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Catholic University Profile

Washington D.C.

The Basics

Catholic University of America was established in 1887 as a private liberal arts institution affiliated with the Roman Catholic Church offering educational programs in liberal arts & social sciences, business, and public health. CUA’s private educational facilities offer comprehensive undergraduate, and graduate programs in several different fields including nursing, biological & social sciences, business, communications, performing arts, and social work. Catholic prepares students for careers in the above-mentioned undergraduate schools through educational, and certificate programs. The school itself is located in the northeastern section of Washington D.C. called Brookland in close proximity to the Maryland State Line.

The university is unique because it has a suburban campus landscape within an urban neighborhood of NE Washington D.C. within commuter distance to the nations capital with it’s panoramic views of the White House and federal monuments. The school is very spread out geographically for an urban school with university facilities starting on Taylor Street to the north, and Michigan Ave to the south with the eastern point of the campus footprint lies on John McCormack Road and continues to Harewood Road to the west. As you can see, the university’s footprint is large for a private urban school with 193 acres.

Catholic University’s educational landscape offers students the ability to enjoy a suburban campus with it’s park like landscape while still being connected to everything in Washington D.C. CUA also offers professional education, capital hill, and city resources for students, while still maintaining a close-knit university community. The main campus has a comfortable academic and residential lifestyle within one of the city’s largest campus neighborhoods. CUA has approximately 52 buildings in total including lecture, residential, performing arts, recreation centers, and dining facilities. These internal campus settings also provide students, employees, and alumni with several types of services including health, physical fitness, library, and cultural meeting places.

The issue of student housing on campus is a challenge for Catholic University because the school is going through a growth period with higher number of applicants. The university has started actively competing for real estate resources within the general area, and has started several building projects to convert older facilities into new residential halls for students. Currently, Catholic University does not guarantee housing for students on campus, 2101 students can be accommodated on a first come, first served basis. Catholic University has developed 20 resident hall facilities within the urban landscape to provide housing that’s in close proximity to lecture halls, and the student center for easy access to student life facilities.

CUA is a medium sized Catholic school that has links to everywhere in the city on a 24-hour basis including government buildings & services, music & theatre productions, sporting & cultural events, museums, nightlife, and restaurants. Catholic’s observed focal points of reference during the campus tour were the Hartke Performing Arts Center, the massive Dufour Athletic Center, and the Pryzbyla University Center, which are the main internal student life areas of the campus. My tour guide told me that students come to the campus centers to relax, workout, and read. Students also use these multi-story facilities to socialize and talk about school and life. These facilities are large for a private school with offices for all the student clubs and activities, a food court with a Starbucks Coffee House, and a school bookstore for students to enjoy; CUA students also enjoy several large green areas around the “University Mall” including the large grassy landscape outside McMahon Hall called “the Quad”. The external observed focal points for the university could be found along Michigan Ave & McCormack Road with students enjoying Metro services at Brookland Station and several small restaurants along the avenue.

The published demographic information for the university describes a culturally diverse student population with students from all across the world. Catholic University has developed several different schools, within it’s educational network to offer students a Liberal Arts and Science, Business, and a comprehensive education format to enhance it’s commitment to different types of career endeavors. The university has also developed independent affiliates with several global universities to highlight it’s commitment to global learning. Below is a description of demographics for CUA’s campus in Washington D.C.

The University is home to approximately 1,250 male, and 1,550 female full time students, and 80 male, and 175 female part time students. CUA also has a graduate school population with 1,500 male, and 1,600 female students enrolled. The average age of a freshman is 18 years old. 93% of students are from out of the Washington D.C. area, mostly the Middle Atlantic States. Students on campus provide a diverse multi-cultural makeup including students from all 50 states, 34 foreign countries, and Canada. 68% of students are white, 8% are African American, 3% Asian Americans, and 7% are Hispanic and 14% unknown.

Published Academic Standards for Admission Programs

Catholic University has a medium sized educational system for a private Catholic school, which offers Liberal Arts, and Sciences, Public Health, and Business programs. Below is a specific list of under graduate admission requirements.

Student Housing

The purpose of student housing is to provide safe and reasonable accommodations for students living away from home. The issue of housing and dormitory life is a critical element of overall campus life because students spend a large amount of time in their rooms. Student housing units historically come in 3 different styles including traditional corridor, suite, and apartment style units.

