Cabrini evolves through the eyes of a professor

In 1957, Cabrini College was founded with the philosophy of providing students with an Education of the Heart. In the fall of 1957, 43 women moved to campus, being the very first class of students at Cabrini College. During this time, the Woodcrest Mansion served as the main building on campus where students ate, lived and earned a higher education.

Just eight years later in 1965, Cabrini earned accreditation from the Middle States Association of College’s and Schools for the majors and minors offered to students. Then, by 1970, the first male students were accepted and enrolled to gain a higher education at Cabrini College.

After broadening the range of accepted students, more majors began to be adopted and offered to students. Cabrini added majors such as communications, business and secondary education, which still remain some of the most popular majors across campus today.

By 1982, campus expansion was continuing with the development of a new communications wing, the Widener Center and plans to offer master’s degrees to students. Following these years, Cabrini began to grow drastically and more residence halls began to be built to accommodate the growing numbers of students. Likewise, the number of majors offered began to grow alongside the student population. The study abroad program began to flourish, classes involving more outside community experience were added and Cabrini began to offer hybrid courses where students could take an online approach to college.

Leading up to today, many renovations are still occurring such as the renovations of Woodcrest and the new addition to Dixon. Other campus-wide evolutions are being made as well, such as an effort to diversify campus and welcome students to study at Cabrini from abroad.

“I have noticed that our student body is far more diverse than it was when I started and that’s been a wonderful thing to observe,” religious studies lecturer Ian Scott said. “We have a long way to go to ensure that all our students feel included and equally valued but I think we are doing far better at that than the nation as a whole.”

“I think there’s a level of excitement right now that may be unprecedented in Cabrini’s history and a level of excite- ment for Cabrini’s future in terms of plans for growth and plans for different programs and initiatives on campus,” Abel Rodriguez, Cabrini alumna and first year assistant professor of religious studies, said.

59 years after Cabrini opened its doors to the very first students, Cabrini College is now transitioning to adopt its new title, Cabrini University.

“I feel like this is an exciting time and people are really enthusiastic and optimistic about where things are con- tinuing to go,” Rodriguez said. “It’s an exciting time to join the faculty and to get to come back to Cabrini; to come back home.”