History and Mission
Nazareth College is a private, co-educational comprehensive college with a liberal arts and sciences core. Founded in 1924 by the Sisters of St. Joseph, Nazareth has been independent for more than 30 years. Its mission is to educate students in the liberal arts and sciences and in professional fields, with the goal of fostering lifelong commitment to intellectual, ethical and aesthetic values; to develop skills necessary for the pursuit of a meaningful vocation; and to inspire dedication to the ideal of service in their communities.
To carry out that mission, Nazareth College offers graduate programs that prepare students to be effective and ethical professionals in their fields. Nazareth College seeks to define itself both as a model for human interaction and as an advocate of human values. It perceives its mission as one of fostering and developing the resources of mind and spirit integral to an education for life.
The college’s graduate programs were initiated in 1971 in response to requests of area educators to design programs that would meet their changing educational needs. The programs function in a spirit of inquiry and initiative in which students and faculty cooperate as partners in the development of professional competency. To date, more than 8,000 graduate students, enrolled full- and part-time, have received an advanced degree. The college offers a Master of Science in Education degree in nine areas of specialization in teacher education, a Master of Science degree in specialization areas of Art Therapy, Management, Gerontological Nurse Practitioner, Physical Therapy, and Speech-Language Pathology, and a Master of Arts degree in Liberal Studies. Nazareth College and the State University College at Brockport jointly offer the Greater Rochester Collaborative Master of Social Work Program.
In September, 2000, Nazareth contracted to purchase 73 acres of property and buildings adjacent to the current campus from the college’s founders, the Sisters of St. Joseph. This opportunity doubles the size of the campus and enables the college to shape its future in ways previously unimaginable.
A three-phase master expansion plan, implemented over the next five to seven years, will integrate the existing 75-acre campus with the newly acquired property into one seamless architecturally consistent landscape. New academic programs, as well as new athletic programs including track and field, women’s softball, and equestrian, will broaden and enrich the Nazareth experience.
These and other changes to the Nazareth campus of today will support enrollment increases projected to reach 2000 undergraduates and 1200 graduate students by 2005. Yet, the hallmarks of a Nazareth education - a solid foundation in the liberal arts and sciences, strong student-faculty connections, small class size, and reputation for academic quality and value - remain.
True to the vision of its founders, Nazareth College has remained a learning center committed to such academic, cultural, social, and spiritual experiences that enable its students to define their life goals and to advance in their chosen careers. Throughout its history, the college has embraced the concept of lifelong education by providing, through its programs, opportunities to extend the cultural and professional growth of the community of which it continues to be a vital part.
Respect and Diversity
We, the Nazareth community, embrace both respect for the person and freedom of speech. The college promotes civility and denounces acts of hatred or intolerance. The free exchange of ideas is possible only when concepts, values, and viewpoints can be expressed and challenged in a manner that is neither threatening nor demeaning. It is the policy of Nazareth College, in keeping with its efforts to foster a community in which the diversity of all members is respected, not to discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, sex, age, marital or veteran status, disability, carrier status, genetic predisposition or any other protected status. Respect for the dignity of all peoples is an essential part of the college’s tradition and mission and its vision of the future.
Non-Discrimination Policy
It is the policy of Nazareth College of Rochester not to discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, age, marital or veteran status, disability, carrier status, genetic predisposition, or any other protected status in the admission of students to the college; in any of the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the college; in the administration of its educational policies, admission policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other programs administered by the college; or in the employment practices of the college.
Inquiries concerning the application of this policy prescribed by Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 may be directed to the Director of Human Resources, Nazareth College of Rochester, 4245 East Avenue, Rochester, NY 14618-3790, (585) 389-2060. The Director of Human Resources has been named to coordinate the responsibilities under Title IX and Section 504. |