Nazareth University

Private university in Pittsford, New York, U. S.

Nazareth University (also known as Naz) is a private university in Pittsford, New York. It offers over 60 undergraduate majors and more than two dozen graduate programs. The college was previously Nazareth College of Rochester, or Nazareth College.

At the request of Thomas Francis Hickey, Bishop of Rochester, five Sisters of St. Joseph founded Nazareth College of Rochester in 1924 to provide undergraduate education to young women. The first class was composed of 25 young women who began their studies in a large mansion on Lake Avenue in Rochester, New York. The original mansion that housed the college was known as "the Glass House." At that time, the college offered Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degrees, each with a liberal arts core. In response to increasing enrollment, the college moved to a larger facility in 1928 at 402 Augustine Street.

In January 1942, the college moved to its present campus on East Avenue in Pittsford. In the 1950s, the college responded to the need for graduate study by adding majors and by the 1970s offered programs in teacher education and social work. Study abroad programs and intercollegiate sports were also added in the 1970s. During this time, the college became co educational and independent of the Roman Catholic Church. Nazareth competed in men's intercollegiate athletics for the first time in 1977. The official nickname of the sports teams became the Golden Flyers — golden for the Nazareth color, and flyers for the bird like symbol that is part of the old Nazareth logo. Today, Nazareth supports 25 varsity teams. The most recently introduced sport, which began competition in 2019, is men's rugby.

In the early 2000s, the college purchased adjacent land from the Sisters of St. Joseph, including the former Motherhouse and Infirmary. This acquisition doubled the campus size to its current 150 acres. As a result of support from college benefactors (including Tom Golisano, the founder of Paychex), the Motherhouse became the Golisano Academic Center. The Infirmary became George Hall, a residence hall that also houses a coffeehouse and late night study area. The decade of the 2000s also saw the construction of additional student housing, including Portka Hall, Clock Tower Commons, and the Lyons and Breen apartment buildings. In 2003, 30 years after becoming religiously independent, Nazareth College was removed from The Official Catholic Directory, having been declared no longer a Catholic institution by Rochester Bishop Matthew H. Clark. In 2012, Nazareth added Peckham Hall, the Integrated Center for Math and Science, to its campus. Named after lead donors Nancy and Larry Peckham, the $30 million facility supports majors in math and science fields, as well as education programs. It also provides important learning facilities for students in health and human services programs. In 2015, the York Wellness and Rehabilitation Institute opened after an extensive renovation/expansion of Carroll Hall. The institute consolidated and doubled the size of the clinics associated with the college's School of Health and Human Services and added collaboration space.

The campus has 24 buildings, including 11 residence halls, a 2,200 seat stadium, and all weather track, located on
The Golisano Academic Center was built in 1927. It is the oldest and largest building on campus, once serving as the "motherhouse" for the Sisters of St. Joseph. It was purchased from the Sisters of St. Joseph in 2003 and is now used for academic and administrative purposes. Features of the Center include the Linehan Chapel and Cafe Sorelle. The Nazareth University Arts Center, which houses the departments of Theatre Arts, Music, and Art, opened in 1967. The Arts Center was renovated in September 2009 to become a dance and performance venue. The Golisano Training Center (opened in fall 2019), is a multi use facility supporting varsity athletics, Special Olympics events, fitness, and a wide range of campus activities. The Jane and Laurence Glazer Music Performance Center, providing state of the art acoustics, opened in fall 2018. Nazareth's Integrated Center for Math and Science, Peckham Hall, opened in fall 2012. The center features multi purpose research spaces (including state of the art labs and classrooms), a range of support services, and a variety of student centers. It is also the first project on campus to achieve a Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) certified green building rating. On campus clinics for speech and hearing, reading and physical therapy allow students to gain practical experience and are also open to the Rochester community. Although Nazareth University has been independent since the 1970s, the legacy of the Sisters of St. Joseph is honored by the Meditation Garden located next to Golisano Academic Center that includes a labyrinth, benches, and a statue of Mary that once stood on the grounds of Smyth Hall. A network of tunnels connects many buildings on campus, allowing students and employees to avoid the cold and snow of upstate New York winters. It was listed as a census designated place in 2020, with a population of 1,182.

From 2009 to 2018, 30 Nazareth students were accepted to the Fulbright Program. The Chronicle of Higher Education placed Nazareth in the #1 spot (in the Master's Institutions category) of the Chronicle of Higher Education’s Top Producers of U. S. Fulbright Students, 2012–13 list. Since 1990, Nazareth graduates have been granted Fulbright awards for study in Andorra, Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Colombia, Egypt, France, Finland, Germany, Honduras, Hungary, India, Israel, Malaysia, Nepal, New Zealand, Poland, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Venezuela, and Yemen.

