Fairfield University was founded by the Society of Jesus in 1942 as the Fairfield College-Preparatory School. In 1945, the school was chartered by Connecticut to grant degrees thus becoming Fairfield University. The school’s first graduate level courses started in 1950 and in 1951 Fairfield graduated its first class of students. Women were admitted into the university in 1970 and the following decades saw the growth and expansion of the Jesuit college. In September of 2004, the school started a campaign that raised $137.9 million to renovate and construct seven new buildings, so today the young campus is undergoing major physical improvements.
Fairfield’s gorgeous campus consists of 35 buildings on 200 acres. The campus is situated on three consecutive manor home estates, so the academic buildings sit among wide lawns, wooded areas, and ponds that are postcard-pristine. There are historic buildings that date back to the late 1800s as well as renovations and brand new constructions that continue to crop up around campus. The university is making an effort to ensure all new developments are as green as possible with a new Combined Heat and Power Plant that will reduce the university’s carbon footprint. In May 2008 the school’s president made a commitment with other college and university presidents to work toward neutralizing greenhouse gas emissions on campus. Fairfield recently broke ground for the Fairfield Jesuit Community Center, a meeting center that will be environmentally friendly, complete with roof garden and geo-thermal heating and air conditioning.
Fairfield University is located in Fairfield, Connecticut, an affluent beach town along the shoreline of Long Island Sound. The picturesque village has been around since 1639 and many of the buildings are on the National Register of Historic Places. Students have access to the beautiful beach and a lively downtown with short rides on university shuttles. Fairfield students frequent the neighboring town of Bridgeport for great restaurants and entertainment, and when they really want to go out on the town, these college kids hop the train to New York City.
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Write a review and tell us about the traditions at Fairfield!
Donatella Arpaia (attended) is a judge on The Food Network’s The Next Iron Chef.
January LaVoy (1997) is an actress in One Life to Live.
Raymond McCaffrey (1979) is the Bureau Chief of The Washington Post.
Peter Pronovost (1986) is a physician specializing in intensive care at Johns Hopkins and was named one of the 2008 Time 100 World’s Most Influential People.
Christopher Sachs (1979) is the Vice President and Publisher of National Geographic Adventure.
The Fairfield Stags are NCAA Division I and participate in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. There are varsity teams in baseball, basketball, crew, cross country, field hockey, golf, lacrosse, soccer, softball, swimming and diving, tennis, and volleyball. The most successful Stag teams as of late have been men’s and women’s lacrosse, women’s basketball, men’s and women’s soccer, and volleyball. For competitive students who yearn for athletic camaraderie, Fairfield offers an array of club sports including options as diverse as martial arts, equestrian, sailing, and skiing and snowboarding.
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The University mascot is the Stag.
The campus was used in the filming of All Good Things with Ryan Gosling and Kirsten Dunst.
Tony, the main character in Who’s the Boss? attended Fairfield and wore university garb on the show.
The university encourages students to live in one of the on-campus residence halls, townhouses, or the university apartment complex all four years here. Fairfield freshmen live together in the traditional dormitories with basic rooms that range from singles to quads. Second year students usually live in either the traditional dorms or suite-style dorms that have two double rooms adjoined by a bathroom. Juniors and seniors get first pick for the sweeter digs and live in townhouses (fully furnished two or three bedroom condos), the apartment complex (four singles with a shared kitchen and living room), or suite-style dorms.
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