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St. Mary's College of Maryland

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St. Mary's College of Maryland


Established	1840
Type:	Public coeducational liberal arts college
President:	Jane Margaret O'Brien
Faculty:	134
Undergraduates:	1950
Postgraduates:	N/A
Location	St. Mary's City, Maryland, USA
Campus:	Rural, 315 acres (approx. 1.3 km²)
Colors:	Blue, Gold, & White
Nickname:	Seahawks
Website:	www.smcm.edu

St. Mary's College of Maryland, established in 1840, is a public liberal arts college located in St. Mary's City, Maryland. It is a member of the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges. It is designated as a Public Honors College (the only one in the state of Maryland and one of only a few around the U.S.). It is a small college, with fewer than 2,000 students. The institution offers baccalaureate degrees in 20 disciplines, with psychology, biology, and economics being among the most popular.

1 History
2 General information
3 College culture
4 Notable faculty
5 Notable trustees
6 Notable organizations
7 Notable alumni
8 External links
9 Notes

History

St. Mary’s College of Maryland came into existence (on paper only) by an act of the Maryland State Board of Higher Education in 1966. The first bachelor’s (B.A.) degrees were awarded in 1971. The predecessor institution was St. Mary’s Seminary Junior College (1949-1968), and before that it was St. Mary’s Female Seminary Junior College (1927-1949). Both of these “junior colleges” were actually the last two years of high school plus the first two years of college, making up a four-year institution. After finishing at St. Mary’s with an associate in arts degree (A.A.), girls from that period would often continue on to a university, study for two more years, and receive their B.A. The original St. Mary’s Female Seminary was founded by an act of the Maryland legislature in 1840. It was a boarding school that included the elementary grades as well as grades 9-12. But education did not go beyond the 12th grade. Occasionally, boys from the neighboring areas were allowed to take classes. In 1840, the word “seminary” meant only that it was an academy, a high school, not a religious institution. In fact, St. Mary’s was established by the legislature to be strictly non-denominational. The institution was not named for Saint Mary herself but for St. Mary's City, the colonial site of Lord Baltimore’s experiment in religious toleration. For roughly the first 100 years (1840-1937) the head of the institution was called a “principal.” When the school received accreditation as a junior college and became part of the Maryland state budget in 1937, the term “principal” was changed to “president.”^[1]

General information

The campus borders the St. Mary's River. St. Mary's College was designed as a "living monument" to the first settlers of St. Mary's City, which was the first capital of Maryland and the fourth oldest permanent settlement in British North America, founded in 1634. St. Mary's, although a state-operated institution, is independent of the University System of Maryland; it opted out of the system in 1992 during a state-wide fiscal crisis. The school does participate in the consortium of Maryland public colleges and universities (USMAI), through which library materials from 16 institutes are accessible. In early 2006, St. Mary's joined the University of Maryland Academic Telecommunications System (UMATS), which interconnects the University System of Maryland with several other networks, including the Internet and Internet2 networks. St. Mary's mascot is the Seahawk, which is a nickname for the ospreys that can be found nesting in the near off-shore areas. The school colors are Navy Blue, Yellow Gold, and White. The Seahawks compete in NCAA Division III. St. Mary's athletics are recognized for the storied varsity baseball team. The school has a leadership cohort named after Paul H. Nitze, a former trustee of the college, for students with histories of leadership and academic success. Members of the Nitze Scholars Program^[2] receive a $3000 per year stipend and must maintain a GPA of 3.5 or higher in order to remain in the program.

College culture

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Students may be tossed by their friends into St. John's Pond. This practice is called "ponding," and it generally marks a special occasion, the most common being a birthday.
Watching the sunset over the St. Mary's River is a regular evening activity for many students.
In the 80's and early 1990's, the college often appeared on the Playboy's top 10 party schools in the US. This is no longer the case, as the school banned the popular "closed container" rule in 1995.
Hallow-Greens is an annual all-student costume event. While the college offers no planned events for October 31, it is an on-campus alternative for students considering driving off-campus during Halloween.
The Cardboard Boat Race takes place during Homecoming/Parent's Weekend. Teams must make a boat entirely out of materials provided for them (cardboard, plastic, and balsa wood) and race it in a small loop on the St. Mary's River by the college boathouse and docks. There are cash prizes for the winners.
World Carnival weekend, midnight breakfast, frisbee golf, sailing, ultimate frisbee, and kayaking.
Over 1600 students live on-campus in traditional-style residence halls, suites, apartments, and townhouses.
There is a direct link between the Student Body and the Board of Trustees through the Student Trustee - a voting member of the board.
Students participate on faculty, administrative, and Board of Trustee committees.
There are many opportunities for leadership development on campus, including Resident Assistants (RA), Orientation Leaders (OL), Judicial Board members, Multicultural Academic Peer Program (MAPP) Mentors, Student Government Association (SGA), and Programs Board among many others.
There are 13 varsity sports including: Fall – Field Hockey, Men’s Soccer, Women’s Soccer, and Volleyball; Winter – Men’s Swimming, Women’s Swimming, Men’s Basketball, and Women’s Basketball; Spring: Baseball, Men’s Lacrosse, Women’s Lacrosse, Men’s Tennis, Women’s Tennis; Sailing.
Students actively participate in intramural and club sports, including: Men’s Rugby, Women’s Rugby, Women’s Softball, Cheerleading, Crew, Dance, Cross Country & Track, Equestrian, Fencing, Golf, Mountain Biking, Birdwatching, Ultimate Frisbee, and Wrestling.
Students (and faculty and staff) are very environmentally aware and support recycling and sustainability efforts on campus.
There are three living-learning centers on campus: International Languages & Cultures (ILC) House; Women In Science House (WISH), and the Eco-House.
There are two Substance and Alcohol Free Environment (SAFE) suites on campus. Some other students join the IBA.

Notable faculty

Jane Margaret O'Brien, or Maggie as she is referred to by students, became the first female president of the college as a four-year institution when she was appointed in 1996.
Lucille Clifton, poet and two-time finalist for a Pulitzer Prize.
Michael Glaser, current poet laureate of Maryland.

Notable trustees

Benjamin Bradlee, Vice President at Large, The Washington Post.
Steny Hoyer, U.S. Representative, House Majority Leader of the United States House of Representatives.
Gary Jobson, professional sailor.
William Donald Schaefer, former Governor (1987-1995) and Comptroller of Maryland (1999-2007).

Notable organizations

Phi Beta Kappa
Omicron Delta Kappa: an organization of students, faculty, and staff which recognizes superior scholarship, leadership and exemplary character. Membership in OΔK is a mark of highest distinction and honor. The Society recognizes achievement in scholarship; athletics; campus or community service, social and religious activities, campus government; journalism, speech and the mass media; and the creative and performing arts.
An active Student Government Association (SGA) which sponsors over 70 clubs ranging from the Anime Club, Billiards Club, and Circle K to the Mens & Women’s St. Mary’s Ultimate (Frisbee) Team.