One of the College's greatest strengths is its Roman Catholic heritage. For more than 70 years, Rivier's founders, the Sisters of the Presentation of Mary, have played a leading role in making the College a place where Judeo-Christian and Catholic values inform what we teach and what we talk about as a community.
Rivier students are an active and caring group. Some come to campus ready to expand on the community service they did in high school, while others are inspired to jump in and take part once they get here. In the past year, Rivier students made quilts for babies affected by the AIDS virus, served as mentors to elementary school students, built low-income housing, and traveled to Houston to work with children in crisis, among many other activities. Through its Campus Ministry and Volunteer Services Office, the College offers motivated students countless ways to make a difference.
The Rivier Mission
Core mission
Founded in 1933 by the Sisters of the Presentation of Mary, Rivier
College is a Catholic institution of higher education dedicated to
transforming hearts and minds to serve the world.
Full mission
Founded in 1933 by the Sisters of the Presentation of Mary, Rivier College is a Catholic institution of higher education dedicated to transforming hearts and minds to serve the world. As a co-educational institution of higher learning, the College is dedicated to the education of undergraduate and graduate students in both the liberal arts and professional courses of study.
Committed to the faith heritage, intellectual tradition, and social teachings of the Roman Catholic Church, the College educates the whole person in the context of an academic community that cultivates critical thought, sound judgment, and respect for all people. This community supports the intellectual growth of all its members while offering them opportunities for social, cultural, moral, and spiritual development. The challenge to the College community is to search for truth through the dialogue between faith and reason.
Rivier creates an environment in which integrated learning is the shared responsibility of students, faculty, staff, and administrators, and is pursued in all the curricular and co-curricular programs of the College. To participate in the life of Rivier College is to strive for academic excellence, to take responsibility for ourselves and for others, and to engage in dialogue about basic human issues facing society, especially the plight of the poor and powerless. The College extends to all of its members and also to the greater community an invitation to join in intellectual inquiry and dialogue.