History of Carroll College
At the beginning of the 20th century, Bishop John Patrick Carroll, second Bishop of the Diocese of Helena, had a dream to build a Catholic college in western Montana. In 1909, that dream became reality when William Howard Taft, 27th President of the United States, helped lay the cornerstone of St. Charles Hall.
In September 1910, Mount Saint Charles College opened its doors for classes, and the first college student graduated in 1916. In 1932, the school’s name was changed to Carroll College in honor of its founder. Since then, Carroll has progressively expanded its programs, facilities, and reputation for academic excellence. Carroll remains committed to a value-oriented education, one that prepares students for careers while providing for the intellectual, spiritual, imaginative, moral, personal and social development of each individual.
Accreditation
Carroll College is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, an institutional accreditation body recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation and/or the Secretary of the Department of Education. The Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities is located at: 8060 165th Avenue NE, Suite 100, Redmond, Washington 98052-3981.
Carroll College is authorized to offer post-secondary degree programs in the State of Montana as required by the Montana Code Annotated and the Board of Regents Policy effective August 13, 2014. Carroll College has been approved for participation in the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (SARA) which provides a streamlined, reciprocity based process for participating post-secondary institutions to gain approval to offer interstate distance education in SARA member states. More information about the Montana post-secondary educational institution complaint process can be found online at https://mus.edu/MUS-Statement-of-Complaint-Process.asp.
The Civil Engineering and Engineering Science programs are accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, http://www.abet.org. On February 22, 2019, the Carroll College Board of Trustees, through a campus-wide program prioritization process, discontinued the Engineering Science program. Effective Fall 2019, new students will not be admitted to the program. Current Engineering Science students will be taught to graduation with an accredited degree.
Carroll’s Teacher Education Program is approved for licensure purposes by the State of Montana Board of Public Education.
The baccalaureate degree in nursing at Carroll College is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (http://www.ccneaccreditation.org). The program is also approved by the Montana State Board of Nursing.
The Business Department has a specialized accreditation through the International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education (IACBE) (https://iacbe.org).
Students who would like to obtain or review documentation of Carroll’s accreditation may contact the office of academic affairs or the appropriate academic department.
Carroll College Mission Statement
Founded in 1909 by Bishop John Carroll, Carroll College is a Catholic, diocesan, liberal arts college in the ecumenical tradition of the Second Vatican Council. It advances its mission by fulfilling the following objectives.
Instilling an enduring wonder for knowledge that will prepare students for leadership and their chosen vocations
As a liberal arts school, Carroll College acknowledges the practical role of preparing its students for a career, but it also affirms the traditional role of providing for the expansion of the intellectual, imaginative, and social awareness of its students. It is dedicated to providing for its students the means for their full realization of a dual goal of vocation and enlightenment. Thus, while providing substantial professional and pre-professional programs, the College encourages and expects all students to participate in a broad spectrum of academic disciplines.
Offering an integrative and value-centered education rooted in freedom of inquiry
As an academic community, Carroll College affirms its commitment to the principle of freedom of inquiry in the process of investigating, understanding, critically reflecting upon, and finally judging reality and truth in all fields of human knowledge. As value-oriented, Carroll College is committed to and deeply involved in the further dimension of free deliberation and decision-making regarding values and personal commitment. Each student at Carroll, through personal and institutional means, is exposed to value systems with which one can readily identify, including secular values such as the worth of work and the use of the intellect, humanistic values centering on the uniqueness and dignity of the person, and religious and moral values concerned with one’s relationship to God, self, and others.
Engaging faithfully the intellectual tradition and the teachings of the Catholic Church
As a Catholic college, Carroll is obligated to treat judgments concerning ultimate reality and decisions concerning ultimate value at both an academic and a pastoral level. This obligation involves the College’s relationship to the Magisterium of the Catholic Church, defined as “the perennial, authentic, and infallible teaching office committed to the Apostles by Christ and now possessed and exercised by their legitimate successors, the college of bishops in union with the pope.” Carroll College is committed to present faithfully within its curriculum the magisterial teachings of the Catholic Church. At the same time, it acknowledges the special role of the theologian, who—although not a part of the authoritative teaching body of the Church—makes available to the Magisterium his or her scientific competence, while acting as a mediator between religion and culture by carrying on an academic dialogue with philosophy, science, the liberal arts, the believing community, and secular society.
