Mar 28, 2024  
2020-2022 Undergraduate Catalog 
    
2020-2022 Undergraduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Student Life and Development



The Division of Student Affairs at Providence College promotes the educational development of the student outside of the classroom. In addition to providing services that address the students’ personal needs while attending college, these efforts include the social, cultural, and recreational resourc­es which make for a complete college experience. 

The Division of Student Affairs seeks to help students discern and prepare for who they ultimately want to be by seeking growth in four key areas known as The Friar Four Pillars: Human Flourishing, Cultural Agility, Contemplation, and Communication, and Integrated Learning. Programs and services built upon these pillars include the office of the dean of students, personal counseling, career education and professional development, residence life and housing, student health, community standards, recreational sports and fitness, and student activities and cultural programming. Comple­menting student affairs is the Office of the Chaplain/Campus Ministry, which focuses on students’ spiritual growth and development.

Student Resources

Office of the Dean of Students

The Office of the Dean of Students serves as a resource and advocate for students as they navigate college and pursue their academic and personal goals. The Office of the Dean of Students works with students and families to respond to crises and requests for leaves of absences and serves as the supervisor of the CARE (Campus Assessment, Response, and Evaluation) Team. The office advises Student Congress, BMSA, S.H.E.P.A.R.D. (Stopping Homophobia, Eliminating Prejudices And Restoring Dignity) and the media groups - The Cowl, PCTV, and WDOM. Additionally, the office oversees the development and implementation of the Division’s Contemplation and Communication and Cultural Agility programming (pillars II and III of The Friar Four).

Student Congress

Student Congress is the only organization on campus that represents the entire student body in all facets of College life. The Student Congress also has representation on various standing committees of the College. The president, vice president, treasurer, and secretary are elected annually by all students. Class officers and representatives are elected by each class. All officers serve for a one-year term.

Board of Multicultural Student Affairs (BMSA)

BMSA is a student-led organization that brings cultural awareness to the PC campus. BMSA has over ninety student leaders and functions as the umbrella organization that oversees clubs such as Afro-Am, Asian-Am, Circolo Italiano, Gaelic Society, MESA (Middle-Eastern Student Association), and OLAS (Organization of Latin American Students). SOAR (Society Organized Against Racism), ISO (International Students Organization), and Motherland Dance Group are affiliated organizations with BMSA.

Personal Counseling Center
Students face a number of challenges in their years at Providence College, and the Personal Counseling Center is here to help them meet these opportunities to integrate their personal, social, intellectual, and moral development. The professional counseling staff provides a program of high-quality individual and group counseling services, developmental and preventative programming, as well as, consultation and training workshops for faculty, staff, and administration. . The Personal Counseling Center serves the needs of students seeking assistance around issues including, but not limited to: depression, self-esteem, anxiety, substance abuse, stress, eating disorders, sexuality, family pressures, crisis intervention, victimization, thoughts of suicide, life crisis, and critical life decisions. All counseling services are confidential within the limits of the law and professional ethics. To find out more about how to make an appointment, click the following link: https://personal-counseling.providence.edu/

Health Services

The Student Health Center provides comprehensive and confidential physical and mental health services for all full-time undergraduate students during the academic year. The Student Health Center also provides relevant health and wellness programming including screenings on nutrition, physical activity, alcohol and other drug use, tobacco, stress, and general wellness. The center provides laboratory services but does not provide x-ray or surgical services, treatment for major illnesses, or allergy shots. The staff refers students who need those services to either a local hospital or an off-campus provider. All visits to the health center are free. There is a charge for any testing or referrals off campus, as well as prescriptions dispensed by the providers. To find out more about how to make an appointment, click the following link: https://health-center.providence.edu/

Complete Medical Record: All incoming freshmen and transfer students are required to submit a complete medical record on forms supplied by the College and signed by their provider. It is the responsibility of each student to update his or her medical record whenever there is a change in health status, insurance, or other relevant information. Every student is required to have medical insurance and must provide proof of insurance.

