Simmons University (previously Simmons College) is a

private university Private universities and private colleges are institutions of higher education, not operated, owned, or institutionally funded by governments. They may (and often do) receive from governments tax breaks, public student loans, and grant (money ...

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the capital city, state capital and List of municipalities in Massachusetts, most populous city of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financ ...

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut assachusett writing systems, məhswatʃəwiːsət'' English: , ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is the most populous U.S. state, state in the New England ...

. It was established in 1899 by clothing manufacturer

John Simmons John Simmons may refer to: Politicians * John H. Simmons (died 1843), American politician from Maryland *John Simmons (Oklahoma politician) (died 1940), American politician, mayor of Tulsa from 1916 to 1918 * John Simmons (Missouri politician), m ...

. In 2018, it reorganized its structure and changed its name to a university. Its undergraduate program is women-focused while its graduate programs are

co-educational Mixed-sex education, also known as mixed-gender education, co-education, or coeducation (abbreviated to co-ed or coed), is a system of education where males and females are educated together. Whereas single-sex education was more common up to ...

. Simmons is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education. Admission is considered moderately difficult; , 83percent of applicants to undergraduate programs were accepted. The university is divided into two campuses in the Fenway-Kenmore neighborhood totaling , one of which has five academic buildings and the other of which has nine Georgian-style residential buildings. The university enrolls approximately 1,736 undergraduates and 4,527 graduate students. Its athletics teams compete in NCAA Division III as the Sharks.

History

Simmons was founded in 1899 with a bequest by

, a wealthy clothing manufacturer in Boston. Simmons founded the college based on the belief that women ought to live independently by offering a

liberal arts Liberal arts education (from Latin "free" and "art or principled practice") is the traditional academic course in Western higher education. ''Liberal arts'' takes the term '' art'' in the sense of a learned skill rather than specifically th ...

education for undergraduate women to integrate into professional work experience.

Sarah Louise Arnold Sarah Louise Arnold (February 15, 1859 – February 26, 1943) was an American educator, author, and suffragist. She was better known in the schoolroom and among teachers than any other woman connected with education in her day. In 1902, she becam ...

was the school's first dean; she also served as national president of the

Girl Scouts Girl Guides (known as Girl Scouts in the United States and some other countries) is a worldwide movement, originally and largely still designed for girls and women only. The movement began in 1909 when girls requested to join the then-grassroot ...

. Simmons is a member of the Colleges of the Fenway consortium, which also includes Emmanuel College, Wentworth Institute of Technology,

Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (MCPHS) is a private university focused on medical and health-related science programs and located in Boston, Massachusetts. The university provides traditional and accelerated programs of s ...

, and Massachusetts College of Art and Design. Simmons absorbed Garland Junior College in 1976. Wheelock College, a former member, merged with Boston University to become the Boston University Wheelock College of Education & Human Development. Simmons graduated its first

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American ...

student in 1914. Furthermore, Simmons was one of the few private colleges not to impose admission quotas on

Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...

students for the first half of the 1900s. The school's MBA program was the first in the world designed specifically for women. Today, the undergraduate program is women-centered, while the graduate schools are coed. In 2014, Simmons College teamed up with for-profit online program manager 2U, a deal that would generate hundreds of millions of dollars in revenues for the school. In November 2014, the institution released an explicit policy on the acceptance of

transgender A transgender (often abbreviated as trans) person is someone whose gender identity or gender expression does not correspond with their sex assigned at birth. Many transgender people experience dysphoria, which they seek to alleviate through ...

students, claiming a strong tradition of empowering women and challenging traditional gender roles and a "rich history of inclusion." Its undergraduate program accepts applicants who are assigned female at birth as well as those who self-identify as women, making Simmons the third women-centered college in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., federal district, five ma ...

to accept transgender women. Government documentation of gender is not required. Graduate programs are co-educational, so gender identity is not of concern. In 2016, the MBA program went online as MBA@Simmons, and began admitting men. In 2018, Simmons College changed its name to Simmons University after reorganizing the structure of the school. At the onset of the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identified ...

