On the stained glass windows of Harkins Hall, one of Providence College's most
impressive buildings, is painted a single Latin word -- Veritas. Translated into English
it means "truth."
For centuries, the Dominican Order of Preachers (O.P.). has searched for truth through
teaching and the quest for knowledge. The Dominicans brought their particular mission to
the streets of Providence in 1917 with the founding of Providence College (PC). So
singular is the Friars' search that PC remains the only Catholic liberal arts college in
the United States under the auspices of the Dominicans.
Today, PC's 3,500 students come from 35 states and 12 countries to get a strong foundation
in liberal arts. One of the courses pioneered by the Friars is the two-year, team-taught
interdisciplinary Development of Western Civilization curriculum, which is shared by all
PC students.
The Dominicans have made their mark on the City of Providence and their students in many
ways, some outside of the classroom. The college's commitment to service and values is one
such trademark.
Community service permeates campus life, as students and student organizations choose to
spend off-campus hours involved in public service, working in everything from soup
kitchens to Adopt-A-Grandparent programs. The college also brought Christmas in April to
Rhode Island and established the first college chapter in the country. In a recent effort,
800 volunteers help rehabilitate 22 sites in 15 neighborhoods.
In strengthening its commitment to community service, PC has become the only known college
in the country where students can graduate with a degree in public service. In addition,
the college's Feinstein Institute for Public Service, funded through a $5 million grant
from Cranston, R.I., philanthropist Alan Shawn Feinstein, studies public service issues
and serves as a resource for the state's communities.
Recently, the Institute received a separate $1 million grant from Feinstein to create a
scholarship fund for students who wish to concentrate in public and community service. The
Institute also hosts a Feinstein Conference on Public and Community Service.
With its commitment to public service, PC has become a valuable community resource,
joining with a growing number of community partners in increasingly challenging service
assignments to help rebuild neighborhoods. In one semester alone, PC students recorded
more than 20,000 hours in community service projects. In just one program, more than 100
students spent 3,510 hours helping Habitat for Humanity rebuild local neighborhoods.
The college is also an economic resource to the city, with more than 1,000 employees
earning nearly $35 million a year. Its students spend another $14 million a year, most of
it in the city. And its nationally known basketball team draws fans from all over to its
games in the city's Civic Center.
In short, Providence College has served as a city resource for nearly 80 years and, the
way things are going, will continue to do so well into the future.