College of Mount Saint Vincent

The College of Mount Saint Vincent is a Catholic liberal arts college located in the Riverdale section of The Bronx, New York. It was founded by the Sisters of Charity of New York.

Today, the school serves 1,800 students, with professional undergraduate programs in nursing, business, communication, and education. In addition, the college offers a strong liberal arts undergraduate curriculum with distinctive strengths in biology, biochemistry, English, psychology, and sociology. The College also offers graduate degree programs in nursing, business, TESOL and education.

The college is the peak of the educational network under the care of the Sisters of Charity of New York, one of several Sisters of Charity congregations of Catholic women that trace their lineage back to Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton.

College History
The college was founded in 1847 as the Academy of Mount Saint Vincent, a school for women. It took its name from Saint Vincent de Paul, the 17th Century French priest who worked with the poor and founded the original Sisters of Charity, and from the "mount" that was a geographic high point along Fifth Avenue in Manhattan. When New York City began acquiring land for Central Park in 1855, the school purchased the 70 acre "Fonthill," the estate of famed Shakesperian actor Edwin Forrest, in the Riverdale neighborhood in what has been called The Bronx since New York City's consolidation in 1898. The picturesque castle that was the centerpiece of Forrest's estate is still used as the College's Office of Admission and Financial Aid and forms the architectural symbol of the college.

In 1911, the Academy became a degree-granting institution. In 1974, the College of Mount Saint Vincent became a co-educational institution as it began admitting men.

Over the past decade, the College of Mount Saint Vincent has grown to twice its former size. In 2006, the College and nearby Manhattan College decided to end a program under which they offered certain subjects jointly.

Notable alumni

 * Corazon Cojuangco-Aquino, President of the Philippines, 1986–1992, first female elected head of state in Asia
 * Noreen Culhane, Executive Vice President, New York Stock Exchange
 * Gail Dinter-Gottlieb, president of Acadia University in Wolfville, Nova Scotia
 * Aline Griffith, Countess of Romanones, author of The Spy Wore Red The Countess of Romanones Commands a Dazzling Cast in Her Second Memoir
 * Bernard McGuirk, executive producer of the Imus in the Morning radio and television program
 * Bernardo Moronta, Radio Program Director and Air Personality
 * Ethelinda Soliven, Prominent Philippine Journalist and Lifestyle Editor.
 * Miriam Naveira, first and only female Chief Justice on Supreme Court of Puerto Rico
 * Stephanie Espinosa, Radio Personality El Zol 95.7 Miami
 * Betty Broderick, former San Diego socialite who murdered her former husband Dan Broderick and his second wife, Linda Kolkena in 1989.

Notable faculty and staff

 * James Haley - Biologist, N.S.F. grant recipient
 * Joseph Skelly - noted author and Bronze Star recipient; veteran of the current war in Iraq; frequent contributor to National Review
 * Ron Scapp - noted educator and author of "Teaching Values" and other works

Library
The mission of the Elizabeth Seton Library is to provide traditional and innovative resources and services for members of the academic community and to work actively in promoting information literacy and stimulating intellectual curiosity. The library is named after Saint Elizabeth Seton, the first native-born American to be canonized. Elizabeth Seton founded the Sisters of Charity whose spirit infuses the life of the College.

Cultural references

 * The 2008 film Doubt was filmed at the College of Mount Saint Vincent.

Controversies
On May 10, 2007, local news station WABC-TV Eyewitness News reported alleged a number of fire code violations at the College. President Charles Flynn issued a statement in the school's website in response to the allegations.

During the month of December 2007, in four incidents, racist and homophobic graffiti in a men's room stall in Spellman Residence Hall alarmed the campus. The Office of Student Affairs brought disciplinary action against two alleged perpetrators, issued a statement to the campus, and developed student programming to encourage all students to examine their presuppositions about each other.

In March, 2008, the dismissal of two employees prompted a student protest movement, particularly about one of those employees and demanding a greater student voice in decision making.