The college and its mission
Founded by the Jesuits in 1870, Canisius College is an independent, co-educational, medium sized institution of higher education conducted in the Catholic and Jesuit tradition. It offers undergraduate programs built upon a liberal arts core curriculum, leading to associate and baccalaureate degrees, plus graduate programs in business, education, and other professional fields, leading to the master’s degree.
Canisius espouses the ideal of academic excellence along with a sense of responsibility to use one’s gifts for the service of others and the benefit of society. It seeks to promote the intellectual and ethical life of its students, helping to prepare them for productive careers as well as for meaningful personal lives and positive contributions to human progress. Its curricular and co-curricular programs are designed to educate the whole person through the development of intellectual, moral, spiritual and social qualities. It aims to promote the contemporary Jesuit mission of the service of faith and the promotion of justice.
As a Catholic institution which welcomes all who share in its quest, Canisius will:
- foster an atmosphere of understanding and respect in dialog with other intellectual and spiritual traditions;
- teach the responsible use of human freedom in a value- oriented curriculum and co-curriculum which incorporate concern for spiritual and human factors as well as more pragmatic ones;
- continue the Jesuit principle of care for individual persons;
- emphasize excellence in teaching, marked by intellectual vigor, close student-faculty relations, and an expectation of active rather than passive learning;
- prepare students to assume positions of leadership in church and society;
- foster a sense of community among its students and staff through personal interaction marked by friendliness, respect, openness and integrity.
Buffalo’s largest private college is named after Saint Peter Canisius, a 16th-century Dutch scholar. The college’s founders were guided by the same educational ideals which inspired several European universities and initiated a tradition of service to student and community.
Starting out as a single building in the center of downtown Buffalo, Canisius College has since expanded to cover the more than 57 acres and 35 academic buildings of its dual campus on Main Street. It is easily accessible by expressway, subway and bus routes.
In addition to the College of Arts and Sciences, Canisius includes the Richard J. Wehle School of Business, the School of Education and Human Services, a Graduate Division and a Summer Session, with a total enrollment for 2008-2009 of nearly 5000 students.
Canisius College is a private, independent Roman Catholic college. It is governed by an independent self-perpetuating Board of Trustees under a charter granted by the Board of Regents of the University of the State of New York.
Institutional learning goals
These broad learning goals express the college’s expectations and hopes for all students who study within its walls no matter what path the student takes through the college experience. All of the college’s efforts will be in support of one or more of the goals, but not every student will achieve each goal in the same way.
The goal statements are declarative sentences in the present tense. In practice, students move at different paces toward these goals, and assessment of goals occurs at appropriate times and places throughout the educational experience.
Goal 1. Academic Excellence — Canisius students:
a. in the Jesuit tradition, are intentional learners who can adapt to new environments, integrate knowledge, and continue learning throughout their lives;Goal 2. Communication Skills — Canisius students:
b. demonstrate a breadth of knowledge across many fields of humanistic, scientific, and social scientific fields;
c. demonstrate a depth of knowledge in one or more fields of learning; they demonstrate the skills and habits of mind that derive from that knowledge and sustain its further growth.
a. demonstrate that they can write and speak with clarity and precision in both their academic disciplines and in more general situations;Goal 3. Integrity and Civility — Canisius students:
b. demonstrate that they can listen and read with both literal comprehension and critical awareness in both their academic disciplines and more general situations;
c. integrate current technologies into research and communication.
a. demonstrate knowledge of general ethical and moral issues as well as ones specific to their fields of study;Goal 4. Critical Thinking and Problem Solving — Canisius students:
b. act with civility and integrity in pursuit of the responsible use of human freedom.
a. synthesize new knowledge and apply it to present and future problems;Goal 5. Community Involvement and Leadership — Canisius students:
b. identify, analyze, and comprehend the assumptions and underlying premises in a variety of academic and real-world arguments, conflicts and debates;
c. demonstrate that they can find, evaluate and effectively use information while understanding the ethical and legal issues governing academic and professional work.