, Simmons extended its Spring 2020 break to March 23 and then resumed instruction on a remote online-only basis. The campus and residence halls closed. Simmons cancelled all summer instructions and programs. The 2020-2021 academic year featured online instruction for a majority of programs. For the Spring 2021 semester, the residence halls opened at 50% capacity.

Campus

Simmons University is divided into currently two campuses located in the Fenway-Kenmore neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts. One campus is home to five academic buildings referred to as the Academic Campus. The other campus, referred to as the Residential Campus, is home to nine residential buildings for undergraduate students. The original site of the Simmons College Graduate School of Social Work is featured on the Boston Women's Heritage Trail. In November 2020, a plan for a single campus was launched by the university called One Simmons. This plan aims to combine the two campuses into a single campus and create a 21 story "Living and Learning Center." This will include 1,100 dorm rooms, classrooms, and athletic facilities. Additionally, the plan outlines renovations to the Main College Building and Lefavour Hall. Lefavour Hall specifically will be outfitted with a new library and a new state of the art science center. Following the completion of these renovations in spring of 2022, the Park Science Center has been closed. It is going to be taken down to build the new Living and Learning Center. The project is scheduled to break ground in Fall 2022 and open in 2025.Simmons University. “One Simmons.” Simmmons University. Simmons University, 2022. https://www.simmons.edu/about/our-future/campus-that-works. Additionally, Simmons University has come to an agreement with the company Skanska. They have partnered with the development firm to do two things. First, Skanska will build the new Living and Learning Center building. In exchange, Simmons University has given Skanska a 99 year lease for the grounds of the residential campus. Skanska will begin commercial development of the former residential campus after the construction of the Living and Learning Center.

Academic Campus

The Academic Campus is located at 300 The Fenway in the Longwood Medical Area. It is immediately adjacent to the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum and the

Boston Latin School The Boston Latin School is a public exam school in Boston, Massachusetts. It was established on April 23, 1635, making it both the oldest public school in the British America and the oldest existing school in the United States. Its curriculum f ...

. This campus currently consists of five buildings: * One Palace Road * Main College Building * Beatley Library/Lefavour Hall (recently renovated to also house the science facilities) * Park Science Center (currently inaccessible due to impending demolition) * School of Management Building (a recent green construction)

Residential Campus

The Residence Campus is located one block from the main campus. It is near the Landmark Center and the Fenway and Longwood MBTA stations. The residence campus consists of 13 buildings centered on a grassy quad: * Simmons Hall (Freshman and Sophomore housing) * Dix Hall (Sophomore housing) * Smith Hall (Senior housing, also houses Quadside lounge and mail-room) * Arnold Hall (Junior housing) * North Hall (Upperclassman and Graduate housing) * Health Center and Residence Life Offices * Holmes Sports Center * South Hall (Wellness housing) * Alumnae Hall (Multipurpose room) * Bartol Dining Hall (also houses late-night dining service Bartol Late Night) * Evans Hall (Senior housing) * Mesick Hall (Freshman and Sophomore housing, renovated in 2010) * Morse Hall (Freshman and Sophomore housing) Most of the buildings on the residence campus serve as dormitories, but the campus also includes a large dining hall, a health center, a large fitness center, a public safety office, an auditorium, and several other facilities. The residence campus is separated from the main campus by Emmanuel College and Merck Research Laboratories Boston.

Student body

According to the College Scorecard, the racial and ethnic composition of the undergraduate population is 62 percent white, 11 percent Asian, 8 percent Hispanic, 6 percent black, and 5 percent non-resident alien. Thirty percent of the undergraduate student body is Pell Grant eligible (meant for low-income students).

Sustainability

Simmons has made several significant sustainability efforts. Former President Susan Scrimshaw signed the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment (ACUPCC) as a formal commitment to eliminate campus greenhouse gas emissions over time. Furthermore, the School of Management is addressing sustainability in its curriculum as well as in building and resource-management programs. Simmons' environmental efforts earned the school a "C" on the ''College Sustainability Report Card 2010'', published in Fall 2009 by the Sustainable Endowments Institute.

