Creighton University is a private, coeducational, Jesuit, Roman Catholic university in Omaha, Nebraska, United States. Founded by the Society of Jesus in 1878, the school is one of 28 member institutions of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities. The university is accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools. Creighton is Nebraska's largest private religious university.
Sitting on a 140-acre (57Â ha) campus just outside Omaha's downtown business district, the university enrolls 8,435 graduate and undergraduate students.
History
The university was founded as Creighton College on September 2, 1878, through a gift from Mary Lucretia Creighton, who stipulated in her will that a school be established in memory of her husband, prominent Omaha businessman Edward Creighton. Edward's brother, John A. Creighton, is credited with fostering and sustaining the university's early growth and endowment. In 1958, the college split into a prep school and the present-day Creighton University.
Academics
The schools and colleges at Creighton are:
- College of Arts & Sciences
- Heider College of Business
- College of Nursing
- School of Dentistry
- School of Medicine
- School of Pharmacy & Health Professions
- School of Law
- Graduate School
- College of Professional Studies
The College of Arts & Sciences is the largest school, containing about 28% of the university's enrolled students. Creighton’s acceptance rate is 72.7%.
Athletics
Creighton competes in NCAA Division I athletics, within the Big East. Nicknamed the Bluejays, Creighton fields 14 teams in eight sports. Bruce Rasmussen is the Director of Athletics.
Greg McDermott is the men's basketball program's head coach. Famous basketball alums include Paul Silas, Benoit Benjamin, Kyle Korver, and Greg's son Doug McDermott, while famous former Bluejay coaches include Eddie Sutton and Willis Reed.
The women's basketball team won the WNIT championship in 2004. They play all home games on campus at D. J. Sokol Arena.
The men's soccer team maintained 17 straight NCAA tournament appearances between 1992 and 2008. During that time, the Bluejays made three College Cup appearances, including one championship game appearance (2000). They play all home games on campus at Morrison Stadium.
Creighton's baseball team has one appearance in the NCAA College World Series (1991). Jim Hendry, the former general manager of the Chicago Cubs, was Creighton's head coach for its 1991 CWS appearance. The program's graduates include Hall of Fame pitcher Bob Gibson.
The women's softball team has had two appearances in the Women's College World Series (1982 and 1986) and has appeared in six of the past eight NCAA Tournaments. Tara Oltman (2007â€"2010), the best pitcher in MVC history, was a three-time league Pitcher of the Year and finished her career with conference records for wins, innings pitched, starts, appearances, strikeouts, and complete games. She remains the only student-athlete in Bluejay history to earn first-team all-conference honors in four consecutive seasons.
Demographics
As of 2015, Creighton's enrollment was 8,435, of whom 4,163 were undergraduates. From Creighton's Class of 2020, 14% count themselves as first-generation college attendees in their families. 26% are students of color, and 56% of the class is female; 82% of the class have taken part in volunteer service.
Student clubs and organizations
The university has more than 200 student organizations:
Academic honor societies
- Phi Beta Kappa â€" National Honor Society
- Alpha Sigma Nu â€" Jesuit Honor society
- Sigma Pi Sigma â€" physics
- Psi Chi â€" psychology
- Phi Sigma â€" biology
- Phi Sigma Tau â€" philosophy
- Pi Sigma Alpha â€" political science
- Sigma Tau Delta â€" English
- Beta Alpha Psi â€" accounting
- Eta Sigma Phi â€" classics
- Alpha Psi Omega â€" theatre
Student government
- Creighton Students Union (CSU) is Creighton University's comprehensive student government, consisting of students from each of Creighton University's schools and colleges. CSU has served as the student body's official voice to faculty, staff, and the outside community since 1922. CSU also devotes significant resources to other student organizations, including a large part of its budget dedicated to funding student organizations; its former name was Student Board of Governors.
- Each school has its own student advising body for academic affairs.
- Inter Residence Hall Government (IRHG) was formed in 1984 by Steven Conroy and serves as the voice for all students who live on Creighton's campus. IRHG represents all of Creighton's residence halls and sponsors programs and legislative actions.
John P. Schlegel, S.J., Center for Service and Justice
The John P. Schlegel, S.J., Center for Service and Justice (SCSJ) promotes weekly local community service projects, Fall and Spring Break service trips, student leadership development, and education about contemporary justice issues. The center helped develop the Cortina Community, a sophomore intentional-living community named for Jesuit priest Jon de Cortina.
Performing arts
- Several vocal groups exist. The Department of Fine and Performing Arts, within the College of Arts and Sciences, houses a Chamber Choir (selective), Gospel Choir, Jazz Ensemble, Wind Ensemble, Orchestra, and University Chorus. The men's a cappella ensemble is known as the Creightones.
- The Creighton Dance Company's eclectic repertoire draws on classical ballet, contemporary and modern dance, jazz and musical theatre dance.
- The Department of Fine and Performing Arts offers undergraduate degrees in Art History, Studio Art, Dance, Music, Theatre, and Musical Theatre.
- Several theatrical productions are held each year in the University’s Lied Education Center for the Arts.
Student media
- The student newspaper The Creightonian, first published in 1924, is now published every Thursday during the school year. Student reporters, editors, photographers, and designers produce the paper, covering campus news, features, sports, entertainment, opinion, and photos. In 2007 and 2008, The Creightonian was named Nebraska's top college newspaper in the Nebraska Press Association contest. Staff members won numerous individual awards. The Creightonian was a finalist for the 2007 and 2010 Pacemaker Award, one of the top awards in college journalism.
- Creighton's literature and arts publication Shadows has received one of college journalism’s top honors: a 2007 Silver Crown award from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association (CSPA). Shadows, which is published twice a year, selects literary and visual art by Creighton students, faculty, and staff. The magazine is the oldest student organization on campus.
Clubs
Many organizations allow students to share their common interests. Examples include:
- Cultural â€" Hui O Hawaii, International Student Association, Spanish Club
- Political â€" NAACP College Chapter, College Republicans, College Democrats
- Professional â€" Premedical Society, Predental Society, Fellowship of Christian Law Students, Academy of Student Pharmacists, Business Law Society, International Relations Club
- Religious â€" Canisius Society, Inter Varsity Christian Fellowship, Muslim Student Organization, Rosary Club, Jays for Christ, Knights of Columbus, Student Jewish Organization
- Service â€" Alpha Phi Omega, Colleges Against Cancer, Habitat for Humanity, Best Buddies of America
- Sports â€" lacrosse, soccer, hockey, cycling, dance, jujitsu, martial arts, rowing, rugby, running, ski & snowboard, ultimate frisbee, volleyball
Notable alumni
There are more than 68,470 living alumni of Creighton University in 93 countries. Nearly 30 percent live in Nebraska. The largest number of alumni outside the United States reside in Canada, Japan, and Malaysia.
Alumni include Marcia Anderson, the second African-American woman to attain the rank of major general in the United States Army Reserve; Michael P. Anderson, an astronaut killed in the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster; Donald Keough, once president and chief operating officer of Coca-Cola; J. Joseph Ricketts, the founder of TD Ameritrade and owner of the Chicago Cubs; Mark Walter, founder and chief executive officer of Guggenheim Partners, and part owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers; Symone Sanders, Democratic strategist and spokesperson for Bernie Sanders' 2016 presidential campaign; Matt Schultz, Republican Iowa Secretary of State and County Attorney for Madison County, Iowa; and several professional athletes, including Major League Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher Bob Gibson and professional basketball players Kyle Korver and Doug McDermott.
See also
- Education in North Omaha, Nebraska
- Saint Joseph Hospital at Creighton University Medical Center
References
External links
- Official website
- Creighton University Athletics website