Dear Prospective Faculty Member:

For a faculty member committed to undergraduate teaching, Saint Vincent College is a great place to work. In my time with the College, I've been impressed with the quality, spirit, and commitment of the Saint Vincent faculty. They are a terrific group of colleagues.

As you investigate whether Saint Vincent College is the right place for you, let me suggest a few locations on the Web to help you learn more about us and about living in Southwestern Pennsylvania.

We are located on the edge of Latrobe in a very pretty rural setting. Faculty members tend to live in Latrobe, Greensburg (the county seat and largest community in Westmoreland county, about seven miles west of campus), or Ligioner (a very charming small community, about 10 miles east of campus). For community and civic information about Latrobe, see Latrobe . For information about Greensburg see Greensburg.  There is also a wealth of information about the area on the Tribune-Review website.

The quality of life in Westmoreland County is very good, indeed. Our immediate neighborhood, the Laurel Highlands, offers some wonderful opportunities for outdoor recreation including everything from mountain biking, hiking, snow skiing in winter and whitewater rafting in the summer. Nearby are some notable historical sites and sites of cultural significance such as Frank Lloyd Wright's famous "Falling Water." The Palace Theater in Greensburg is a local venue for the performing arts, including a regional symphony orchestra. The Westmoreland Mall on the eastern side of Greensburg is a major regional shopping mall. Those few things you can't find in the Latrobe-Greensburg area will surely be in Pittsburgh - an interesting, sophisticated city that is only 35 miles away. Among other Pittsburgh attractions, you'll find some outstanding museums (the Carnegie Science Museum is a favorite of our family), fabulous performing arts - including the world-class Pittsburgh Symphony, and a fascinating set of neighborhoods to explore. Pittsburgh has a great sports tradition and the pro teams are a pride of the region. Saint Vincent, by the way, hosts the summer camp for the Pittsburgh Steelers football team and you'll find more than a few rabid fans on campus!

You may be wondering about the cost of living in our area. Most studies show the cost of living in Southwestern Pennsylvania to be slightly below the national average cost of living and quite reasonable compared to much of the Eastern U.S. If you'd like to get a sense of the cost of housing, try a search in realtor.com for Westmoreland County including "Latrobe" "Unity Township" and "Greensburg." For a sense of rental housing options and cost within Westmoreland county, check the on-line classified advertising on the Tribune-Review website.

The Latrobe area offers good schools - both public and parochial. These websites provide information for the Greater Latrobe Public Schools, Christ the Divine Teacher (K-8) Catholic School in Latrobe, Aquinas Academy (Catholic K-8) in Greensburg and Greensburg Central Catholic High School. The State of Pennsylvania recently commissioned an assessment study of all public school districts in the state. The study, conducted by Standard & Poor's, is found at http://www.ses.standardandpoors.com click on Pennsylvania, log in, and select "Greater Latrobe". Other nearby public districts include Derry Area, Hempfield Area, and Greensburg-Salem.

There are several transportation options for travel into and out of the Latrobe Area. The campus is less than a mile from U.S. Route 30 just over 10 miles from the Pennsylvania turnpike. The Arnold Palmer Airport (LBE) in Latrobe, just a few miles from campus, is served by Northwest Airlines with three daily flights to their hub in Detroit.  A wide range of airlines, including several low cost carriers, serve the Pittsburgh International Airport (airport code: PIT). Driving time from Latrobe to the Pittsburgh airport is about an hour and 15 minutes but can be more depending on route and traffic in Pittsburgh. There is Amtrak service daily in Latrobe and Greensburg. To the east, Amtrak serves Philadelphia, New York, and Washington D.C. and to the west the route goes to Chicago with a change of trains in Pittsburgh. There is regional bus service throughout Westmoreland County and public transportation is an option to reach campus (Route 9).

Saint Vincent College is a Catholic, Benedictine College. We share the campus with Saint Vincent Archabbey, the oldest Benedictine Abbey in the U.S., and with Saint Vincent Seminary - which offers graduate degrees in theological studies, including preparation for the Roman Catholic priesthood, and the Saint Vincent Basilica Parish, one of the oldest (1790) Catholic parishes in Western Pennsylvania. The Saint Vincent Archabbey is one of the largest communities of Benedictine men in the U.S. By the way, you may particularly enjoy the cartoon feature "Archabbot and Costello" on the Archabbey's page.

The Benedictines are a religious order founded more than 1500 years ago. There are communities of men and women monastics all across the world. If you'd like to learn more about the Benedictines generally and the Benedictine approach to education check this site sponsored by Saint John's Abbey.

Finally, if you'd like to learn more about what is happening on a day-to-day basis at Saint Vincent College, you might wish to subscribe to the College's weekly Bulletin via e-mail. Send a message with the following on the first line of the body:

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Best of luck with your search for a suitable academic position.

Sincerely,

Dr. Mary Beth Spore
Interim Vice President for Academic Affairs