Academics

Simmons University reorganized its academic structure in 2018 to foster interdisciplinary learning and cross-departmental collaboration. Students now explore new inter-professional opportunities and create their own pathways to meaningful work. Simmons University is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education. * College of Natural, Behavioral, and Health Sciences **School of Nursing * College of Organizational, Computational, and Information Sciences **School of Library and Information Science (SLIS), est. 1902 **School of Business * College of Social Sciences, Policy, and Practice **School of Social Work * The Gwen Ifill College of Media, Arts, and Humanities

Reputation and rankings

Athletics

Simmons University sponsors athletics teams in a variety of sports including crew, cross country, field hockey, lacrosse, soccer, softball, swimming & diving, tennis, and volleyball. The mascot is the Sharks and the colors are blue and yellow. They compete as members of the

NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges and ...

Division III in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC), the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) and the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC). Simmons athletes won some of the early national intercollegiate women's tennis championships in singles (Marjorie Sachs, 1932) and doubles (Dorrance Chase, 1930 and 1932, with Sachs).

Notable alumni

Simmons alumni include: *

Susan Porter Benson Susan Porter Benson (July 26, 1943 – June 20, 2005) was an American historian and academic, specializing in labor history and women's studies as well as public and cultural history. She taught at Bristol Community College (1968–86), the Unive ...

(1943–2005), historian * Julie Berry (author), children's author * Lenore Blum (born 1942), computer scientist and mathematician * Kristin Cashore, author * Margaret Curtis (1883-1965), social worker and athlete * Denise Di Novi (born 1956), film producer * Rehema Ellis, NBC News correspondent * Dorothy Celeste Boulding Ferebee (1898–1980), class of 1920, African-American physician and activist * David S. Ferriero (born 1949) 10th Archivist of the United States * Nnenna Freelon (born 1954), jazz singer * Ann M. Fudge, businesswoman, former CEO of Young & Rubicam * Tipper Gore (born 1947), attended (Garland Junior College), former Second Lady of the United States *

Eolyn Klugh Guy Eolyn Carolyn Klugh Guy (born about 1901 – died October 9, 1963) was an African-American social worker, active with the YWCA. Early life Eolyn Carolyn Klugh was raised in New Haven, Connecticut and Boston, the daughter of David Simpson Klugh a ...

, social worker associated with

YWCA The Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA) is a nonprofit organization with a focus on empowerment, leadership, and rights of women, young women, and girls in more than 100 countries. The World office is currently based in Geneva, Swi ...

Christine Heppermann Christine Heppermann is an American author who specializes in poetry and books for children and young adults. She has also written many critical articles and book reviews for leading publications. As an author, she has been largely collected by lib ...

, author and poet * Theodora Kimball Hubbard, landscape architect, librarian *

Marjorie Hulsizer Copher Marjorie Hulsizer Copher (January 26, 1892 – May 19, 1935) was an American dietitian who served in France during World War I. Early life Edith Marjorie Hulsizer was born in Flemington, New Jersey, the daughter Abraham Chalmers Hulsizer and Allet ...

, dietitian who served in

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

* Gwen Ifill (1955–2016), class of 1977, journalist, television newscaster and author * Louise Andrews Kent (1886–1969), author * Mackenzi Lee, author * Gail Levin, class of 1969, art historian * Elinor Lipman (born 1950), novelist * Bertha Mahony (1882–1969), founder of '' The Horn Book Magazine'' * Barbara Margolis (1929–2009),

prisoners' rights The rights of civilian and military prisoners are governed by both national and international law. International conventions include the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights; the United Nations The United Nations (U ...

advocate who served as the official greeter of

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the U ...

. *

Hannah M. McCarthy Hannah M. McCarthy is an American college administrator and businessperson. Education McCarthy attended Simmons University as an undergraduate. Career McCarthy was a social worker for Child and Family Services. She was later the dean of adm ...

, college administrator and businessperson *

Jeffrey Mello The Rt. Rev. Jeffrey William Mello is an American Episcopal clergyman who has served as 16th Bishop of Connecticut since 2022.Episcopal Episcopal may refer to: *Of or relating to a bishop, an overseer in the Christian church *Episcopate, the see of a bishop – a diocese *Episcopal Church (disambiguation), any church with "Episcopal" in its name ** Episcopal Church (United State ...

priest ( Bishop of Connecticut) * Eleanor Milleville (1922–1991), American sculptor * Catherine N. Norton (1941–2014), American librarian * Sondra Perl, Professor Emerita of English at Lehman College and director of the Ph.D. in Composition and Rhetoric at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York. *

Bertha Reynolds Bertha Capen Reynolds (December 11, 1885 – October 29, 1978) was an American social worker who was influential in the creation of strength-based practice, radical social work and critical social work, among others. Early life and educatio ...

