General Information

• History and Spirit
• Statement of Mission
• Core Values
• Institutional Learning Outcomes
• Nondiscriminatory Policy
• Charter
• Accreditation

Saint Joseph’s College is a Catholic college founded by the Sisters of Mercy in Portland, Maine, in 1912. The 474-acre campus, now on the shore of Sebago Lake in Standish, Maine, is in view of Mount Washington and the White Mountains.

The word Sebago comes from the Abenaki sobagoo for “it is the sea” or “it resembles the sea.”  The Pequawket peoples (members of the Abenaki nation) once fished and hunted along its shores, descendants of colonial settlers (including some associated with George Washington) established homesteads here, and the Verrill Family eventually built an estate here.  When Sisters Mary Edwina and Mary Evangelist visited the estate in 1956, the stained glass windows of St. Edward the Confessor and Sr. John the Evangelist in the family chapel convinced them that this was the site for a new campus.  And so, Saint Joseph’s was moved from Portland to Standish.

Mission Statement

Saint Joseph’s College of Maine, sponsored by the Sisters of Mercy and animated by the vision of Catherine McAuley, is a Catholic college in the liberal arts tradition distinguished by its welcoming community. We foster an ongoing dialogue between faith and reason so as to prepare our learners to live meaningful lives that improve the world around them.

Vision Statement

In fulfillment of its mission, Saint Joseph’s College of Maine will be a diverse, inclusive, and collaborative community that forms individuals who practice humility, justice, and compassion, as Jesus did, in solidarity with the marginalized.

The Core Values of the College, rooted in the teachings of Jesus Christ and in the heritage of the Sisters of Mercy, are the foundation for this educational mission. Taken to heart, these values exist at our very core; they are made visible in our daily interactions.

The Core Values of the College are:

• Faith: Our Catholic identity calls us to seek and embrace truth and wisdom wherever it may be found.  Accordingly, we welcome diverse religious traditions and honor each person’s spiritual journey. Through the curriculum and co-curricular opportunities, we invite all members of the College community to explore and cultivate faith as an essential dimension of their lives.
• Excellence: As a Catholic college in the liberal arts tradition, we seek to combine faith with reason in the pursuit of academic excellence. We call all members of the College community to excel as individuals and as professionals within their specific roles.
• Integrity: Concerned for the common good as individuals and as a community, we commit ourselves to honesty in all relations with each other. Through our integrity, we maintain the trust of the surrounding community and of public and governmental agencies, and we endeavor to practice responsible stewardship of the resources available to us.
• Inclusion: We demonstrate our spirit of connectedness by welcoming the perspectives, cultures, and abilities of all people of good will, especially the disenfranchised.  In turn, we are enriched and shaped by the distinctive gifts and unique experiences of each person.  In the words of Catherine McAuley, we strive for “true, sincere, and heartfelt affection for all.”
• Respect: We value and respect the contribution of each member of the Saint Joseph’s College community, past and present, to the advancement of our mission. We encourage and support each other as colleagues working together for the good of the whole institution.
• Compassion: Inspired by the example of Catherine McAuley, foundress of the Sisters of Mercy, we open our hearts to those among us in physical, psychological, or spiritual need. We consciously reach out beyond our college boundaries to serve the needs of others with compassion and mercy.
• Justice: We embrace the inherent dignity of each person and the responsibility to care for creation. As such, we seek to address instances of injustice that impact people and the earth in solidarity with those we serve and from a position of informed advocacy.

Saint Joseph’s College is committed to the development of every student through a process of lifelong learning. To that end, members of the College community are encouraged to pursue the following goals in accordance with the Mission of Saint Joseph’s College as a Catholic liberal arts college:

1. Identify and apply the ethical and moral dimensions of their particular field of study.  
2. Demonstrate effective communication skills in both written and oral formats.  
3. Demonstrate competency in programmatic content and career preparation through applied and/or experiential learning opportunities.  
4. Engage in responsible citizenship, social justice, and environmental stewardship.  
5. Demonstrate critical thinking skills and the ability to analyze and evaluate information from diverse sources and perspectives.

​

The College’s commitment to non-discrimination and anti-harassment applies to all Saint Joseph’s College (“the College”) faculty, staff, students, College contractors, and visitors. The College is committed to providing equitable and inclusive opportunities and an educational and work environment free from any discrimination or harassment of, or retaliation against any member of the College community on the basis of sex; race or traits associated with race, including hair texture, Afro hairstyles, and protective hairstyles; color; religion, belief, or spirituality; national or ethnic origin; gender, gender identity and expression; sexual orientation; age; disabilities; genetic information; pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions; familial status; military status or protected veteran status; or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws (“Protected Characteristics”). Saint Joseph’s College shall adhere to all applicable state and federal laws and regulations, including the Maine Human Rights Act, Titles VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, the Americans with Disabilities Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, and other federal and state laws in connection with hiring or employment, admission or financial aid, or other aspects of its educational programs or activities.

Saint Joseph’s College was established in 1915 pursuant to authority granted in the Articles of Incorporation under the laws of the State of Maine and is empowered by the State to grant collegiate honors and degrees at the undergraduate and graduate levels of study.

Saint Joseph’s College is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE), a nongovernmental, nationally recognized organization whose affiliated institutions include elementary schools through collegiate institutions offering postgraduate instruction.

Accreditation of an institution by the New England Commission indicates that it meets or exceeds criteria for the assessment of institutional quality periodically applied through a peer group review process. An accredited school or college is one which has available the necessary resources to achieve its stated purposes through appropriate educational programs, is substantially doing so, and gives reasonable evidence that it will continue to do so in the foreseeable future. Institutional integrity is also addressed through accreditation.

Accreditation by the New England Commission is not partial but applies to the institution as a whole. As such, it is not a guarantee of the quality of every course or program offered, or the competence of individual graduates. Rather, it provides reasonable assurance about the quality of opportunities available to students who attend the institution.

Inquiries regarding the status of an institution’s accreditation by the New England Commission should be directed to the administrative staff of the school or college. Individuals may also contact the Commission:

New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE) 
3 Burlington Woods Drive, Suite #100
Burlington, MA 01803
Phone: 781-425-7714
Fax: 781-425-1001
E-mail: info@neche.org
Web: https://www.neche.org

In addition to NECHE accreditation, the following online programs at Saint Joseph’s College have additional, program-specific accreditations:

• The Baccalaureate Degree program in Nursing, the Master’s Degree program in Nursing and the Post-Graduate APRN certificate program at Saint Joseph’s College of Maine are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, 655 K Street NW, Suite 750, Washington, DC 20001, (202) 887-6791.
• Online Nursing programs are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE).
• The online Graduate Education program is reviewed and approved by the State Board of Education on behalf of the Maine Department of Education (DOE).
• The online Graduate Health Administration program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education (CAHME)
• The online Health Information Management program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM).
• The online Long-Term Administration program is accredited by the National Association of Long Term Care Administrator Boards (NAB).
• The Social Work Program is accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE).