411 S.W. 24th Street
San Antonio, TX 78207
210-431-3961
800-436-OLLU (800-436-6558) (toll-free)
2006-2007 COSTS:
Tuition:
$18,200
Room and Board:
$5,900
Fees, books, misc.:
$900
San Antonio, Texas
Overview
Our Lady of the Lake University (OLLU), founded in 1895 by the Congregation of Divine Providence, is a coeducational liberal arts institution. There are more than 2,800 students enrolled in fifty-eight undergraduate, forty-eight graduate, and two doctoral programs in the arts, sciences, business, education, clinical studies, and social services. The University’s combination of historic Gothic buildings and modern facilities is the setting for innovative academic programs. OLLU is proud of its emphasis on service to others, its tradition of academic excellence, and its personal, student-centered atmosphere.
The University’s student body ranges from recent high school graduates to working adults who are returning to college. The University offers Weekend College programs in San Antonio, and Houston. A majority of the students are from Texas, but other states and countries are represented on campus, as well. The average age of new freshmen is 18. More than 57 percent of the University’s students are Hispanic, 17 percent are Caucasian, 8 percent are African American, 2 percent are Asian, and 1 percent are international. Seven residence halls are available, with space for more than 600 students.
Campus Ministry serves the entire University and offers prayer services on campus as well as off-campus retreats, providing students a forum for spirituality and bonding. During the fall and spring semesters University liturgies are celebrated on weekdays and Sundays. Special liturgies are celebrated in the Sacred Heart Conventual Chapel throughout the year, and weekday liturgies are celebrated in Constantineau Chapel. Other opportunities for spiritual growth are offered through Bible study and special rosaries. An OLLU program, La Llamada, also offers students the opportunity to integrate their faith into educational and career choices.
Location and Community
The University’s 72-acre campus is located in a residential area 3 miles west of downtown San Antonio, the nation’s ninth-largest city. City bus routes link the campus to downtown. With a mix of Mexican, Spanish, German, and other heritages, San Antonio is known for Fiesta, the rodeo, Spanish missions (including the Alamo), the beautiful RiverWalk, a Mexican market, world-class museums, the 2005 NBA World Champion San Antonio Spurs basketball team, the San Antonio Missions baseball team, the San Antonio Rampage hockey team, an annual arts festival, the third-largest zoo in the United States, a symphony orchestra, and a sunny climate. San Antonio is less than 3 hours by car from the Gulf Coast and Mexico and a short drive to the state capital.
Academic Life
The requirements for a bachelor’s degree at OLLU include a minimum of 128 semester hours (36 of which must be on the advanced level), a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.0, an average of at least 2.0 on all work taken at the University, a minimum of 32 semester hours in residence, and computer literacy requirements as specified by the student’s major or area of concentration. General education requirements are listed in the University’s Undergraduate Bulletin. Applicants may have their prior learning experiences evaluated for credit according to the methods approved by the University and the Council for the Assessment of Experiential Learning. The University offers computer-assisted learning, internships, practice in professional fields, and independent study. Army and Air Force ROTC courses are available.
OLLU has 186 full-time and 124 part-time faculty members. Seventy percent of the full-time faculty members hold a doctoral or other terminal degree. The student-faculty ratio is 14:1. Freshmen are advised by the Advising Center staff. Faculty members advise sophomores, juniors, and seniors; serve as sponsors of student clubs and organizations; and are available to students in person and via e-mail, phone, and fax.
Majors Offered:
Undergraduate degrees are offered in accounting, art, biology, business, chemistry, communication and learning disorders (speech pathology), communication arts, criminal justice, drama, early elementary (concentrations in generic special education and in bilingual education), electronic commerce/information systems, English, finance, fine arts, generic special education, history, human resources management, human sciences, international business, liberal studies (including an engineering dual degree with Washington University), management, marketing, mathematics, Mexican-American studies, music, natural sciences (including a core in environmental science), organizational leadership, philosophy, political science, professional accounting, psychology, religious studies, social studies, social work, sociology, and Spanish.
The applied studies degree is available for students who have 18–30 hours of transfer credit, life or work experience, or credit-by-examination in a technological specialization. Secondary Texas teacher certification is available in art, biology, chemistry, drama, electronic commerce/information systems, English, history, mathematics, political science, social studies, and Spanish. Preprofessional programs include dental, law, medical, nursing, occupational therapy, optometry, pharmacy, physical therapy, physician’s assistant studies, and veterinary medicine. Interdisciplinary majors are available in six fields. Bilingual students who speak in English and Spanish may also choose to study in a biliterate-track degree program in business, communication and learning disorders, communication arts, psychology, or social work. The degree program prepares undergraduate students to provide professional services to English and Spanish-speaking populations.
Campus Life
The Campus Activities Office sponsors events throughout the year. Students are encouraged to join campus organizations to foster a well-rounded education by developing leadership skills through out-of-the-classroom involvement. Our Lady of the Lake University has four types of organizations to meet the needs of students: special interest groups, academic organizations, honor societies, and chartered organizations.
