By Stori Rounds
Stonehill College is officially on the path to achieving university status.
Vice President of Academic Affairs Peter Ubteraccio urged students not to worry, as there are no plans to change the official name of Stonehill College.
“There is no precise definition... typically the distinction is a college offers undergraduate programs, universities offer undergraduate and graduate programs,” Ubertaccio said.
Ubteraccio said that Stonehill is constantly expanding the classes offered, introducing new courses in Exercise Science, Speech Language Pathology, and Digital Media Production. There are also plans to add a nursing program as well as offer more graduate programs for students to earn their MBA.
This year's freshman class was one of the biggest in Stonehill’s history causing some to be concerned about the size of the school itself.
When asked about this and the effect this change will have on Stonehill’s size, Ubteraccio said “The college plans for about 700 students... though this year was significant; it did not significantly change the size of the institution... a lot of the issues this year was because the incoming class was unexpectedly high.”
However, Stonehill has a five-year plan starting in July in which there are hopes to increase the overall number of students.
“I think we are going to see some measured growth upward, but we are not doubling in size over the next five years as we become a university... we want to maintain the ability of our faculty to really get to know their students,” Ubertaccio said.
Regarding the physical size of Stonehill’s campus, plans to grow include a new ice hockey rink and basketball arena. Ubertaccio also said that the school now owns the building known as Moreau Hall on Route 138 and there is an ongoing discussion as to what that building will be used for. As of right now, Stonehill does not have an immediate plan to increase the housing on campus.
Other than the addition of graduate programs, a major benefit Stonehill hopes to gain from this change is the ranking received nationally. The classification will switch from a national liberal arts college to a university, being grouped with schools such as Providence College and Bryant University.
When asked about their opinion about this change, one student said “I think the transition would be a good idea because it would attract more people and opportunities on campus.”
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