Our History
圣玛丽森林学院, 印第安纳州最古老的天主教学院, 2015年，将其使命扩大到将男性纳入所有项目, 然而，作为一所女子学院，它仍然拥有丰富的历史. 在妇女争取同工同酬之前, 在妇女获得选举权之前, 在女权运动开始之前, 有圣玛丽森林学院.
几代人, SMWC has been empowering students to make a difference in their lives and in their world. 这一切都始于一个神圣的女人的信仰 神的旨意.
创立圣玛丽森林学院
SMWC has helped shape the fabric of both women’s education and early Catholic education in America. A closer look at its early days — during a period of limited opportunities for women and widespread discrimination against Catholics — shows that its founding was precipitated by a commitment to helping students “Aspire Higher.”
In 1840, 圣·西奥多·葛兰嬷嬷 and five other Sisters of Providence journeyed from their convent in Ruille-sur-Loir, France, 印第安那州的荒野, 建立女子学院. 这是对文森主教请求的回应, who asked the Sisters for help in educating Catholic immigrants growing in numbers in the area. 一路上有很多障碍, 圣·西奥多·葛兰嬷嬷 and her companions persisted in each step of the journey.
在40天的暴风雨中横渡大洋, they were robbed of a good portion of the money meant to finance the rest of their trip. They arrived in New York and traveled half a continent by train, canal, stagecoach and ferry in a foreign land where they could barely speak the language. Finally, on Oct. 22, 1840, more than three months after leaving France, the women crossed the Wabash River. 他们在特雷霍特西北的树林里定居下来.
本着真正冒险家的精神, Saint Mother Theodore’s journal indicates that the source of their initial disappointment upon arrival was not that they had no home but that they did not know where they would find students. 尽管存在不确定性, students came to them seeking an education even before the College’s first buildings were erected. 圣玛丽女子书院(SMWC的前身), 非正式地称为学院, 7月4日开幕, 1841, 4岁前的29年th 七月九日成为美国的全国性节日.S.
In 1846, the College was granted the first charter for the higher education of women in the state of Indiana; It conferred the first Bachelor of Arts degree in 1899. In 1928, the Academy was incorporated as 圣玛丽森林学院.
为妇女创造机会
In the tradition of seeking to “Aspire Higher” by creating groundbreaking opportunities in women’s education, SMWC was the first women’s college to offer journalism courses and the first to offer degree work in secondary education, 家政和秘书学. These programs are evidence of an early commitment to preparing women for professional roles.
作为远程教育的早期领导者, the College introduced one of the first independent study programs in the nation, 女性外部学位课程, in 1973. This program served adult women who needed flexible schedules to balance earning a degree, 重要的家庭责任和事业义务.
“从过去的经验中获益，为将来服务。.——圣·西奥多·葛兰嬷嬷
教育女性和男性
In 2005, the College expanded access to its undergraduate distance program to men. Today, 通过更名后的伍兹在线项目, both women and men earn college degrees in a wide variety of majors, 以适合他们生活方式的节奏.
SMWC’s bold vision to educate students of all ages with an appetite for knowledge is evident in the delivery of its other distance programs. 自1984年以来，SMWC提供男女同校的研究生课程. Current graduate programs accepting new students are Master of Arts in Art Therapy, Master of Arts in Music Therapy and Master of Leadership Development.
2015年秋天, 圣玛丽森林学院 expanded its mission and opened its doors to women and men in all of its programs including the traditional, undergraduate, 圣玛丽森林的校园项目, Indiana.
成功与创新
SMWC has continued to reach beyond expectations and provide innovative and unique programs 基于文科传统——对学生. It boasts the only equine program in Indiana, and one of approximately 20 in the U.S.提供马研究理学学士学位. Additionally, it is the first in the nation to offer a Music Therapy Equivalency Distance program.
SMWC一直被美国认可.S. News & World Report as one of the Best Regional Colleges in the Midwest. The College was also ranked in the top programs nationally by U.S. News & 世界报告最佳在线本科课程, as well as best online graduate business programs for the Master of Leadership Development (MLD) program. In 2017, 圣玛丽森林历史区, 是SMWC和普罗维登斯姐妹会的所在地, 被列入 国家史迹名录.
持续增长
SMWC strives to constantly evaluate student needs and evolve to meet those needs. It remains rooted in the past but is always focused on the future. There have been multiple exciting additions to the College in recent years.
2013年12月, it announced the new RN to BSN completion program for current registered nurses seeking a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, 该学院还提供学位课程. Today, nursing continues to be one of the largest programs on campus and has been nationally ranked by US News & World Report. 在过去的五年里, 学院新增了15个以上的专业, 包括最近增加的护理科学, 医疗管理和博士学位.D. 全球领导力课程.
最近，SMWC校园里增加了许多新设施. In 2021, 学院的新宿舍开放了, Les Bois Hall, 包括新食堂, Doherty Dining, for students. Since the completion of the Jeanne Knoerle Sports and Recreation Center in 2014, 它已经并将继续如此, 每天都被学生和运动队使用. The Knoerle Center was the first new building on campus since Hulman Hall was built in 1969. 随着SMWC的不断发展, 目前正在制定一项扩展计划，以增加45个,000平方英尺的设施.
In 2017, 在一条步道上开始施工, 勒费尔湖的环境栖息地和户外教室. 到2021-2022学年，这些项目都完成了. The Mary and Bayless Butler Classroom was also completed and dedicated in Fall of 2021. Campus programs, including environmental science, use the space for class. The walking trail is used daily by students and campus visitors.
随着学生人数的增长，SMWC体育也在增长. The College currently has 16 intercollegiate programs at the varsity level. 男子短跑足球和排球于2022年秋季开始比赛. In 2020, SMWC Athletics was approved for membership in The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). 从USCAA过渡到NAIA, the College was eligible for postseason competition and had more opportunities for community involvement through the Champions of Character program.
尽管自1840年以来发生了很多变化, SMWC remains dedicated to empowering young women and men to emerge as strong leaders prepared for life’s opportunities. 在这里，学生选择 Aspire Higher.