Serving all with humility, especially our neighbors who are poor and marginalized
As a college founded by and related to the Diocese of Helena, Carroll has a special obligation to provide for the spiritual needs of the college community. At the same time, the resources of the College’s Theology Department and campus ministry organization are available for the special religious needs of the diocesan community as a whole. Moreover, Carroll College rededicates its spiritual, academic, and social resources to the service of the citizens of Montana, its home, and to the worldwide human family through continuing efforts to guarantee to individuals, to groups, and especially to the marginalized the right to life, to personal and social dignity, and to equality of opportunity in all aspects of human activity.
Welcoming all persons of good will in a cooperative journey toward truth and virtue
In the ecumenical tradition of the Second Vatican Council, Carroll College is committed to a policy of open participation by members of all religious faiths and all persons of good will in the total academic and spiritual experience of the college community. While standing fast by the teaching of the Catholic Church, and avoiding a false conciliatory approach foreign to the true spirit of ecumenism, Carroll College welcomes in love and respect the full participation of other Christians and non-Christians in an ecumenical dialogue and in a truly humble and charitable joint venture in the common search for the Ultimate Truth and the Ultimate Good which is the final goal of all education.
Officially adopted by the Carroll College Board of Trustees May 26, 1978
New format officially adopted by the Carroll College Board of Trustees November 7, 2014
Notice of Nondiscrimination
Carroll College prohibits unlawful discrimination in employment and all education programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, physical or mental disability, marital status, gender identity, sexual orientation, creed, religion, or sex. In the case of religion and creed, distinctions may be appropriate under state and federal constitutional provisions due to the religious character and Catholic identity of Carroll College and the nature of the particular employment position at issue.
Carroll College admits students of any race, color, national origin, age, physical or mental disability, marital status, gender identity, sexual orientation, creed, religion, or sex to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin in administration of student admissions, recruitment, academic programs, research, occupational training, housing, counseling, financial aid, physical education, athletics, recreation, transportation, other extracurricular, or other postsecondary education aid, benefits, or services to which section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 applies.
Carroll College is also committed to compliance with state and federal anti-discrimination laws applicable to educational institutions. Carroll College will not exclude, expel, limit, or otherwise discriminate against an individual seeking admission as a student or an individual enrolled as a student in the terms, conditions, or privileges of Carroll College because of race, color, national origin, age, physical or mental disability, marital status, gender identity, sexual orientation, creed, religion, or sex.
In addition, Carroll College complies with the 2020 U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights (OCR) Title IX Regulations, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in any educational programs or activities by recipients of federal financial assistance, including Carroll College. Inquiries concerning Title IX may be directed to the Title IX Coordinator(s) or to the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Civil Rights.
Carroll College’s Title IX Coordinators are:
Annette Walstad, Dean of Students
Borromeo Hall
406-447-5434
awalstad@carroll.edu
and
Karla Smith, Director of Human Resources
O’Connell Hall
406-447-5501
klsmith@carroll.edu.
Photograph, Video and Audio Recordings of Students
Carroll College and its representatives will take photographs, videos and audio recordings of campus life and activities—including athletic events, classroom teaching, extracurricular activities and students in public or common areas—for use and publication in print, on television and radio, and in electronic and online media such as the college’s website, YouTube and other social media channels, and podcasts. If you object to your image or voice being used by the College, provide advance notice to any photographer, videographer or audiotape technician that you withhold your consent. Anyone who does not provide such notice as stated above is deemed to have consented to their images and audio recordings released for the stated purposes.
Catalog Disclaimer
This Carroll College catalog is a document of record issued in 2024 for one year. This catalog contains current information regarding admission, degree requirements, academic policies, course offerings, and fees. It is not intended to be and should not be relied upon as a statement for the College’s contractual undertakings. Carroll College reserves the right to modify academic policies, course content, degree requirements, or fees whenever it is deemed necessary or desirable; in any such case, notice thereof will be given as is reasonably practical under the circumstances.
2024-2025 Academic Calendar
The official academic calendar for the 2024-2025 school year can be found online at https://www.carroll.edu/academics/academic-calendar