Marymount California University was a

private Private or privates may refer to: Music * " In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation'' * Private (band), a Denmark-based band * "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorde ...

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

university in

Rancho Palos Verdes, California Rancho Palos Verdes ( Spanish for "Green Sticks Ranch") is a coastal city located in Los Angeles County, California atop the bluffs of the Palos Verdes Peninsula, neighboring other cities in the Palos Verdes Hills, including Palos Verdes Esta ...

. Originally founded by the Religious of the Sacred Heart of Mary (RHSM), the university awarded associate,

bachelor's A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to si ...

, and

graduate degree Postgraduate or graduate education refers to academic or professional degrees, certificates, diplomas, or other qualifications pursued by post-secondary students who have earned an undergraduate (bachelor's) degree. The organization and struc ...

s. The institution was

accredited Accreditation is the independent, third-party evaluation of a conformity assessment body (such as certification body, inspection body or laboratory) against recognised standards, conveying formal demonstration of its impartiality and competence to ...

by the

WASC Senior College and University Commission The Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) was an organization providing accreditation of public and private universities, colleges, secondary and elementary schools in California and Hawaii, the territories of Guam, American Sam ...

. The university closed in August 2022.

History

The college was established in 1932, by the Religious of the Sacred Heart of Mary, on

Sunset Boulevard Sunset Boulevard is a boulevard in the central and western part of Los Angeles, California, that stretches from the Pacific Coast Highway in Pacific Palisades east to Figueroa Street in Downtown Los Angeles. It is a major thoroughfare in ...

in Westwood. It began as a liberal arts college for women and was the first Catholic junior college in California. In 1947, it received accreditation as a four-year college. In 1960, a new campus was started on Palos Verdes Peninsula that included dormitories for on-campus residential living, an auditorium, dining facility, a library, and a chapel. The college’s preparation for a merger with Loyola University of Los Angeles in Westchester, was started in 1967. It separated its two-year and four-year programs. The two-year programs remained on the

Rancho Palos Verdes Rancho Palos Verdes (Spanish for "Green Sticks Ranch") is a coastal city located in Los Angeles County, California atop the bluffs of the Palos Verdes Peninsula, neighboring other cities in the Palos Verdes Hills, including Palos Verdes Esta ...

campus and received accreditation, in 1971. In 1968, the four-year college moved to the Loyola campus. The merger was finalized in 1973, and became a new entity - Loyola Marymount University. In 1975, Marymount College moved to its present site. The Weekend College Program was added, in 1983. Accredited by Western Association of Schools and Colleges, the college offers degrees in both Associate in Arts and Associate in Science. The courses are conducted in various divisions, which include Computer Science, History, Business, Physical Education, Philosophy, Geography, Science, and Theatre Arts. Support services for students with disabilities are provided through the Learning Center. Marymount California University was established in 1968 by the RHSM as Marymount Palos Verdes College. It was split from the original Marymount College in Westwood, Los Angeles; this Marymount later merged with St. Joseph's College and then Loyola University to form

Loyola Marymount University Loyola Marymount University (LMU) is a private Jesuit and Marymount research university in Los Angeles, California. It is located on the west side of the city near Playa Vista. LMU is the parent school to Loyola Law School, which is located ...

. At the time, the college was a two-year institution of higher education. In 1975, responsibility for the college was transferred to a lay board of trustees. In 1986, the college changed its name from Marymount Palos Verdes College to Marymount College, Palos Verdes. In summer 2011, Marymount opened its Waterfront Campus in downtown

San Pedro, Los Angeles San Pedro ( ; Spanish: "St. Peter") is a neighborhood within the City of Los Angeles, California. Formerly a separate city, it consolidated with Los Angeles in 1909. The Port of Los Angeles, a major international seaport, is partially located wi ...

.
In spring 2013, Marymount changed its name from Marymount College to Marymount California University to reflect "an ongoing transformation of the 45-year-old institution of higher education to a multi-campus institution offering undergraduate and graduate degree programs." In fall 2013, Marymount opened its Lakeside Campus in the community of Lucerne in rural

Lake County, California Lake County is a county located in the north central portion of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 68,163. The county seat is Lakeport. The county takes its name from Clear Lake, the dominant geographic f ...

. In March 2016 the WASC Senior College and University Commission questioned the viability of a Northern California campus and it closed in 2017. In February 2018, the university appointed trustee Brian Marcotte its new president. The sudden departure of the previous president was not fully explained. The university announced plans in July 2021 to merge with

Saint Leo University Saint Leo University is a private Roman Catholic liberal arts university in St. Leo, Florida. It was established in 1889. The university is associated with the Holy Name Monastery, a Benedictine convent, and Saint Leo Abbey, a Benedictine mon ...

, another private Catholic university. The transition was expected to be completed by January 2023. Plans for the merger fell through and Marymount California University closed in August 2022. The Rancho Palos Verdes campus and the residential site in San Pedro were purchased by the

University of California, Los Angeles The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a teachers college then known as the southern branch of the Californ ...

Campuses

The Oceanview Campus encompasses 26-acres overlooking the Pacific Ocean and Catalina Island in Rancho Palos Verdes. Residential Community include The Villas located in adjacent San Pedro, a community of fully furnished, two-story townhomes that can accommodate 400 students and staff. In the center of the community is a swimming pool, fitness center, outdoor covered pavilion, beach volleyball court, basketball court and an outdoor kitchen.

Academics

Marymount California University was accredited by the

. Marymount California University offered the following undergraduate degrees: * Associate in Arts * Associate in Science * Bachelor of Arts * Bachelor of Science * Master of Business Administration

Athletics

The Marymount athletic teams were called the Mariners. The university was a member of the

National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) established in 1940, is a college athletics association for colleges and universities in North America. Most colleges and universities in the NAIA offer athletic scholarships to its stu ...

(NAIA), primarily competing in the

California Pacific Conference The California Pacific Conference (Cal Pac) is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). The conference commissioner is Don Ott. Conference leadership is shared among the member in ...

(CalPac) from 2012–13 to 2021–22. The Mariners previously competed as an NAIA Independent within the Association of Independent Institutions (AII) from 2010–11 to 2011–12. Marymount competed in 16 intercollegiate varsity sports: Men's sports included baseball, cross country, golf, soccer, softball, tennis and track & field; while women's sports included cross country, golf, soccer, softball, tennis, track & field, volleyball and beach volleyball; and co-ed sports included eSports and surfing.

References

External links

* {{Coord, 33.735217, N, 118.333783, W, type:edu_region:US-CA, display=title Palos Verdes Peninsula Universities and colleges in Los Angeles County, California Educational institutions established in 1932 Schools accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges Former women's universities and colleges in the United States Catholic universities and colleges in California Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities California Pacific Conference schools 1932 establishments in California 2022 disestablishments in California