# Misericordia University

Misericordia University is a private Catholic university in the Dallas, Pennsylvania area, United States. It was founded by the Religious Sisters of Mercy in 1924 as College Misericordia; in 2007 it became a university and changed its name. The university offers bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees as well as post-master's and post-bachelor's certificates. The university operates a campus in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where it offers an accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing program in partnership with Orbis Education.

## History

The Religious Sisters of Mercy were of the order of Mercy founded in Dublin in 1831. The Sisters vowed to be of service to the impoverished, sick and uneducated. The Sisters of Mercy came to the Wyoming Valley area of Pennsylvania in 1875, continuing their mission of praying, teaching and caring for the sick. The sisters established a school for children and a night school for adults in the coal mining region.
On September 15, 1924, the Sisters of Mercy established Luzerne County's first four-year institution of higher learning, the College Misericordia, on nearly 100 acres (0.40 km$^2$) of land in Dallas, Pennsylvania, purchased by the sisters for this purpose in 1914. The institution's name comes from the Latin word misericordia, meaning "mercy". When the college opened, it had 37 students.
Misericordia continues to be as a university, a broad-based liberal arts and pre-professional studies institution offering education to those of all faiths. The university has been co-educational since the 1970s and offers graduate programs. Today, Misericordia University is located on the original grounds, but has expanded to 120 acres (0.49 km$^2$), situated in a suburban setting eight miles (13 km) from downtown Wilkes-Barre.
On August 24, 2007, the institution completed the transition from college to university and became Misericordia University.

## Campus

The majority of the university grounds, and all of the census-designated place, are in Dallas Township. The university has a small property in Dallas Borough.
Between 2009 and 2021, numerous changes have been added to the campus:
* The Shakespeare Garden: Misericordia University features the only Shakespeare garden in northeast PA and won a 2011 Greening Award from the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society
* Pauly Friedman Art Gallery
* The College of Health Sciences - Passan Hall
* Insalaco Hall
* Metz Field House
* MacDowell Hall
* Gildea Hall
* Alumnae Hall
* McGowan Hall
* McHale Hall
* Frank M. and Dorothea Henry Science Center
* Anderson Sports Center
* Multi-Purpose Dome (2024)
The census-designated place is in the Dallas School District.

## Academics

Misericordia gives students a choice of 32 majors in three Academic Colleges:
* College of Arts and Science
* College of Health Sciences and Education
* College of Business

### Guaranteed Placement Program

Misericordia's Guaranteed Placement Program (or GPP) is a development program pertaining to a student's education.
Established in 1999, the GPP assists students entering the workforce or graduate school after graduation. Students participate in the GPP for all four years of their college experience. If they do not receive a job offer or are not accepted into graduate/professional school within six months after graduation, the university gives them a paid internship in their chosen field.

### BA to MA in English

Launched in September 2014, the Misericordia University/University of Reading BA to MA in English is a five-year program in which students complete a four-year Bachelor of Arts degree in English at Misericordia and a one-year Master of Arts degree in English Language and Literature at the University of Reading in the United Kingdom. Students may study for an MA in Children's Literature or English, including pathways in Renaissance studies, Victorian Literature and Culture, or Modern and Contemporary Writing.

## Athletics

Misericordia University competes in the NCAA Division III, Eastern College Athletic Conference and the MAC Freedom within the Middle Atlantic Conferences. Women's sports include basketball, soccer, field hockey, volleyball, swimming, softball, cross-country, cheerleading, lacrosse, tennis and track and field. Men's sports include basketball, football, soccer, swimming, cross-country, baseball, golf, lacrosse, tennis, track and field, and volleyball.
The school has had an athletics program since 1932, when it introduced intramural sports.

## Student life

Misericordia University has 41 clubs, service organizations and special interest organizations.
Special Organizations: Assistive Technology Research Institute; Diversity Institute; Ethics Institute of Northeast Pennsylvania; Institute of Gerontology (Aging Religious); Institute of Law and Religious Life; Institute of Sacred Scripture.
Special Programs: Alternative Learner's Project (ALP) for students who learn differently; Center for Service Learning; incorporating community service into academic study; Distance Learning Program, providing college level courses to students in the Northern Tier of Pennsylvania; Fun and Fitness Program, providing a variety of athletics and other activities for the community at the Anderson Sports-Health Center; Cultural Events, providing a variety of programs usually at no cost to the community. The Ruth Matthews Bourger Women with Children Program, a unique program that empowers economically disadvantaged single mothers by providing the opportunity to complete a college degree.

### Student Government Association

Misericordia's Student Government Association is a student-run, student-elected executive board which represents the students at Misericordia University. Members of the board and delegates represent the students on various college committees. Student Government also is the governing body of the various clubs on campus and keeps records of each club's activities. The Student Government Association is made up of eight members.

#### English Department

Instress is the campus' annual literary magazine published each spring. It prints original material by students and members of the university community.

## Notable alumni

* Karen Boback, member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives
* Mike Dunleavy, Governor of Alaska
* Jon Ford, member of the Indiana Senate
* Dave Kern, professional soccer player
* Maria Pallante, United States Register of Copyrights