Services for Students with Disabilities

“Providence College seeks to reflect the rich diversity of the human family…and affirms the God-given dignity, freedom, and equality of each person.” (The Mission of Providence College). Consistent with this mission the College strives to offer equal educational and employment opportunities to all members of the College community. To this end we offer reasonable accommodations for the needs of persons with disabilities, meeting the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. 

An individual with a disability is someone with a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities. “Substantially limits” means being unable to perform a major life activity or significantly restricted as to the condition, manner, or duration under which a major life activity can be performed, in comparison to the average person or to most people. “Major life activities” include, but are not limited to such functions as caring for oneself, performing manual tasks, walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, breathing, learning, and working.

Providence College employs a decentralized approach to providing accommodations to persons with disabilities. It is designed to preserve medical privacy as much as possible. At the same time, it allows administrators most closely connected to the needed accommodation to understand your disability and the accommodations that will help you achieve equal access to work, living, and learning opportunities. Visit the following link to learn more about where to direct requests for disability accommodation (academic, transportation, dining, and residential life): https://student-development-compliance.providence.edu/disability-accommodation/

The Providence College Student Handbook provides information regarding the grievance policy related to accommodation requests.

Policy on Drug-Free Campus

Providence College, in compliance with the Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act Amendment of 1989, has adopted and implemented a program to prevent the illicit use of drugs and the abuse of alcohol by students and employees of the College, which includes enforcement of policies and standards of conduct with respect to behavior on College property, and behavior at any College-sponsored events. The College undertakes educational initiatives to inform students and employees of these policies. The College also employs a range of prevention-oriented activities to reduce the risk of alcohol or drug abuse.

The Center for Career Education and Professional Development: Discerning and Preparing for Who You Will Be

The Center for Career Education and Professional Development partners with all students to help them identify, enhance and accomplish their career development, internship, job search and educational goals in their transition from college to career. We help prepare all students for their lifework, beginning their first year, by providing meaningful opportunities to assess their strengths, discover their passions, and hone their professional and leadership skills. To learn more, please visit: https://career-education-center.providence.edu/

​​​​​​​The Center for Orientation, Transitions, and Leadership

The Center for Orientation, Transitions, and Leadership focuses on the preparation, progression, and success of Providence College students from the moment they step onto campus. The Center’s staff is dedicated to providing students a solid foundation for academic, personal, and professional excellence, and our various programs and leadership opportunities reflect this commitment. The Center’s programs include First Day in Friartown and Fall Orientation for first-year students, the Horizons program for first-year and transfer students of color, and international students; the Dirigo Honor Society, the Leadership Fellows Program, and two programs dedicated to supporting first-generation college students, PC1G, and the Peer Mentor Program.

The Office of Community Standards

The Office of Community Standards helps students who have violated standards of behavior reconcile with themselves and the community. Guided by behavior change theories, Community Standards seeks to mitigate things preventing students from human flourishing. The office is committed to education, meaningful dialogue, accountability, and adherence to a disciplinary forum that is transparent, fair, and committed to student development.

Office of the Chaplain/Campus Ministry

The chaplains, staff, and student leaders who make up the Campus Ministry team at Providence College bring together students, faculty, and staff for prayer, worship, service, and learning. Campus Ministry promotes the building of a genuine Christian community through a vibrant sacramental life, which includes Sunday and daily celebrations of the Eucharist and regular opportunities to celebrate the sacrament of reconciliation. Through its many services and programs, Campus Ministry helps students explore their faith and serve their community. The goal of Campus Ministry is to help students integrate spiritual, academic, and personal growth.

The chaplain of the College is a Dominican Friar, who together with the other chaplains and campus ministers, is responsible for the pastoral care of the student body and works with the entire campus community. The chaplain is always available to help and support students in times of crisis or difficult decision-making.

The chaplains and campus ministers reach out to students of all faiths to offer pastoral support and promote full spiritual and personal development. Recognizing the impact we can have on society by working together and sharing the gifts with which we have been blessed, Campus Ministry offers members of the College community many opportunities to work for social justice through reflection groups, prayer vigils, and direct volunteer service to the local community.

