Rivier College, in Nashua, N.H., is a unique school with boundless opportunities. The College helps students build the confidence and skills they need to succeed, providing them the chance to follow their dreams in a welcoming, supportive, and encouraging community. Rivier is praised by students for its vibrant student body and top-notch professors and coaches who care about students’ personal and academic growth. “You can walk from one building to another and see people you know, whether they are students or professors,” says Karen Waterman, of the Class of 2012. She quickly adds, “People hold doors for each other.”
With a student population of about 1,000 undergraduate day students, Rivier is a tight-knit community where each student is recognized and valued. Students get to know one another through classes, participating in student activities, athletics, and clubs and organizations, or by simply walking around campus. “You always feel like you’re a part of something,” says junior Sarah Fronckwicz.
Rivier has a undergraduate day student-faculty ratio of 19:1, resulting in small class sizes and ample student-teacher interaction. Student-centered instructional methods allow students to engage in the material. Professors are always accessible outside of class to meet with students. “You get to know your professors and they get to know you,” says junior Sarah Howard. Rivier instructors are widely recognized as experts in their respective disciplines. More than professors, they are artists, nurses, economists, and police officers, to name a few. They infuse their courses with unique insights by bringing real-world experience to the classroom.
Rivier’s academic program, featuring more than 30 undergraduate majors, provides students with the background to become knowledgeable professionals. Rivier offers majors in nursing, education, biology, communications, criminal justice, math, history, sociology, and more. Five-year programs in business, English, and psychology offer an opportunity to earn a master’s degree in just one additional year after completing a bachelor’s degree, providing a more timely and cost-effective path to a graduate degree. There are endless possibilities at Rivier.
Fully updated facilities help students get the most out of their education. Nursing students learn to treat patients in the nursing skills simulation and physical assessment laboratories, as well as at their off-campus clinical assignments. Design and art majors build their own portfolios in the Digital Imaging Studio. Education students participate in extensive student-teaching experiences, and have access to textbooks, multimedia, educational games, and other teaching aids in the Cho Education Resource Center. Business students track the stock market in the McLean Center for Finance and Economics, and biology majors gain valuable hands-on experience in the BAE Student Research Laboratory.
The College also offers unique service-learning opportunities and internships for students to apply what they learn in the classroom to the real world. Service projects with various local agencies allow students to use their knowledge to help others, and internships with organizations in a wide variety of fields provide students with the professional experience necessary to land their first job.
Rivier is also proud of its athletic program, fielding 13 NCAA Division III teams. The Raiders men’s volleyball team has won four consecutive conference championships and the softball team won conference titles in 2010 and 2008, and appeared in the title game in 2011. Teams, players, and coaches have earned numerous awards. Coaches are dedicated to student-athletes, both on and off the field. “To them, school always comes first,” says Tom Poitras, a member of the men’s basketball team.
Student-athletes train with the most up-to-date fitness equipment, thanks to a recent major renovation of the Muldoon Fitness Center. Completed in December, the expansion project included new exercise and weightlifting machines, an athletic training facility, a coaches’ office suite, and a sand volleyball court. “Without this updated equipment it would be difficult to get the same high-quality training we do now,” says sophomore Nicole Boucher, a member of the volleyball team.
Beyond athletics, student clubs and organizations form a vital component of the Rivier educational experience. Clubs and organizations bring together students who share common interests, whether they are in academic or extracurricular areas. Rivier student groups host events, offer trips to nearby landmarks, and participate in community service activities—all designed to build a community on campus and contribute to students’ academic and personal growth.
Rivier positions students for future success. Graduates leave with the knowledge and background necessary for the competitive global environment, and the skills employers demand—solid critical thinking, communications, and analytical abilities, cutting-edge professional training, and practical real-world experience.
