Immaculata’s Office of the President sponsored IU’s walk and Barbara Gallagher, M.Ed., assistant professor of human movement science, and Patricia Canterino, M.A., director of athletics and recreation and head women’s basketball coach, coordinated the event.

“In an effort to encourage a healthy lifestyle for the Immaculata community, Sister Patricia Fadden, IHM, the president of Immaculata, has graciously agreed to support the American Heart Association’s National Walking Day,” commented Gallagher.  “This is a beautiful campus to engage in physical activity and we hope it will inspire people to ‘get moving.’”

Immaculata University is a Catholic, comprehensive, coeducational institution of higher education, located on the Main Line between Malvern and Exton, 20 miles west of Philadelphia.

Dr. Karen Stout and Sister R. Patricia Fadden, IHM, Ed.D.

Immaculata University has joined Montgomery County Community College’s (MCCC) University Center initiative and will soon offer its Doctor of Education in Higher Education (Ed.D.) program at MCCC’s Central Campus in Blue Bell.

First introduced in 2006, MCCC’s University Center offers an entrepreneurial approach to expanding higher education opportunities for residents of Montgomery County and surrounding areas. Through partnerships with four-year institutions, students can choose from eight bachelor’s degrees, two master’s degrees, one graduate certificate, and now – for the first time – a doctorate.

“These partnerships are so important in higher education, and they show a great deal of entrepreneurship,” said Dr. Karen A. Stout, MCCC president. “Before we introduced the University Center model, our graduates had to travel to the greater Reading and Philadelphia areas to continue their education in baccalaureate and graduate degree programs. However, for many of our students and community members in the Tri-County region, this commute simply isn’t possible.”

While the institutions have enjoyed a long-standing and popular transfer agreement that paves the way for MCCC associate’s degree graduates to seamlessly transfer into bachelor’s degree programs at Immaculata, this is the first time Immaculata will have a physical presence in Blue Bell.

“This agreement with MCCC is really what we were hoping for when we developed the new degree in Higher Education,” said Sr. R. Patricia Fadden, IHM, Ed.D., president of Immaculata University. “MCCC is our first partner in this program, and we’re very excited to bring it to the Montgomery County community.”

Immaculata’s Ed.D. in Higher Education program is designed for higher education administrators and faculty who are seeking to advance their career opportunities by expanding their knowledge of current trends in higher education and developing leadership skills. The program is also ideal for individuals working in related fields who are seeking a career change.

The program features a hybrid course model that blends online with face-to-face interaction; a cohort model that builds a learning community among students; and a practicum experience that enables doctoral students to demonstrate and apply their knowledge while networking in their field.

Immaculata University joins four existing University Center partners — Albright College, which offers courses at MCCC’s campuses in Blue Bell and Pottstown, and Chestnut Hill College, Temple University and Villanova University, which offer courses at MCCC’s West Campus in Pottstown.

To learn more about MCCC’s University Center initiative, visit www.mc3.edu/academics/university-center.aspx.

To learn more about Immaculata University’s Doctor of Education program, visit www.immaculata.edu/academics/departments/highered.

Immaculata University is a Catholic , comprehensive, coeducational institution of higher education, located on the Main Line between Malvern and Exton, 20 miles west of Philadelphia.

Sister Patricia has been the president of Immaculata University since 2002 and has led the University through a dynamic period of growth.  Recently Immaculata University was named one of the fastest growing campuses (2000-2010) by the Chronicle of Higher Education. During her tenure, the University welcomed men into the traditional undergraduate program and expanded its undergraduate and graduate program offerings.  As a leader in education, especially Catholic education, Sister Patricia serves on numerous committees and boards, including chair of the NCAA Pennsylvania Athletic Conference (PAC) and the Colonial States Athletic Conference.  She was most recently selected as a member of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia Blue Ribbon Commission and is now serving on the newly formed Board of Faith in the Future Foundation.

Prior to her position at Immaculata, Sister Pat was an educator, a high school principal, and a director of secondary curriculum for the Office of Catholic Education of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.

Immaculata University is a comprehensive, Catholic, coeducational institution of higher education, located on the Main Line between Malvern and Exton, 20 miles west of Philadelphia.

For the CSAC Institutional Academic Excellence Award, all students who use a season of eligibility, as defined by the NCAA, are included in the institution’s grade point average calculation.  Institutional grade point averages are calculated by using the total quality points of all credits attempted by student-athletes during the academic year.  The grade point average of student-athletes who do a study-abroad semester during the academic year are calculated in the same manner in which the institution calculates all grade point averages for students studying abroad.  Institutional grade point averages are calculated and certified by the registrar of each institution.

This marks the first time in the award’s four-year history in which Immaculata University has been honored.  Previous winners include Cairn University (2010-11) and Cedar Crest College (2008-09, 2009-10).