, American social worker * Srinagarindra (1900–1995), Princess Mother of

Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is b ...

Mabel Leilani Smyth Mabel Leilani Smyth (September 1, 1892 – March 24, 1936) was a nursing administrator and the first Director of the Public Nursing Service for the Territory of Hawaii. She was of Hawaiian and Irish-English ancestry. Palama Settlement in Kalihi, w ...

, Director of the Public Nursing Service for the Territory of Hawaii *

Valerie Thomas Valerie L. Thomas (born February 8, 1943) is an American data scientist and inventor. She invented the illusion transmitter, for which she received a patent in 1980. She was responsible for developing the digital media formats image processin ...

, scientist and inventor * Susan Traverso (1983), President of Thiel College, former Provost of Elizabethtown College * Suzyn Waldman, color commentator for the

New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. They are one o ...

* Allyson Schwartz, class of 1970, U.S. Representative Pennsylvania's 13th congressional district 2004– *

Anne Williams Wheaton Anne Williams Wheaton (September 11, 1892 – March 23, 1977) was an American publicist. She was born in Utica, New York and attended Simmons College in Boston, Massachusetts. After her graduation in 1912, Wheaton went to work for the Albany ...

, class of 1912, publicist and first White House Associate Press Secretary * Esther M. Wilkins (1916–2016), class of 1938, pioneer in the field of dental hygiene, teacher, and author of ''Clinical Practice of the Dental Hygienist'' * Mary Elizabeth Wood, 1861–1931, librarian and lay missionary who actively promoted Chinese early education and librarianship * Alex Wright, American writer and information architect *

Aline A. Yamashita Aline A. Yamashita is a Guamanian educator and politician. Yamashita is a former Republican senator in the Guam Legislature from 2011 to 2015. Early life Yamashita was born in Guam. Yamashita's father was Antonio C. Yamashita, an educator and ...

, Guamanian educator and politician. *Jill Zarin, Philanthropist and Business Women. Former Cast Member of the Bravo reality show The Real House Wives of New York City.

Notable faculty

* William M. Bellamy, former U.S. ambassador to

Kenya ) , national_anthem = " Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"() , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Nairobi , coordinates = , largest_city = Nairobi , ...

from 2003 to 2006 * Harry C. Bentley, founder and namesake of Bentley College served as professor of accounting. *

Nancy Bond Nancy Barbara Bond (born 1945) is an American author of children's literature. In 1977 her first book, ''A String in the Harp'', was fantasy novel with an element of folklore, set in West Wales. It received a Newbery honor and the Welsh Tir na ...

, winner of a Newbery Honor, taught at the Simmons College Center for the Study of Children's Literature from 1979 to 2001. * Dana Chandler, artist and activist. *

Alicia Craig Faxon Alicia Craig Faxon is an American art historian, author, curator and educator. She is Professor Emerita at Simmons University, where she also served as Chair of the Department of Art and Music. Faxon also taught at Harvard University, the New ...

, art historian. * Emily Hale, speech and drama teacher, and muse of T.S. Eliot * Gregory Maguire, author, professor and co-director at the Simmons College Center for the Study of Children's Literature from 1979–1985. * Isadore Gilbert Mudge, librarian, part-time lecturer *

Mary Schenck Woolman Mary Raphael Schenck Woolman (April 26, 1860August 1, 1940) was an American educator known for her advocacy of vocational education and consumer education, particularly for women. She was one of the first woman faculty members at Teachers Coll ...

, pioneer in vocational education

References

External links

* {{Coord, 42.339800, -71.100200, region:US-MA_type:edu, display=title Women's universities and colleges in the United States Universities and colleges in Boston Educational institutions established in 1899 1899 establishments in Massachusetts Liberal arts colleges in Massachusetts Private universities and colleges in Massachusetts