Catholic University provides housing on a first come, first severed basis. The residence life system allows students to live on campus who have filed their intent to reside on campus by the stated deadline and who have continuously registered as full time students. CUA currently has 20 on campus resident halls for students with a total capacity of 2,101 students. Catholic has started developing housing resources for upper classman through it’s capital improvement initiatives but as of now the number of residence halls stays the same. Future housing facilities across the street from the main gate on Michigan Avenue are in the planning stages according to campus officials. Information about AU housing can be found on the quick links page of this document.

Off Campus Housing

Catholic University has been described as a comfortable suburban campus within a working class urban residential community. The reason I have mentioned the overall community of Brookland is to re-assert the point that CUA’s network of campus facilities has encapsulated it’s real estate holdings within the area. The campus footprint allows almost every student to have housing within commuter distance to the campus. The issue of off campus housing has a different feel to it compared to other university off campus housing demands due to the relatively high crime rate in close proximity to the school. Students who wish to live off campus usually find housing within commuter distance of the campus.

Campus Life

Catholic University is a multi-cultural campus environment that provides students with an excellent social, educational, and religious atmosphere. The admissions demographics paint a picture of a very diverse community with students from all over the world. The local community of Brookland only adds to the universities international status because the community has multi-cultural roots as well. CUA also addresses the issue of ecology in a positive way. The physical environment is reasonably clean and well maintained and the economic conditions are favorable to students and local residents due to the available services in walking distance to the school.

The emotional climate and culture of the entire CUA community is a combination of intellectual and social due to it’s close relationship with all the daily activities within the Nation’s Capital. The school’s mature student population, educational, and athletic resources makes Catholic an attractive institution because it offers students real world professional experiences in Washington D.C., while providing social & religious relationships with local organizations and community groups.

The university also thrives on it’s physical and intellectual relationships with federal agencies that students flock to each year. Catholic University can be considered one the districts main public service organizations due to it’s well recognized schools of Nursing & Public health. Georgetown (GU), American (AU) and George Washington (GW) Universities can also be considered heavy Public Service and Political Science programs in the D.C. area. Students from these universities are involved with student politics and internships within the capital on a daily basis with guest speakers making occasional visits to keep the debate going on campus.

This issue of school culture is also a very important part of campus life because everyone wants to have a connection and emotional fit to their new school and community. CUA is first, and foremost a university that is linked physically and emotionally to religious affairs and national political debate on international issues. CUA has done a great job developing positive social systems with it’s students by providing a series of coordinated programs including workshops and seminars for freshman students to advance these studies. This type of process provides a foundation for learning and personal growth providing over 128 academic clubs, student organizations, and over 18 intramural sports activities. Catholic University also has a small Greek population with 1% of students belonging to 2 national fraternities and 1 national sorority.

Campus life at Catholic is more than academic excellence; it’s about building personal relationships with students and facility that continues throughout each student’s career. The school also offers students the ability to enjoy school sports, performing arts, history, cultural events, Greek life, restaurants, and local museums. For example, Washington D.C. has hundreds of venues to enjoy the previously stated activities including the Kennedy Center and the massive Smithsonian Museum network on the Mall in downtown Washington. The university also has several global education centers within it’s campus network for students to learn, and gather information about international careers. Students at CUA also enjoy visiting the other college town facilities in Georgetown and Foggy Bottom (GW) including sports, performing arts, and student nightlife.

Finally, CUA has a strong athletic footprint on campus with several venues for students to participate in, or to cheer for fellow students. Local residents and Catholic students can walk over to the Dufour Athletic Center’s 42-acre complex to watch the school’s teams play several sports during the year. Finally, the overall up side of exercise facilities within the campus are fantastic with students enjoying them on a daily basis, CUA participates in 21 NCAA Division III Varsity Sports for Women and Men.

Public Transportation

Catholic University has a student shuttle bus system that connects students with the Brookland campus as well as several areas of Washington D.C. In formation about this service can be found on the quick links page of this document. The Washington D.C. Transit System (Metro Red Line) has a subway station on Michigan Ave & McCormack Road in Brookland (The Nearest Metro Stop for Catholic University) that offers riders the ability to access several main lines including the Orange & Blue Metro Lines. These transit lines connect with every other subway line within the system including Union Train Station on the Red line. Passengers who require one of the five metro lines can change trains at Metro Center in downtown Washington D.C. on 12th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue.