Campus Ministry also seeks to help train future leaders for society and the Church. This is done through the peer ministry and retreats programs, as well as through lectures, workshops, and opportunities for involvement in ministry to the College faith community.

Recreational Sports, Activities, and Organizations

Intramurals, Club Sports, and Recreational Fitness

Students who wish to participate in non-varsity sports have a wide variety of intramural, club, and recreational sports to choose from at the College.

Intramural sports provide physical competition in a variety of sports and skill levels and encourage respectable competition and good sportsmanship. The Intramural Athletic Board (IAB) is composed of approximately 15 students who support the Department of Recreational Sports in organizing, scheduling, and overseeing intramural competitions.

Among the intramural sports currently offered are flag football, ice hockey, soccer, 3-on-3 basketball, 5-on-5 basketball, softball, lacrosse, volleyball, field hockey, badminton, table tennis, spikeball, handball, wallyball, kickball, dodgeball, inner tube water polo, ultimate, and wiffleball. The IAB frequently hosts a number of one-day tournaments to introduce new sports for participation.

Club sports include men’s and women’s rugby clubs, men’s and women’s volleyball, men’s and women’s soccer, ultimate, men and women’s ice hockey, racquetball, golf, field hockey, figure skating, wrestling, men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s lacrosse, running, swimming, tennis, the sailing club, and non-competitive scuba diving. Physical fitness, recreational activities, and fitness classes are also provided based on established interests. A variety of fitness classes are offered, as well as personal training.

Student Activities and Cultural Programming

The College provides a vibrant calendar of educational and social events. The College also supports over 100 organizations for students to build relationships, expand their knowledge, gain leadership skills, and try something new. At the beginning of each semester, the Involvement Fair provides information about clubs, and an opportunity for students to speak with current members to learn more.

Board of Programmers

The Board of Programmers (BOP) sponsors cultural, social, and recreational programs designed to promote human flourishing and to complement academic programs. Popular programs include bi-weekly coffeehouses, lectures, concerts, and trips to the Providence Performing Arts Center, Fenway Park, and Broadway.

Residence Life and Housing

All members of the freshman, sophomore, and junior classes must reside on campus, with the exception of those who commute from the home of a parent or guard­ian, are married, or have a compelling reason to reside off-campus. All students who reside on campus must be full-time students in the day school and regularly attend the classes for which they are registered. All stu­dents who reside on campus must do so for the entire academic year; thus, residential students are respon­sible for all charges associated with that one-year com­mitment.

Students who have been approved for participating in study abroad or the Washington Semester program and require on-campus housing for one of the two semesters during the same academic year must apply and receive permission from the Office of Residence Life and Housing. Exceptions to the provisions in this paragraph are for extraordinary circumstances only, are rarely granted, and must be obtained in writing from the Office of Residence Life and Housing.

The housing contract for resident students is binding for the entire academic year. Students residing in an apartment complex are charged a room fee and may elect any meal plan offered by the College. Students residing in the traditional halls or suites are required to purchase at least a minimum meal plan as prescribed by the College. The contract for room and board terminates 24 hours after one’s final examination in May. However, exemptions may be granted by the Office of Residence Life and Housing.

In the apartment complexes, suites, and traditional halls, rooms are fully furnished. Students are respon­sible for bringing their own linens, pillows, blankets, and personal items. The apartment complexes, suites, and traditional halls follow the academic calendar and are closed during the vacation periods. Any exceptions to the aforementioned must be approved by the Office of Residence Life and Housing.

Every residential building provides Internet and cable TV access, a laundry facility, and a study lounge space.

Traditional Residence Halls

The College has nine (includes the addition of Koffler Hall in 2020/21) traditional residence halls with single, two-, three-, and four-person rooms, predomi­nately occupied by freshman and sophomore students. These traditional halls are gender-specific by floor and/or building and are secured by the College’s card access system. Each building has its own unique setting and environment.

