Secular since its founding, St. Mary’s College of Maryland (named for the colonial capital of 1634, St. Mary’s City) is top-rated nationally for the liberal arts and sciences. In 1992, the Maryland legislature designated this public, coeducational institution the state’s honors college. Over 97% of the faculty hold the Ph.D. or other terminal degree; eleven of the current faculty have received Fulbright Awards; the College is home to the Zeta Chapter of Phi Beta Kappa; in recent years the incoming class has had the highest SAT scores in Maryland’s public higher-education system; and over 50% of the graduates continue on to graduate school.
Less than two hours from Washington and Baltimore, the College is situated on a beautiful campus that borders the St. Mary’s River, just north of its confluence with the Potomac River and Chesapeake Bay. Students number approximately 1,950, most of whom are residential. They live in a mix of traditional residence halls and newer two-story townhouses, suites, and apartment complexes. The College’s newest academic building (Goodpaster Hall, 2008) earned a LEED Silver rating for Green building practices. A new student services building (Glendening Hall, 2008) and the James P. Muldoon River Center (2008) were also built to LEED standards.
While members of the faculty publish and present frequently at conferences, the overall emphasis is on teaching. The student-faculty ratio is 12 to 1, and faculty work closely with their students as both teachers and mentors. The last few years have seen an expanded emphasis on study abroad, with students travelling to Europe, Central America, Asia, and Africa. In most academic majors, students carry out a St. Mary’s Project in the senior year, a capstone experience for their liberal arts education.
The College is affiliated with the outdoor museum at Historic St. Mary’s City, site of Maryland’s 1634 capital. Archaeologists at the City encourage St. Mary’s students majoring in anthropology, history, and museum studies to undertake work in local archaeological “digs.” Together, College and City form a warm, collegial community.
It is the policy of St. Mary’s College of Maryland to provide equal opportunity in education and employment for all qualified persons; to prohibit discrimination in employment because of age, citizenship, color, disability, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or disabled veterans; and to promote equal employment opportunity through well-managed employment practices. St. Mary’s College of Maryland is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer.
