one of the oldest institutions of higher education in California, founded by the Jesuits in 1851. The campus covers more than 100 acres (40 hectares) in Santa Clara, Calif., in an area commonly referred to as Silicon Valley because of its large number of technological facilities. Redwoods, pines, and palm trees line the campus, and buildings feature Spanish-colonial architecture. The highlight of this Roman Catholic university is the Spanish mission of Santa Clara de Asís, founded in 1777 and reconstructed several times over the years because of damage from natural disasters. The mission features beautiful gardens and a church with magnificent ceiling designs. At the undergraduate level, the university enrolls about 4,000 students, roughly two thirds of whom are Roman Catholic. Applicants from outside of California are welcome, and about a third of the undergraduates are not state residents. About half of the undergraduates, and virtually all of the freshmen, live in campus housing. The numbers of men and women seeking bachelor's degrees are almost equal. Approximately 75 percent of the students ranked in the top quarter of their high school class or better. The faculty at Santa Clara is made up of Jesuit priests and lay teachers. Almost 90 percent of the full-time faculty hold doctorates. The academic calendar is divided into three terms of 11 weeks each. Undergraduate studies are offered by the College of Arts and Sciences, the Leavey School of Business Administration, and the School of Engineering. Students may take courses outside of their school or college. Core requirements include classes in religious studies, ethics, social sciences, composition, math, natural science, literature, foreign language, and Western culture. Special classes are conducted for the 30 some freshmen selected to the honors program. A few of these exceptional students later receive scholarships to study at Oxford University in England. General study abroad programs are available at various campuses throughout Europe and Asia. A unique program at Santa Clara is called the Eastside Project. It brings students into contact with the poor and lets them apply classroom knowledge to real-life problems. Roughly a quarter of Santa Clara students pursue advanced studies directly after graduating. The university has an extensive graduate program that grants master's, doctoral, and professional degrees. About 3,700 students are enrolled. Areas of study include law, business management and administrative services, computer and information sciences, education, engineering and applied sciences, and religion. Santa Clara University conducts some 100 extracurricular activities. These include intramural sports, fraternities and sororities, a campus radio station, religious and ethnic clubs, publications, performing arts groups, and student government. Many students are active in community service projects. Varsity sports teams, nicknamed the Broncos, compete in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (except the football team, which participates in Division II). Sporting events against rival St. Mary's College draw a crowd. In 1990 both the women's and men's soccer teams were ranked number one in the nation, making Santa Clara the first university to attain such a distinction in the sport. School colors are cardinal and white. Students looking to go off-campus can take a half-hour drive to the beaches of the Pacific Ocean or travel 45 miles (70 kilometers) to visit San Francisco. |