Apartment Complexes

The College has five apartment-style student residence buildings. Three buildings are comprised of two- or three-person bedrooms, with an adjoining common living area that accommodates four, five, six, or seven persons per apartment (two to three bed­rooms). All apartments provide full kitchens (including a dishwasher) and are fully furnished. A garbage disposal and microwave are not included in the kitchens. Students are responsible for providing their own cookware, eat­ing utensils, and cleaning supplies.

The Suites

In addition to apartment-style living, the College offers suite-style residence living. The suites feature two- or three-person bedrooms, with an adjoining common living area that accommodates four, five, six, or seven persons per suite (two to three bed­rooms). Each suite provides an efficiency-style area equipped with a refrigerator, a microwave, sink, and countertop space.

Residence Life and Housing provides support for students living off-campus and advises the Off-Campus Coalition as well as serves as a liaison for the neighborhood. Providence College expects all students to abide by the “Good Neighbor Policy”. A cornerstone of off-campus living is citizenship in which students are provided opportunities to engage in ongoing service in the community. The office also supports service groups and coordinates Urban Action, a three-day volunteer project for incoming first-year students.

All freshman, sophomore, and junior students are required to live on-campus. Only seniors are allowed to apply to live off-campus. Students are advised not to sign leases until that permission has been granted. Graduate students, married students, and local students living with parents are exempt from this permission requirement.

All students living off-campus, including commuter students, are required to register their local off-campus address, current telephone number, emergency contact phone number, and email contact information with the Office of Residence Life and Housing by the beginning of the second week of classes by reslife@providence.edu.

Safety Resources

The Office of Public Safety provides service to the campus community 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. The Office strives to ensure that members of the College community learn, work, and live in safe and secure environments. Members of the community share this responsibility and are expected to help the Office of Public Safety identify and report behavior that constitutes a violation of College policy and/or criminal law, and to take reasonable safety precautions. Providence College’s Annual Security and Fire Safety Report is available at https://safety.providence.edu/clery-act-disclosure/.

Varsity Athletics, Recreational and Leisure Facilities

Varsity Athletics

Providence College has a rich athletic tradition. The Friars play an active role in intercollegiate athletics through membership in the NCAA, the BIG EAST Conference, and the HOCKEY EAST Association.

On-campus athletic facilities include the Peterson Recreation Center, Concannon Fitness Center, Mullaney Gymnasium at Alumni Hall, Schneider Arena, Chapey Field at Anderson Stadium, Glay Field, Lennon Field, Treacy Track at Hendricken Field, the Ruane Friar Development Center, Taylor Natatorium, and the outdoor Tennis Courts.

Dunkin’ Donuts Center

The Dunkin’ Donuts Center, home of the Friar’s Men’s Basketball team, became a reality in the fall of 1972. At the time the tremendous success of the Friars in the early 1970s mandated a change from Alumni Hall to a downtown facility that would service the demand for tickets to Friar games. Since that time, the Dunkin’ Donuts Center has helped Providence College play host to some of the nation’s top basketball teams.

In the spring of 2006, the facility began extensive renovations that were completed in the fall of 2008. The $80 million project enhanced almost every aspect of the arena and included luxury boxes, new seating, a new video scoreboard, sound system, new concession stands, new locker rooms, and a new weight training and fitness area. The Dunkin’ Donuts Center continues to be one of the nation’s premier complexes, seating 13,000 fans. The renovations ensure that the Friars will continue to play in one of the top college basketball facilities in the country.

Peterson Recreation Center

The Peterson Recreation Center is located adjacent to Alumni Hall and is connected to The Concannon Fitness Center. The facility includes a four-lane indoor track, and five regulation-length basketball courts. The Peterson Recreation Center also houses a group fitness studio and three racquetball courts. The facility serves as a home to the Intramural program and many of the recreational activities sponsored by the College and to a series of summer camps and College functions.

Taylor Natatorium

Taylor Natatorium is located in the Peterson Recreation Center adjacent to Alumni Hall. Taylor Natatorium is home to the Providence College men’s and women’s swimming and diving programs. The venue was completely renovated during the summer of 2013. It is also utilized for intramural sports and recreational swim programming.

