL identifies one under-reported global social justice issue to highlight in their documentary. In the process of filming, a small group of students from ETL travel to the international location to film in the country, and return to CSB and SJU to share their film.

The Saint John's Bible

''The Saint John's Bible'' is an entirely handwritten and illuminated Bible, believed to be the first handwritten and illuminated Bible commissioned by a monastery since the invention of the printing press. It is viewable in The Saint John's Bible Gallery in Alcuin Library and is cared for by the Hill Museum & Manuscript Library (HMML), an independent nonprofit located on the campus of Saint John's.

Athletics

The College of Saint Benedict (CSB) and Saint John's University (SJU) are members of the Division III level of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), competing in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC). Their athletic teams are respectively known as the Bennies and the Johnnies.

Notable alumni

* Rick Bell: former Minnesota Vikings running back
* Roger E. Birk: ('52) former Chairman & CEO of Merrill Lynch Fenner & Smith (1981-1985), President of the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae), 1987-1992
* Tom Burnett: hero of United Airlines Flight 93 during the September 11, 2001 attacks; attended SJU for two years, but did not graduate
* Michael Crouser: fine art and commercial photographer
* Edward Devitt ('34): U.S. Congressman 1947–49 and U.S. District Court Judge
* David Durenberger: former U.S. Senator
* Canning Fok: Deputy Chairman, CK Hutchison Holdings Limited, Hong Kong
* Connor Franta: vlogger, Internet personality, writer and entrepreneur; attended SJU for two years, but did not graduate
* Jon Hassler: novelist
* Patrick Hicks ('92): novelist, poet
* Vedie Himsl ('38): baseball player and coach
* Mark Kennedy: former U.S. Congressman and university president
* Michael King ('13): handball player, US Olympic Handball team
* Bill Kling: co-founder and president of American Public Media
* John Knauf: justice of the North Dakota Supreme Court (attended but graduated elsewhere)
* Franklin J. Knoll, Minnesota state legislator, lawyer, and judge
* Tom Love: owner, founder, and chairman of Love's Travel Stops & Country Stores (did not graduate)
* January Yusuf Makamba: Tanzanian CCM politician and Member of Parliament for Bumbuli constituency
* Eugene McCarthy ('35): politician, poet, and a long-time Congressman from Minnesota; served in the United States House of Representatives 1949–59 and the United States Senate 1959–71
* John McCutcheon: Grammy-winning folk musician
* Denis McDonough ('92): chief of staff to President Barack Obama. Incumbent United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs under President Joe Biden.
* John McDowell: National Football League player
* John McNally, a.k.a. "Johnny Blood": National Football League Hall of Famer
* Larry Millett: journalist and author
* Paul M. Nakasone ('86): U.S. Army general, commander, United States Army Cyber Command; director, National Security Agency
* Lino Rulli ('93): Emmy-winning producer and radio host (''The Catholic Guy'')
* Michael D. Ryan: U.S. Marine Corps lieutenant, recipient of two Purple Hearts and a Bronze Star, (Vietnam), Arizona state supreme court justice
* Richard Sabers ('60): South Dakota supreme court justice
* Matt Schnobrich: 2008 Summer Olympics bronze medalist in rowing
* George Sinner ('50): Governor of North Dakota 1985–92
* Erik Sommer ('00): contemporary artist
* Stephen Sommers: movie director
* Mark T. Vande Hei, Mark Vande Hei ('89): astronaut
* Jack Webb: television producer, star of ''Dragnet (franchise)''

Notable alumnae

* Corie Barry ('97): CEO, Best Buy
* Kimberly M. Blaeser, Kimberly M. Blaeser ('77): author; 2015-2016 Wisconsin Poet Laureate
* Elizabeth A. Hayden ('68): District Court Judge, Minnesota 1986–2009
* Baulu Kuan, Baulu Kuan, OSB: Chinese-American artist and curator
* Ann Lenczewski: politician and former member of the Minnesota House of Representatives (DFL)
* Michelle Macy ('99): marathon swimmer
* Mary Ellen Otremba: politician and former member of the Minnesota House of Representatives (DFL)
* Michele Specht: actress and comedian
* Yuko Taniguchi ('98): poet and author

Notable faculty and staff

* Miguel H. Díaz: theology professor, List of ambassadors of the United States to the Holy See, United States ambassador to the Holy See (2009–12)
* John Gagliardi: regents professor (1953–2018, died 2018) and football coach (1953–2012)
* Columba Stewart: executive director of Hill Museum & Manuscript Library, 2016 Guggenheim Fellowship awardee
* Axel Theimer: emeritus professor of music

See also

* List of colleges and universities in Minnesota
* Saint John's Preparatory School (Minnesota)

References

External links

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* Athletics websites:
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Saint Benedict
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Saint John's
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College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University,
1913 establishments in Minnesota
Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities
Benedictine colleges and universities
Buildings and structures in Stearns County, Minnesota
Catholic universities and colleges in Minnesota
Education in Stearns County, Minnesota
Liberal arts colleges in Minnesota
Men's universities and colleges in the United States, Saint John's University (Minnesota)
Tourist attractions in Stearns County, Minnesota
Universities and colleges established in 1913, Saint Benedict, College of
University and college buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in Minnesota
Women's universities and colleges in the United States, Saint Benedict, College of