a. demonstrate leadership in the service of others, in intellectual and spiritual inquiry and in assuming positions of responsibility in the community and marketplace;Goal 6. Catholic Jesuit Intellectual Tradition — Canisius students:
b. use their gifts for the service of others and the benefit of society.
a. demonstrate a familiarity with dimensions of the Catholic and Jesuit intellectual traditions as they occur in literature, art, science and social teaching.Graduate division
Although Canisius College awarded its first master’s degree as far back as 1887, graduate-level coursework was not offered on a regular basis until much later. Primarily to meet the needs of the public schools which were just starting to require a bachelor’s degree for elementary teaching and a master’s degree for teaching on the secondary level, an extension school was opened in 1919. From this beginning, a separate graduate division began to emerge a few years later, and by the late 1930s there was a formally designated Regent of the Graduate School.
Over the years, Canisius College has offered graduate programs in English, history, chemistry, biology and religious studies at various times, but the two largest areas have always been education and business. Master’s degrees have been awarded on a regular basis in education since 1930 and in business since 1969. These programs have been joined in recent years by curricula in sport administration and in communication and leadership.
The college’s graduate programs have become increasing prominent over the years. Over 1500 individuals, or about 30 per cent of the student body, are currently enrolled in the graduate division.
Accreditation
Canisius College received its authority to confer bachelor’s degrees in 1883 when it was incorporated by the Regents of the University of the State of New York. In 1894, the college offered its first course in the graduate program leading to the degree of master of arts.
Canisius College is an accredited member of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools1. All of the college’s programs are registered by the Regents of the University of the State of New York through the State Education Department2. The undergraduate programs in Business Administration and the M.B.A. program are accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business International.3 The Chemistry major is accredited by the American Chemical Society4, and the Athletic Training major by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs5. The programs of the School of Education and Human Services designed to prepare students for school-based careers are accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education6. The Graduate Program for Teachers of the Deaf is accredited by the Council on the Education of the Deaf.
Campus ministry
Campus Ministry supports the spiritual and religious life of the campus with activities open to students and staff of all faiths. Campus Ministry seeks to empower students, faculty, administrators, staff and alumni as persons of faith “for and with others,” in the Catholic, Jesuit tradition.
In addition to providing for a vital Roman Catholic liturgical and sacramental life, the campus ministry team:
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offers opportunities for spiritual retreats;
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organizes opportunities for prayer and small faith communities;
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promotes opportunities for service to those in need, both locally and through domestic and international service trips;
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promotes ethical values and educates and organizes around issues of social justice and peace;
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and provides pastoral counseling and spiritual direction.
The faculty
The college considers itself primarily a teaching institution, where research is valued for its contribution to the learning experiences of the students. Small class size is the norm and interaction among students and faculty is easy and natural. Each of the faculty members has been chosen for his or her academic competence, ability to teach, interest in research and moral integrity. The college’s present faculty is a group of highly trained, dedicated individuals who take a personal interest in the students under their charge.
The library
The quality of any educational institution is determined largely by the proficiency of its faculty and the excellence of the information resources available to support the curriculum.
The Andrew L. Bouwhuis Library is housed in a beautiful and inviting modern facility. The building has ample study facilities, a computer laboratory, a curriculum materials center, group work rooms and audio-visual areas. Canisius students have at their disposal an excellent library collection of over 400,000 volumes of books, periodicals, microforms and other materials. The library subscribes to over 25,000 full text electronic periodicals as well as to hundreds of paper journal subscriptions. Electronic resources can also be accessed from computer labs and residence halls through the campus network and from off-campus via the World Wide Web. The library has a substantial complement of computer equipment to access these resources, including over 50 laptop computers with wireless network access that may be used by students within the building.
