Motto | Together In Pursuit of Truth |
---|---|
Type | Private university |
Established | 1921 |
Religious affiliation | Roman Catholic (Benedictine Sisters) |
Academic affiliations | Space-grant |
Endowment | $15 million[1] |
President | Joseph L. Chillo |
Students | 1,963[2] |
Undergraduates | 1,825[2] |
Postgraduates | 138[2] |
Location | , , United States 39°01′18″N 84°34′05″W / 39.0217°N 84.5681°WCoordinates: 39°01′18″N 84°34′05″W / 39.0217°N 84.5681°W |
Colors |
|
Nickname | Saints |
Sporting affiliations | NAIA – Mid-South Conference |
Mascot | Tommy Mo |
Website | thomasmore |
Thomas More University is a private Roman Catholic university in Crestview Hills, Kentucky. It serves about 2,200 full and part-time students. The university was founded in 1921 by the local Benedictine Sisters as Villa Madonna College.
The Benedictine Sisters of Covington, Kentucky, founded Villa Madonna College in 1921 to train Catholic school teachers and to provide college education for young women. The college was chartered by the Commonwealth of Kentucky in 1923. Villa Madonna graduated its first students in 1929 and became the official college of the Diocese of Covington that same year. Three religious orders operated Villa Madonna in its early years: the Sisters of Notre Dame, the Congregation of Divine Providence, and the local Benedictine Sisters. Through the 1930s and early 1940s, the college grew slowly. The school year 1942–1943 closed with commencement exercises on June 4 with ten graduates. The number of graduates of the college including the 1943 class was 152.[3]
Although Villa Madonna was founded as an institution for women, men attended many of the same classes through the affiliated St. Thomas More College, a college-level program of Covington Latin School. In 1945, Villa Madonna was designated a co-educational college, and St. Thomas More College was abolished.[4] In that year the Diocese of Covington purchased the college. At the opening of classes in September 1945, Villa Madonna College enrolled 28 Sisters, 56 laywomen, and 28 men for a total of 112 students. As the college began to grow, facilities and classrooms were stretched to their limits. Several buildings owned by the Diocese of Covington were quickly secured for additional classrooms and offices. Over the next two decades, as enrollment and curriculum steadily grew, any available space was acquired and adapted for the college's use. Eventually, all available space was exhausted, and it was clear that a more spacious campus was needed.[5]
Campus buildings of Villa Madonna College include St. Joseph's Hall, St. Thomas More Hall,[1] Cabrini Hall,[1] St. Pius Hall, Talbott Hall, Cafeteria Annex, Columbus Hall (library), St. Jude Hall, Aquinas Hall,[1] Bernard Hall,[1] and St. Luke Hall (art department).[6]
In 1964, the school's chancellor, Bishop Richard Henry Ackerman, announced a building program. A growing co-educational institution, an expanding campus and the opportunity to serve a wider area made the move the natural choice. In 1968, the college was moved from downtown Covington to what is now Crestview Hills. In this same year, Ackerman announced that Villa Madonna College would be renamed "Thomas More College". The same year another Thomas More College opened – a woman's college of Jesuit Fordham University in New York which later merged with Fordham College as a co-educational college and dropped the Thomas More name.[7] Although the college was opened in January 1968, dedication ceremonies were held on September 28 with President Lyndon B. Johnson in attendance. The college serves 2,200 full- and part-time students. Although primarily from Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky, students from roughly 20 states and several countries attend Thomas More.
Kentucky's Council on Postsecondary Education formally granted Thomas More university status in July 2018. On October 1, 2018, Thomas More College was officially renamed to Thomas More University and assumed university status, with full implementation of the name change taking place during the 2018–19 academic year.[8] Thomas More also began transitioning to a new organizational structure of three colleges and one institute:[9]
The university is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS).[14]
The university is a member of Greater Cincinnati Consortium of Colleges and Universities, an organization including all of the accredited colleges and universities in the area. This consortium relationship gives students access to course offerings of the other institutions through a cross-registration arrangement as well as access to library resources of the other schools in the consortium.
The Thomas More University Accelerated and Graduate Programs[23] is specifically designed for working adults. It offers an associate, bachelor's, or master's degree in Business Administration and Ethical Leadership Studies. Classes meet only once a week and utilize group-study project teams, which emphasize interaction and participation.
The Master of Arts in Teaching Program (MAT)[24] is run by the Education Department of Thomas More University. It is targeted for those who hold a baccalaureate degree and meet the requirements of the Kentucky Educational Professional Standards Board (EPSB). The program has two tracks: one for those holding a Temporary Provisional Certificate and the other for those wanting to acquire their teacher certification.[citation needed]
The student government of Thomas More University serves as the official representative of the student body. It is governed by its constitution and consists of an executive board, delegates at-large, and associates. The president of the Student Government Association receives a full-voting membership on the Thomas More University Board of Trustees.
Thomas More teams are athletically known as the Saints. The university is a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), primarily competing in the Mid-South Conference since the 2019–20 school year. Thomas More previously competed as a member of the Division III level of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), competing in the American Collegiate Athletic Association only during 2018–19 school year, as well as a member of the Presidents' Athletic Conference from 2005–06 to 2017–18. The Saints had previously been NAIA members from 1947 to 1990.[25]
Thomas More plans to return to the NCAA in 2022 in the Division II ranks, joining the Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) that July as a provisional member. The Saints will continue to compete in the NAIA and the Mid-South through the 2022–23 school year.[26]
The following sports are offered: