Rivier University

Rivier University is a private Catholic liberal arts university in Nashua, New Hampshire. Rivier is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education and approved by the New Hampshire Department of Education.[1]

Rivier University
The Rivier Science and Innovation Center opened in fall 2020.
Former names
Rivier College
MottoAltiora et Meliora
Motto in English
Higher and Better
TypePrivate university
Established1933 (1933)
Religious affiliation
Catholic Church
Endowment$41 million (2020)[1]
PresidentSister Paula Marie Buley, I.H.M.[2]
Academic staff
74 full time faculty members
Students2,238
Undergraduates943
Postgraduates770
92
Location
Nashua
,
New Hampshire
,
United States

42°44′20″N 71°27′19″W
CampusSuburban 68 acres (0.28 km2)
ColorsBlue and White   
NicknameRaiders
Sporting affiliations
NCAA Division III – GNAC
MascotRaider
Websitewww.rivier.edu

History

Rivier University, formerly Rivier College, was founded in 1933 by the Sisters of the Presentation of Mary in Hudson, New Hampshire. The congregation named the college in honor of its founder, Anne-Marie Rivier.[1] In 1941, the college moved to its present campus location in Nashua.[3] The university was incorporated in 1935 and granted the authority to offer both graduate and undergraduate level programs.[4] The university is dedicated to Anne Marie Rivier's mission of Catholic social teaching and serving the economically disadvantaged.[4]

On January 15, 1960, Massachusetts Senator John F. Kennedy and his wife, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, visited Rivier College[5] shortly after leaving the City Hall Plaza in Nashua, where he held his first event for his candidacy for president of the United States.[6]

In 1991, the college became coeducational, admitting its first male undergraduate students. Rivier College was renamed Rivier University on July 1, 2012.[7]

Presidents of Rivier University
Presidents Term of office
1. Sr. Madeleine of Jesus, p.m. 1933 - 1946
2. Sr. St. Pascal, p.m. 1947 - 1953
3. Sr. Marie-Carmella, p.m. 1953 – 1955
4. Sr. Adelard-Marie, p.m. 1955 – 1957
5. Sr. Clarice Dion, p.m. 1957 – 1969
6. Sr. Gloria Lemieux, p.m. 1969 – 1973
7. Sr. Doris Benoit, p.m. 1974 – 1980
8. Sr. Jeanne Perreault, p.m. 1980 – 1997
9. Sr. Lucille Thibodeau, p.m. 1997 – 2001
10. Dr. William Farrell 2001 - 2011
11. Sr. Paula Marie Buley, IHM 2011–present

Campus

Rivier University's campus consists of 44 buildings spread over 68 acres (28 ha) in Nashua. It has four residence halls—Trinity, Guild, Presentation, and Brassard—which accommodate 421 students.[8]

Rivier offers intercollegiate club sports and has a student activities office, a multicultural office, counseling center, career development center, and campus ministry. Rivier has a chapter of Habitat for Humanity. There is a Model United Nations Club, a Business Club, a Biology Club, an Alliance Club (Gay-Straight Alliance), and numerous other organizations. Club membership is open to any interested student. Student clubs and activities are student-run, some with faculty advisors. Club funding is delineated through the school's Student Government Association.

Academics

Rivier University enrolls approximately 2,500 students. It includes the school of undergraduate studies, which includes traditional day programs, a professional studies division for undergraduate online and evening programs, and the school of graduate studies.[1] Rivier is a member of the New Hampshire College & University Council,[9] a consortium of institutions of higher learning. The university offers traditional courses, online courses, and hybrid courses.

Athletics

Rivier University teams participate as a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association's Division III.[10] The Raiders are a member of the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC). Men's sports include baseball, basketball, cross country, ice hockey, lacrosse, soccer and volleyball; while women's sports include basketball, cross country, field hockey, ice hockey, lacrosse, soccer, softball and volleyball.

Lawsuit

In 1994, Rivier was sued in federal court by Mary Nedder, an assistant professor of religious studies at Rivier, under the Americans for Disabilities Act (ADA) after the university declined to renew her contract because of her weight.[11][12] Sister Jeanne Perreault, the President of Rivier at the time, allegedly made her views about overweight faculty known and in a report circulated among the faculty stated that "fat teachers do not get much respect from students."[11] Nedder won her lawsuit and was reinstated.[11]

Notable alumni

References
  1. "Facts & Statistics". Rivier University. Retrieved May 8, 2020.
  2. "Sr. Paula Marie Buley, IHM appointed 12th President of Rivier University". Rivier University. Archived from the original on October 28, 2011. Retrieved October 22, 2011.
  3. Fritz Wetherbee: Rivier University, November 14, 2019, retrieved May 8, 2020
  4. "History | About Us". Rivier University. Retrieved May 8, 2020.
  5. Shearman, Christine (February 15, 2019). "Presidents Day". Rivier University Archives. Retrieved May 8, 2020.
  6. Brindley, Michael (November 22, 2013). "In Nashua, Remembering the Day John F. Kennedy Launched His Campaign". www.nhpr.org. Retrieved May 8, 2020.
  7. "Rivier College to Become Rivier University". Rivier University. Archived from the original on May 27, 2012. Retrieved May 23, 2012.
  8. "Residence Halls | Student Life". Rivier Student Life. Retrieved May 8, 2020.
  9. "Our Campuses". New Hampshire College & University Council. Retrieved October 24, 2013.
  10. jjackson (July 29, 2014). "NCAA School Websites - R". NCAA.org - The Official Site of the NCAA. Retrieved May 9, 2020.
  11. Kirkland, Anna (2008). Fat rights : dilemmas of difference and personhood. New York: New York University Press. p. 38. ISBN 978-0-8147-4819-0. OCLC 233535731.
  12. "Nedder v. Rivier College, 908 F. Supp. 66 (D.N.H. 1995)". Justia Law. Retrieved June 29, 2021.
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