Regional Public transportation resources can be found within Union Station that links with trains to suburban Maryland (Baltimore) and Arlington Virginia through the Maryland Rail Commuter Service (MARC). Amtrak also uses Union Station as a major hub within it’s Northeast Corridor. The Red Line on the Metro, which makes stops at Union Station, can link all these trains. Riders who wish to go to northern Virginia on the Metro can catch the orange line at Metro Center. This complex train system also allows riders the ability to travel to Ronald Reagan Airport via the blue & yellow Metro lines. People who live, work, and visit Washington D.C. usually travel by some type of mass transit. Mass transit information can be found at: www.wmata.com

Washington D.C. itself is located within the 2 northeastern states of Maryland and Virginia which makes it convenient to several suburban communities and highway networks. The city itself also has several main roadways that connect the community to major state highways including the Capital Beltway Route 495, Route 295 that links Washington D.C. and Baltimore Maryland, Route 95 which is the main highway corridor on the eastern seaboard, and finally Rout 270 that links Washington to communities east and west of the city. Shopping, restaurants, and hotel chains can be found within these major transportation networks after a short drive from the campus.

Community Profile

The Brookland area of NE Washington D.C. has been identified on maps geographically as west of Harewood Road, and north of Taylor Street between Michigan Ave, and McCormack Road. The community has been described in different ways, including a working class residential neighborhood on the Maryland State line. The university area also borders the Fort Totten Park section of Northeast Washington D.C., which offers students, and visitor’s additional housing, and commercial resources within commuter distance.

Student population and historical neighborhood architecture can be found mainly within 4 blocks of Michigan Ave within the overall neighborhood. The greatest number of residents in this area is in fact students, and employees of CUA. The Brookland area has an intellectual and working class community feel to it because a large number of people live, work, and study within the area. Washington D.C. itself is a maze of local neighborhoods that are unique to the people who live and work in them.

The Catholic University/Brookland section of NE Washington can also be considered a mixed residential area because you have commercial, residential, cultural, and educational all within the same block with people walking around the CUA campus on their way to work, or home. The area around Michigan Avenue is a major pedestrian walkway in the area for residents, and commuters because it’s really in the middle of the community. That’s why you can find shopping and restaurants along these streets.

The issue of walking alone at night outside the perimeter of the CUA campus should be curtailed because you’re in a big city with big city crime. Michigan Avenue & McCormack Road becomes less populated after 7:00PM due to the large commercial establishments in the area. The University section also has several federal and community parks in the area including Fort Totten Park to the north, and Turkey Thicket Playground to the east of the university and local police officers have told students to exercise some caution when using the parks after dark because the areas have reduced lighting resources.

Community demographics

The following demographics for Washington D.C. describe a multi-cultural community within a total population of 591,833 according to the U.S. Census Bureau. A Census Bureau community survey highlights several characteristics to describe the population including: 47% of residents are male, 53% are female. 36% of residents are white, 54% are African American, 7% are Hispanic or Latino, 3% are Asian, and finally 2.0 are two or more Races. The median age of population is 35 years old. 80% of residents are 18 years old or over, 74% age 21 and over, and finally 12% of city residents are over the age of 65. The issue of housing in Washington D.C. is also interesting. 88% of all housing units within the city are occupied. 55% of housing units are renter-occupied, while 45% of units are owner-occupied.

Local weather

Weather is also an issue to consider for students preparing for a university experience. Washington D.C. enjoys all four seasons of weather including rain and snow. Northeast weather patterns sometimes allow for temperatures to drop below 32 degrees for a considerable amount of time during the winter. The District of Columbia also gets it’s share of rain during the spring and summer months as well.

Catholic University Quick Links

The Your College Profile web site also contains an “Everything in Washington D.C.” document for families who wish to explore D.C. while visiting Catholic University. This site contains a full list of hotels, restaurants, shopping, and entertainment, and tourism resources for families enjoying the region. Below is a sample list of local hotels and restaurants in nearby Chevy Chase Maryland, Dupont Circle, Georgetown, Foggy Bottom, and Downtown in NW Washington D.C.

Embassy Suites Hotel at Chevy Chase Pavilion
4300 Military Road
NW Washington D.C. 20015
Holiday Inn Georgetown
2101 Wisconsin Ave
NW Washington D.C. 20007
Marriott Wardman Park
2660 Woodley Road
NW Washington D.C. 20008
The Ritz-Carlton Georgetown
3100 South Street
NW Washington D.C. 20007
Four Seasons Washington D.C. Hotel
2800 Pennsylvania Avenue
NW Washington D.C. 20007
Georgetown Inn
1310 Wisconsin Ave
NW Washington D.C. 20007
One Washington Circle Hotel
One Washington Circle
NW Washington D.C. 20037
Doubletree Suites & Hotel
801 New Hampshire Ave
NW Washington D.C. 20037
Embassy Suites Hotel
1250 22nd Street
NW Washington D.C. 20037
Best Western Georgetown
1121 New Hampshire Ave
NW Washington D.C. 20037

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