January 10, 2023
The New American Colleges and Universities (NACU), a national consortium of higher education institutions that integrate liberal education, professional studies, and civic engagement, has announced St. Mary’s University as its newest campus.
NACU campuses are distinguished, like-minded private institutions that believe rigorous academics alone are not enough to educate students for their futures. Instead, NACU institutions combine classroom with real-world learning to provide optimal learning experiences.
The oldest Catholic university in Texas, St. Mary’s University is a nationally recognized Hispanic-Serving Institution with a diverse population of about 3,500 students of all faiths and backgrounds. St. Mary’s appears on national, Texas and Catholic Colleges of Distinction lists, which focus on four distinctions: engaged students, great teaching, vibrant community and successful outcomes.
In 2021-2022, St. Mary’s was also recognized as a College of Distinction for Career Development, as well as for its Business, Education and Engineering programs. Moreover, St. Mary’s University has been designated by the National Security Agency and the Department of Homeland Security as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense.
“St. Mary’s mission and programs reflect the NACU mission — to purposefully integrate the student experience so that graduates are better prepared for success in the global environment,” said Sean Creighton, NACU president.
Institutions in the NACU network benefit from opportunities to collaborate on best practices in integrative education with their peer institutions across the country. NACU administers learning communities for hundreds of administrators and faculty; professional development including an Emerging Leaders Institute and Wellness Series; collaborative research and benchmarking; and student programs including the Washington Internship Institute.
“As a Catholic and Marianist liberal arts institution, St. Mary’s University welcomes this opportunity to work alongside the nation’s finest private universities through NACU,” said Thomas M. Mengler, President of St. Mary’s University. “Together, we will educate graduates across the nation as they embark on professional lives as ethical leaders.”