Honors scholars complete the honors foundation courses and then select one of three tracks to pursue: research, engagement, or global. Scholars complete a capstone project which they defend at Nazareth's Creative Activity and Research Showcase (CARS) Symposium.

In fall 2013, Nazareth University joined the Clinton Global Initiative University Network (CGI U), a consortium of colleges and universities that support, mentor, and provide seed funding to student leaders who are developing solutions to the world's most pressing challenges. From 2014 to 2018, CGI U selected a total of 31 students from Nazareth University to attend its three day international conference, based on the strength of the projects they proposed in health, education, youth empowerment, and the environment.

The Center for Interfaith Studies and Dialogue (CISD) at Nazareth University was founded in 2005. In 2011, International Institute of Islamic Thought (IIIT) of Herndon, Virginia offered Nazareth a major gift, provided it was matched by local donors. Brian and Jean Hickey matched this gift, resulting in renaming the center of the Hickey Center for Interfaith Studies and Dialogue at Nazareth University. The endowed chair of the center was left to the IIIT, and they selected Muhammad Shafiq, who was the imam of the Islamic Center of Rochester, the Rochester metropolitan area's largest mosque. The center is part of Nazareth's College of Arts and Sciences and located in the Golisano Academic Center. Muhammad Shafiq is the executive director of the Hickey Center for Interfaith Studies and Dialogue and a professor of Islamic and religious studies at the college.

The Casa Italiana (Italian House) is a center of Italian language, literature, and culture. It serves as a cultural center for the university and the Rochester metropolitan area. Built with the help of the Italian American community of greater Rochester in 1978, the Casa promotes traditional and contemporary Italian culture, explores the Italian American experience, and seeks to enhance exchanges between the United States and Italy. The reading room at the Casa provides the university and the community with language and culture resources, and the classroom provides an environment in which students and community members can study the Italian language. Cultural events organized by the Casa include lectures, cooking and language classes, film nights, conferences, concerts, seminars, symposia, bocce tournaments, art shows, and trips to Italy.

La Maison Française (French House) is a home converted into a cultural center and residence hall for 13 selected foreign language majors. The French House offers a living environment and resource center for students who wish to immerse themselves in French culture and practice speaking French. La Maison Française also offers a line up of cultural events throughout the year. Such gatherings, which include French film nights, cultural and historical lectures, reader's theater showcases, Francophone regional dinners, and campus diversity dinners, occur on Thursday evenings and are prepared by the French department and the house residents.

Nazareth's men's and women's athletic teams are members of the National Collegiate Athletic Association's (NCAA) Division III with the exception of the men's Rugby team playing at the Division I level. The Golden Flyers are a member of the Empire 8 Athletic Conference (Empire 8). For men's volleyball, Nazareth is a member of the single sport United Volleyball Conference and for men's ice hockey, a member of the United Collegiate Hockey Conference. Athletic facilities at Nazareth include the Robert A. Kidera Gymnasium (1,200), Golden Flyer Stadium (2,200), and the Golisano Training Center, a full size indoor field house with an indoor track, tennis courts, and turf field. Men's sports include basketball, cross country, equestrian, golf, ice hockey, lacrosse, soccer, swimming & diving, tennis, track & field, and volleyball; while women's sports include basketball, cross country, equestrian, field hockey, golf, lacrosse, soccer, softball, swimming & diving, tennis, track & field, volleyball, and dance. The college added women's hockey in 2018. The Nazareth men's lacrosse team is a three time NCAA Division III National Champion (1992, 1996, and 1997). The team has also appeared in the NCAA postseason tournament nineteen times. In 2011, the Nazareth men's indoor volleyball team achieved a #1 national ranking and won the Molten Division III National Championship, while in 2013 they finished runner up in the NCAA Division III championship to Springfield. Nazareth University's traditional rival is St. John Fisher University, just a mile north. The annual men's basketball game between the schools is known as "The Battle of the Beaks."

More than 95% of students are involved in community service through academic service learning, student organizations, athletics, and residence life. Nazareth has an on campus Center for Civic Engagement to serve as a resource for students, staff, and faculty who want to learn and serve in the context of the local, regional, national and global communities. The center is also a point of contact for community members seeking College involvement with local organizations, programs, and projects. The school also has a campus ministry program to connect students to various volunteer organizations. In addition, over 60% of alumni are known to participate regularly in community service. In 2007, the college was named to the President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll (with distinction). In 2013, Nazareth was only one of five schools in the country named to the 2013 President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll, the highest honor a college or university can receive, at the federal level, for its commitment to volunteering, service learning, and civic engagement.