Alumni Hall-Joe Mullaney Gymnasium

Mullaney Gymnasium is home to the Providence College women’s basketball and volleyball teams. In the spring of 2012, the College began a $3 million overhaul of the storied facility, which includes chairback seating, new lighting, air conditioning, video scoreboard and control room, media workspace, sound system, and a host of other amenities. The renovation project was completed in October 2012. 

Canavan Sports Medicine Center

The Canavan Sports Medicine Center opened during the 2007-08 academic year and became fully operational in August 2008. The center is the primary sports medicine facility for the college’s student-athletes and its working space is roughly 4,000 square feet. This state-of-the-art facility includes nine treatment tables with assorted modality equipment and office space for the eight certified athletic trainers on staff. The space also provides two physician clinic offices, where primary care, orthopedic, chiropractic, and podiatric physicians evaluate our student-athletes on a weekly basis. There also is a large rehabilitation/exercise area in the facility that houses a SwimEx rehab pool, one eight-person hot plunge pool, and one eight-person cold plunge pool.

Concannon Fitness Center/Ruane Atrium

The Concannon Fitness Center is a $15-million facility, which opened in August of 2007. It houses the Friars’ Jimmy Walker Strength and Conditioning Center as well as offices, conference rooms, and locker rooms. The multi-level facility also houses a wide variety of selectorized strength, cardiovascular and free-weight equipment, which is open to the student body along with an in-house spin studio where indoor cycling classes are held. Memberships are also available to alumni, faculty, and staff. The varsity weight room is designed for use by student-athletes only and is located on the first floor. It also houses the Friars ‘Jimmy Walker Strength and Conditioning Center’, a varsity weight room designed for use by student-athletes, located on the first floor.

Jimmy Walker Strength and Conditioning Center

Located in The Concannon Fitness Center, the varsity strength and conditioning facility is a 3,600 square foot area dedicated to the Friars’ 19 intercollegiate athletic teams. The facility houses over 10 tons of free weights, including dumbbells ranging from five to 150 pounds and a full set of kettlebells. All hand weights, iron plates, and bumper plate sets are engraved with one of the College’s athletic logos. There are six Power Racks, each with an Olympic Weight-lifting platform. These training stations are extremely versatile and allow numerous athletes to perform a variety of exercises simultaneously. The facility also houses ‘tools’ such as stability balls, medicine balls, resistance bands, weighted vests, weighted jump ropes, plyometric jump boxes, dot drill mats, slide boards, lateral slant boards, lateral skaters, agility ladders, hurdles, and numerous apparatuses to develop trunk strength and core stabilization. There also are two Woodway high-performance treadmills that max out at 16.5 miles per hour.

Lennon Family Field

Lennon Family Field is home to the Providence College field hockey team. The complex opened in August of 2005 at a cost of $6 million dollars and was officially named Lennon Family Field during the spring of 2011. Providence College hosted the BIG EAST Field Hockey Championship at the facility in 2009, 2014, and 2017. The watering system consists of six cannons - one in each corner of the field and two at midfield. Lennon Family Field also is used for intramural and recreational sports at the College, though the field hockey program is the only varsity athletic team to call the venue home. A new surface was installed during the summer of 2017 and a new scoreboard and videoboard were installed during the summer of 2018.

Tennis Courts

Situated atop a two-level parking garage adjacent to Chapey Field at Anderson Stadium, the Providence College Tennis facility consists of six courts with custom-branded umpire chairs and player benches. The facility also provides spectator seating for 200 fans. The playing surface was completely renovated and resurfaced during the 2018-19 school year.

Schneider Arena

Schneider Arena, with a seating capacity of over 3,000, is the home of the Friar hockey teams. In 2013 the arena underwent a massive renovation project. The eight-month project turned Schneider into one of the finest on-campus facilities in the country. Highlights of the addition and renovation include a new atrium, ticket office, concession stands, coach’s offices, shooting room, locker rooms, meeting rooms, athletic training room, press box, five luxury suites, dasher boards, glass, video boards, video ribbon boards, scoreboards, a renovated Friends of Friar Room and a strength and conditioning facility. The arena also hosts student activities such as ice skating and intramural hockey

Chapey Field at Anderson Stadium

On April 23, 2016, Providence College Athletics officially dedicated Chapey Field at Anderson Stadium, the new state-of-the-art facility for the men’s and women’s soccer and men’s lacrosse teams. The stadium features seating for over 1,500 fans, chair back seats, a new press box, and two luxury boxes for entertainment. In addition, the stadium also has new locker rooms for home and visiting teams and an HD Daktronics video scoreboard. Since its opening, the facility has hosted multiple Big East and NCAA post-season games in both soccer and lacrosse.

Calabria Pavilion of Champions

The Calabria Pavilion of Champions was completed in the fall of 2017 thanks to a generous donation from long-time supporters of the Providence College, Joe and Sugar Calabria. The pavilion serves as a function space for hockey, soccer, and lacrosse games in addition to other athletic events throughout the year. The facility is outfitted with an advanced audio/visual system and retractable siding.

Glay Field

Glay Field opened in the spring of 2016 and is home to the Friars’ softball team. The field features a state-of-the-art synthetic playing surface, clay pitcher’s mound, lighting, stadium-style seating for 300+ spectators, including 115 chair-back seats behind home plate, heated press box, heated dugouts, and bathroom facilities, double-mound bullpen and batting cage, enhanced media/film capability, game info, and player development software and team storage facility.

Ray Treacy Track at Hendricken Field

The Ray Treacy Track serves as the primary training facility for the men’s and women’s cross country and track and field teams. The complex has a six-lane lane track with eight-lane straightaways, which encompasses a turf field. Hendricken Field, situated on the interior of the track, supports the College’s Club Sports and Intramural programs. The complex has seating for more than 300 fans, as well as a press box and a scoreboard.

Ruane Friar Development Center and Innovation Lab

The Ruane Friar Development Center (RFDC) is a multi-purpose building that opened in the fall of 2018 and has significantly enhanced Friar athletics, student services, and College community life. The 56,000 square foot facility includes a 15,481 square foot, two-court practice facility for the Friar basketball teams. It also features improvements for all student-athletes, including an Innovation Lab, an expanded Canavan Sports Medicine Center, and a student-athlete fueling station. Other highlights include an athletic training center, offices, a new Friar Athletics Hall of Fame, and a statue of legendary Providence College Men’s Basketball Coaches Joe Mullaney ‘65 Hon and ‘98 Hon and Dave Gavitt ‘89 Hon, located just outside the main entrance. The large patio serves as a useful outdoor function location and an impressive backdrop to the Ray Treacy Track at Hendricken Field.

Slavin Center

Slavin Center, the student union, is one of the main hubs of the Providence College campus and is home to the College’s many student organizations and clubs. It also houses a variety of offices and facilities that provide services to students, from the Office of Residence Life and Housing and the Providence College Bookstore to the Center for Career Education and Professional Development, the Dean of Students Office, the Center for Orientation Transitions, and Leadership, the Office of Student Activities and Cultural Programming, and ‘64 Hall, which serves as a meeting room, lecture hall, and function hall. The Alumni Hall Food Court is accessed through the lower level of Slavin Center. The Living Room, in lower Slavin, features a fireplace and is a cozy place to study or hold informal meetings, and Dunkin Donuts is also located in lower Slavin. During the academic year, Slavin Center is open twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.

In addition, a newly created eSports Gaming Center has been created for competitive, organized, multiplayer video game competitions, particularly between professional players, individuals, or teams.

McPhail’s Entertainment Facility

Slavin Center houses McPhail’s Entertainment Facility, a multipurpose student facility where students can gather throughout the week to socialize with friends, grab a snack, shoot a game of pool, or watch the big game on a wide-screen TV. A number of special entertainment offerings are promoted on a weekly basis throughout the academic year.