The Student Government Association (SGA) provides a forum for students to examine issues affecting the welfare of students and to propose solutions for positive change. It provides students an opportunity to stay involved in campus issues and activities and to build leadership skills. SGA consists of a 7-member executive board, which oversees two legislative branches: the Senate, with elected student representatives from each academic class, and the House of Representatives, with representatives of each recognized student organization. The president of the SGA is the student representative to the University’s Board of Trustees. Students and faculty members share faculty-student policymaking and advisory committees. Students are represented on University planning councils and search committees for administrative positions.
Facilities and Resources
The Electronic Commerce Lab and Technical Center, the Grossman Computer Instructional Laboratory, the Sueltenfuss Science/Math Computer Laboratory, and the English Computer Laboratory are equipped with computers and printers. All residence halls have network connections, and all students have access to the Internet and e-mail. The new $10-million 49,000-square-foot Sister Elizabeth Anne Sueltenfuss Library houses most of the University Library system’s holdings, including ERIC microfiche, a Texana collection, and several rare book collections. It also contains state-of-the-art technology classrooms, conference rooms, study areas, group study areas, and a 24-hour computer and study laboratory. Other libraries include the Media Services Center, the Worden School of Social Service Library, and the Old Spanish Missions Historical Research Library.
Modern laboratory facilities are available in general chemistry, general biology, bacteriology, physiology, organic chemistry, analytical chemistry, and physics. The Science Research Laboratory is designed to enable undergraduate science majors to perform research projects under the supervision of two research faculty members. The lab contains a wide variety of new instruments and, as the lab is not used for teaching classes, students are allowed to leave projects set up. Communication arts students have access to a fully equipped small-format video studio. The Decision Theater, a simulated boardroom arena with one-way observation galleries, is used to teach decision making and problem solving courses for business students.
As part of its research and student practicum facilities, the University maintains the Harry Jersig Center for communication and learning disorders; the Community Counseling Service for marriage, family, and individual counseling; the St. Martin Hall Elementary School; the Child Development Center for training and studying developmental learning; the Kliesen International and Cultural Center; the Center for Women in Church and Society; and the Center for Sociological Practice.
Sports
Intramural sports include basketball, football, racquetball, soccer, softball, tennis, and volleyball. Campus athletic facilities include playing fields, tennis courts, sand volleyball courts, an outdoor track with fitness-trail equipment, indoor and outdoor swimming pools and basketball courts, and the University Wellness and Activities Center, which houses a gymnasium, aerobics room, weight room, racquetball courts, lounge/study areas, and other facilities.
Expenses
Full-time (12–19 semester credit hours) undergraduate tuition for 2005–06 was $8524 per semester plus fees. Part-time undergraduate tuition was $475 per credit hour, plus fees. The tuition rate applies to both in-state and out-of-state students. Room and board costs per semester average $2692.
Financial Aid / Scholarships
Most of OLLU’s dependent undergraduate students receive some form of financial assistance. The University awards scholarships and academic grants on the basis of the student’s composite score on the ACT or combined score on the SAT and their high school or college grade point averages. Freshmen and transfer students accepted for admission are automatically considered for awards.
Students can apply for additional financial assistance. Federal and state grant and loan programs are available. Work awards are available through the federally funded Federal Work-Study Program and the University’s Campus Employment Program. To be considered for financial aid, students must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). On the FAFSA, students should list Our Lady of the Lake University, code number 003598. OLLU receives the FAFSA data electronically and then calculates a financial aid award. Financial aid applicants must be accepted for admission to the University before the award can be made. More documentation may be needed for government programs. All financial aid is awarded on a first-come, first-served basis.
Admission Requirements / Application
OLLU seeks a diverse student body and offers equal educational opportunity to all students regardless of race, color, creed, sex, age, national or ethnic origin, or disability.
Prospective students should send a completed application form, a nonrefundable $25 application fee, and SAT or ACT scores to the Admissions Center. OLLU’s ACT code number is 4140; the SAT code is 6550.
Entering freshmen must also give evidence of their academic preparation and aptitude: either a transcript indicating graduation from an accredited high school with 16 units of credit (including 4 in English, 3 in social science, 2 in mathematics, 2 in a laboratory science, and 2 in a foreign language—or 2 additional units in English, math, social science, or natural science) or evidence of successful completion of the GED test. Also required are either a satisfactory combination of SAT or ACT scores and high school grade point average or the successful completion of college-level work at another accredited postsecondary institution.
Transfer students must send a completed application form, a nonrefundable $25 application fee, and an official transcript from each institution attended. Transfer students with fewer than 30 transferable college credit hours must also submit SAT or ACT scores and an official high school transcript if the college/university transcript does not indicate high school credits.
Entering freshmen must submit a transcript of high school credits (this may be done as early as the completion of the junior year). Students should submit their credentials prior to May 1 for the fall and summer semesters and December 1 for the spring semester. Admission decisions are made within two weeks of receiving completed application forms and all required documents. All accepted undergraduate students must submit a $100 nonrefundable enrollment deposit. Students planning to live on campus must complete and return the housing application and the $100 housing deposit to the Residence Life Office by June 1.
To arrange a campus visit and tour, students should contact the Admissions Office.
 |
 |