Creighton University

Creighton University is a private, coeducational, Jesuit, Roman Catholic university located in Omaha, Nebraska, United States. Founded by the Society of Jesus in 1878, the school is one of 28 member institutions of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities. The university is accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools. Creighton is the largest private religious university in Nebraska.

Sitting on a 132 acre campus just outside Omaha's downtown business district, the university currently enrolls about 7,730 graduate and undergraduate students.

History
The university was founded as Creighton College on September 2, 1878 through a gift from Mary Lucretia Creighton, who stipulated in her will that a school be established in memory of her husband, prominent Omaha businessman Edward Creighton. Edward's brother, John A. Creighton, is credited with fostering and sustaining the university's early growth and endowment.

Academics
The current schools and colleges at Creighton are:
 * College of Arts & Sciences
 * College of Business Administration
 * School of Nursing
 * School of Dentistry
 * School of Medicine
 * School of Pharmacy & Health Professions
 * School of Law
 * Graduate School
 * University College

The College of Arts & Sciences is the largest school, boasting about 35% of the university's enrollment.

Creighton has an undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 11-to-1 as well as 33 endowed chairs in various disciplines.

Athletics
Creighton competes in NCAA Division I athletics, within the Missouri Valley Conference. On March 20, 2013, the Creighton administration announced that the school will join the Big East in July.

Nicknamed the Bluejays (or Jays), Creighton fields 14 teams in eight sports. Bruce Rasmussen is the Director of Athletics.

Greg McDermott is the men's basketball program's current head coach. Famous basketball alums include Paul Silas, Benoit Benjamin and Kyle Korver, while famous former Bluejay coaches include Eddie Sutton and Willis Reed.

In addition, the women's basketball team won the WNIT championship in 2004. They play all home games on campus at the new D. J. Sokol Arena.

The men's soccer team maintained 17 straight NCAA tournament appearances, between 1992 and 2008. During that time, the Bluejays made three College Cup appearances, including one championship game appearance (2000). They play all home games on campus at Morrison Stadium.

Creighton's baseball team has one appearance in the NCAA College World Series (1991). Jim Hendry, the former general manager of the Chicago Cubs, was Creighton's head coach for its 1991 CWS appearance. The program's graduates include Hall of Fame pitcher Bob Gibson.

The women's softball team has two appearances in the Women's College World Series (1982 & 1986), and has appeared in six of the past eight NCAA Tournaments. Tara Oltman (2007–2010), the best pitcher in MVC history, was a three-time league Pitcher of the Year and finished her career with conference records for wins, innings pitched, starts, appearances, strikeouts and complete games. She remains the only student-athlete in Bluejay history to earn first-team all-conference honors in four consecutive seasons.

Demographics
Creighton's total enrollment is 7,385, of which 4,133 are undergraduates. For the 2010–2011 academic year, 20 percent of Creighton’s freshman class is first-generation college students and 25 percent is students of color. Fifty-seven percent of the freshman class is from more than 200 mi away from Omaha; 38 percent is from more than 400 mi away.

Student clubs and organizations
The university has more than 200 student organizations in various fields of interest:

Academic honor societies

 * Alpha Sigma Nu – Jesuit Honor society
 * Sigma Pi Sigma – physics
 * Psi Chi – psychology
 * Phi Sigma – biology
 * Phi Sigma Tau – philosophy
 * Pi Sigma Alpha – political science
 * Sigma Tau Delta – English
 * Beta Alpha Psi – accounting
 * Eta Sigma Phi – classics
 * Alpha Psi Omega – theatre

Student government

 * Creighton Students Union (CSU) is Creighton University's comprehensive, student government, consisting of students from each of Creighton University's schools and colleges. CSU has served as the official voice of the student body to faculty, staff, and the outside community since 1922. CSU also devotes significant resources to other student organizations, including a large part of its budget dedicated to funding student organizations, and was formerly known as the Student Board of Governors.
 * Each school has its own separate student advising body for academic affairs.
 * Inter Residence Hall Government (IRHG) was formed in 1984 by Steven Conroy and serves as the student voice for all students living on Creighton's campus. IRHG represents all of Creighton's residence halls and sponsores programs and legislative actions.

Student Center for Service and Justice
The Creighton Center for Service and Justice (CCSJ) promotes weekly local community service projects, Fall and Spring Break service trips, student leadership development and education about contemporary justice issues. The center helped develop the Cortina Community, an intentional living sophomore community.

Performing arts

 * Several vocal groups exist. The Department of Fine and Performing Arts, within the College of Arts and Sciences, houses a Chamber Choir (selective), Gospel Choir, Jazz Ensemble, Wind Ensemble, Orchestra and University Chorus. The men's a cappella ensemble is known as the Creightones.
 * The Creighton Dance Company sports an eclectic repertoire drawing on classical ballet, contemporary and modern dance, jazz and musical theatre dance.
 * The Department of Fine and Performing Arts offers undergraduate degrees in Art, Dance, Music, Theatre, and Musical Theatre.
 * Several theatrical productions are held each year in the University’s Lied Education Center for the Arts.

Student media

 * The student newspaper, the Creightonian, has been published every Friday during the school year since 1924. Student reporters, editors, photographers and designers produce the paper, covering campus news, features, sports, entertainment, opinion and photos.  In 2007 and 2008, the Creightonian was named top college newspaper in Nebraska in the Nebraska Press Association contest. Staff members won numerous individual awards.  The Creightonian was named a finalist for the 2007 and 2010 Pacemaker Award, one of the top awards in college journalism.
 * Creighton's literature and arts publication Shadows, recently received one of college journalism’s top honors, a 2007 Silver Crown award from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association (CSPA). Shadows, which is published twice a year, selects literary and visual art by Creighton students, faculty, and staff. The magazine is the oldest student organization on campus.

Common interest
Many organizations exist for students to share their common interests. Examples include:
 * Cultural – Hui O Hawaii, International Student Association, Spanish Club
 * Political – NAACP College Chapter, College Republicans, College Democrats
 * Professional – Premedical Society, Fellowship of Christian Law Students, Academy of Student Pharmacists, Business Law Society, International Relations Club
 * Religious – Canisius Society, Inter Varsity Christian Fellowship, Muslim Student Organization, Rosary Club, Jays for Christ, Knights of Columbus, Student Jewish Organization
 * Service – Alpha Phi Omega, Colleges Against Cancer, Habitat for Humanity, Best Buddies of America
 * Sports – lacrosse, soccer, hockey, cycling, dance, jujitsu, martial arts, rowing, rugby, running, ski & snowboard, Ultimate Frisbee, volleyball

Notable alumni
There are more than 57,765 living alumni of Creighton University in 93 countries. Nearly 30 percent live in Nebraska. The largest number of alumni that live outside the United States reside in Canada, Japan and Malaysia. Alumni include: the founder of TD Ameritrade and owner of the Chicago Cubs, J. Joseph Ricketts; the former president and chief operating officer of Coca Cola, Donald Keough; an astronaut killed in the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster, Michael P. Anderson; and several professional athletes, including Major League Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher Bob Gibson. Marcia Anderson, the first African-American woman to attain the rank of major general in the United States Army Reserve, is a Creighton graduate.