Canisius students have convenient and rapid access to approximately 7 million volumes in the ConnectNY consortium. Further, the library’s participation in OCLC (On-line Computer Library Center), an international library consortium, enables it to borrow materials from libraries throughout the United States via direct computer link.
The library is open every day of the week for study and research, and is open nights until 2 a.m. from Sunday through Thursday during much of the academic year. Assistance and guidance in the use of the library and its facilities are provided by a highly competent staff of professional librarians and technical assistants.
The Rev. J. Clayton Murray, S.J. Archives, located in Bouwhuis Library, houses information related to the history of Canisius College. Visitors and researchers are welcome.
Computer facilities
Instructional computing facilities include over 350 personal computers, as well as scanners and printers. Computers in student labs have access to word processing, spreadsheet, database, presentation, web development, statistical analysis and electronic mail software. There are several Internet Plazas located around campus where students may check their electronic mail or access the World Wide Web. All computers are connected to the World Wide Web and have access to extensive online research databases provided by the Andrew L. Bouwhuis Library. Laptops for loan and wireless networking are available for use in the Bouwhuis Library.
The college has an extensive web site at www.canisius.edu that includes web-based electronic mail, course materials, course discussion boards and course registration. Student user accounts and electronic mail addresses are automatically created for all students who agree to the Canisius College acceptable use policy.
Classrooms have been recently renovated and all contain some level of technology. Many classrooms provide video and computer projection for the instructor. Wireless networking is also available in nearly all of the campus.
Several departments, including Digital Media Arts and Computer Science, maintain a substantial complement of computing equipment specific to their needs.
Nondiscrimination
Canisius College does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, religion or creed, color, sex, national or ethnic origin, sexual orientation, marital status, veteran’s status, genetic predisposition or carrier status, or disability in administration of its educational policies, employment practices, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school administered programs.
Canisius admits students of any age, race, religion or creed, color, sex, national or ethnic origin, sexual orientation, marital status, or veteran’s status to all rights, privileges, programs and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the college.
It continues to be the policy of Canisius College not to discriminate on the basis of handicap. No person is denied employment, admission, or access solely because of any physical, mental, or medical impairment which is unrelated to the ability to engage in the activities involved in the education requirements
or occupation for which application has been made.
Campus Security
Canisius College complies with the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act by making available information on campus security and personal safety. This information includes crime prevention, public safety, law-enforcement authority, crime reporting policies, disciplinary procedures and other important matters about security on campus. Also available are statistics for the three previous calendar years on reported crimes that occurred on campus, in certain off-campus buildings or property owned or controlled by Canisius College and on public property within or immediately adjacent to and accessible from the campus. The Canisius College Advisory Committee on Campus Safety will provide upon request all campus crime statistics as reported to the United States Department of Education. This information is available on-line at www.ope.ed.gov/security. A PDF of the full report is available on the Canisius College Web site at public_safety/stats.pdf. A printed copy may be obtained by calling Dr. Terri L. Mangione, dean of students at 716-888-2130.
1 Commission on Higher Education, Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, 3624 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104 Telephone: (215) 662-5606
2 University of the State of New York, State Education Department, Board of Regents, Room 110EB, Albany, NY 12234 Telephone: (518) 474-5889
3 Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business-International, 777 South Harbour Island Blvd, Suite 750, Tampa, FL 33602-5730 Telephone: (813) 769-6500
4 American Chemical Society, 1155 Sixteenth St, NW, Washington, DC 20036 Telephone: (800) 227-5558 (US only) 202-872-4600
5 Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs, 1361 Park St, Clearwater, FL 33756 Telephone: (727) 210-2354
6 National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education, 2010 Massachusetts Ave, NW, Suite 500, Washington, DC 20036-1023 Telephone (202) 466-7496
7 Council on the Education of the Deaf, Dr. Tony Martin, Lamar University, PO Box 10076, Beaumont, TX 77710 Telephone (409) 880-8175