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September 17, 2007 • VOL. 45, NO. 16 • Oakland, CA
Holy Names University:
record enrollment
As it prepares to celebrate its 140th anniversary, Oakland’s
Holy Names University reports a record enrollment of more than 1,100 students
for the 2007-08 academic year.
John Bowman, university spokesperson, said 195 first-year and transfer
undergraduates make up one of the largest entering groups in the university’s
history. These students will participate in a special program to help
them transition successfully into college through several core courses,
complemented by a common reading of “The Omnivore’s Dilemma:
A Natural History of Four Meals” by Michael Pollan. They will explore
issues of nutrition, social justice, animal rights, the environment, and
poverty.
The university is among the most ethnically diverse in the country with
30 percent of its students identifying as African American, 30 percent
white, and 20 percent Latino. The final 20 percent are Asian and other
ethnic groups. The most recent US News & World Report on best colleges
in America ranked Holy Names first in the western U.S. for diversity.
But, said HNU President Rosemarie Nassif, “Diversity is more than
a descriptor. It provides our students an opportunity to learn and develop
skills in a social environment that reflects how the country and the world
will be throughout their lifetimes.”
The university was founded by the Holy Names Sisters in 1868 on the banks
of Lake Merritt and moved to its present location on Mountain Boulevard
50 years ago. It offers more than 25 undergraduate and graduate degrees
and various certificates and credentials. Last year it received a coveted
10-year reaffirmation of its accreditation from the Western Association
of Schools and Colleges.
