Mission and History
Our Mission
As a community that welcomes people of all beliefs, Salve Regina University, a Catholic institution founded by the Sisters of Mercy, seeks wisdom and promotes universal justice. The University, through teaching and research, prepares students for responsible lives by imparting and expanding knowledge, developing skills and cultivating enduring values. Through liberal arts and professional programs, students develop their abilities for thinking clearly and creatively, enhance their capacity for sound judgment and prepare for the challenge of learning throughout their lives. In keeping with the traditions of the Sisters of Mercy and recognizing that all people are stewards of God’s creation, the University encourages students to work for a world that is harmonious, just and merciful.
Mission Integration
Our Office of Mission Integration works to provide innovative experiential learning and professional development opportunities infused with our mercy mission so that students, faculty and staff can collaborate and connect in meaningful and impactful ways.
Our Mercy Heritage
Salve's story reaches back in time almost 200 years, to an Irish Catholic laywoman named Catherine McAuley. Deeply aware of the pressing social, economic and religious challenges facing her community, McAuley used her unexpected inheritance to build a house of mercy in Dublin, where those in need could find shelter, welcome, an education and community.
Soon joined by other companions, McAuley founded the Sisters of Mercy in 1831 to continue this work through a new, active form of religious life where sisters take a vow of service to the poor, the sick and the uneducated. Today, the vocational commitments and the charism of the Sisters of Mercy continue to form Salve's mission.
Our History
For nearly two centuries, the Sisters of Mercy have maintained a presence throughout the world, and have been deeply involved in education, health care, pastoral ministry and social services. Spanning the United States is a network of universities and secondary and elementary schools sponsored by the Sisters of Mercy, who are assisted in their ministry by well-qualified lay faculty, staff and administrators.
Outstanding among these institutions is Salve Regina University. In 1934, the state of Rhode Island granted a charter to the Sisters of Mercy of Providence for a corporation named Salve Regina College. In 1947, following more than a dozen years of careful preparation, the turn-of-the-century Newport mansion Ochre Court was gifted to the college corporation, enabling Salve to welcome its first class of 58 students that fall. The institution became coeducational in 1973 and achieved university status in 1991, at which time the school's charter was amended to change the name of the corporation to Salve Regina University.
Salve's rich heritage is the foundation from which we continue to build innovative programming that prepares students to become the change-makers and ethical leaders needed in an ever-evolving global landscape. The vision that energized the founding Sisters of Mercy remains the same today, as our students and alumni positively impact the intellectual, spiritual and cultural life of their respective communities and work for a world that is harmonious, just and merciful.
Critical Concerns
The Sisters of Mercy have identified five critical concerns, which guide their ministry and provide focus for their social justice efforts - anti-racism, the Earth, immigration, nonviolence and women. The Salve community also works to address issues around these concerns through coursework, community engagement and experiential learning opportunities that are integral to our mercy mission and educational experience.
