Rivier University
Rivier University, formerly Rivier College, is a private Catholic liberal arts university in Nashua, New Hampshire. Rivier is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, Inc.. Nursing programs are accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing. The institution is also regulated by the New Hampshire Department of Education. Rivier is recognized for its on-campus and online degree programs.
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 foundress, Anne-Marie Rivier. In 1941, the college moved to its present campus location in Nashua. The university was incorporated in 1935 and granted the authority to offer both graduate and undergraduate level programs. The university is dedicated to Anne Marie Rivier's mission of Catholic social teaching and serving the economically disadvantaged.On January 15, 1960, Massachusetts Senator John F. Kennedy and his wife, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, visited Rivier College shortly after leaving the City Hall Plaza in Nashua, where he announced his candidacy for president of the United States.
In 1991, the college became coeducational, admitting its first male undergraduate students. Rivier College was renamed Rivier University on July 1, 2012.
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. | William Farrell | 2001 - 2011 |
11. | Sr. Paula Marie Buley, IHM | 2011 - present |
Academics
Rivier University enrolls approximately 2,500 students. It includes the School of Undergraduate Studies, which includes traditional day programs and a Professional Studies Division for undergraduate online and evening programs, and the School of Graduate Studies. Rivier is a member of the New Hampshire College & University Council, a consortium of institutions of higher learning. The university offers traditional courses, online courses, and hybrid courses. Rivier University's campus consists of 44 buildings spread over in Nashua, New Hampshire., the largest major at Rivier is teacher education, which comprises 30% of the undergraduates, while the second largest major is nursing, which comprises 26% of the undergraduates. Other popular majors include criminal justice, psychology, and business.