Dominican University of California

Guzman Dominican University of California is an independent university located 12 miles north of the Golden Gate Bridge in Marin County, California. Dominican offers more than 40 academic programs to 2,200 undergraduate and graduate students.

Dominican's mission is to educate and prepare students to be ethical leaders and socially responsible global citizens who incorporate the Dominican values of study, reflection, community, and service into their lives. Guided by its Catholic heritage, the University is committed to diversity, sustainability and the integration of the liberal arts, the sciences and professional programs.

An American history scholar, Dr. Joseph R. Fink has served as the University's president since 1988. Under his leadership, Dominican has transformed from a small college of 650 students to a vibrant University committed to providing educational opportunities to individuals representing the diversity of California's population. Almost half of Dominican's undergraduate students are from ethnically diverse backgrounds, and one-quarter of its undergraduates are the first generation in their family to attend college. Dominican's students come throughout California, as well as from more than 30 states and 25 countries.

Dominican has a century-long reputation for excellence in scholarship, research and community outreach. For the past seven years, U.S. News & World Report named Dominican in the top tier of master's institutions in the West. For the past three years, Dominican has been named to the President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll, the highest federal recognition a university can achieve for its commitment to civic engagement. This year, Dominican received a 10-year accreditation from the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC), the longest extension possible.

Additionally, Dominican received "provisional" status from the NCAA for its athletics program, which is transitioning into NCAA Division II. All 12 of Dominican's sports teams now compete under the NCAA logo.

As one of the largest employers in Marin County, Dominican plays an increasingly important role in the Marin and Bay Area economy.

President Joseph R. Fink

Joseph R. Fink has been the president of Dominican University of California since the summer of 1988. Prior to coming to Dominican, Dr. Fink served as the president of two other colleges—for nine years (1979-1988) he was president of a private college in Pennsylvania and from 1974-79 he was the president of a public college in New Jersey. Earlier he was the Dean of Arts and Sciences of the City College of Chicago, a professor of history, and an American Council on Education Fellow.

Dr. Fink holds a PhD in American history from Rutgers University. He is on the board of directors or otherwise involved in several national and local organizations, including the Council of Independent Colleges, the American Historical Association, the Association of Independent California Colleges and Universities, the Commonwealth Club of California, and the North Bay Council. He has served on the boards of the San Francisco Ballet, the World Affairs Council, the Marin Symphony, Guide Dogs for the Blind, and the American Land Conservancy.

President Fink has been awarded three honorary doctorates: from Rider University in New Jersey, College Misericordia in Pennsylvania, and Golden Gate University in San Francisco.

Angelico Hall

Built in 1921 and dedicated in 1922, Dominican's Angelico Hall will serve as the host venue for the October 12 California Governor's debate between Meg Whitman and Jerry Brown.

Angelico Hall's seating capacity, including its balcony, is 850. It was refurbished in 1989.

Angelico Hall has served as a host for some of America's leading policy makers and literary luminaries. The University's Institute for Leadership Studies has hosted a fall and spring lecture series that has attracted Madeleine Albright, Bill Bradley, Ralph Nader, Jane Fonda, Michael Chabon, Amy Tan, Dave Eggers and Isabel Allende.

In November of 2009, former U.S. Vice President Al Gore spoke to a capacity crowd at Angelico with an additional 175 people watching a live feed in nearby Guzman Lecture Hall.

In October 2008, Dominican staged "VoteSmart Challenge '08" featuring Dominican students, representatives of presidential candidates Barack Obama and John McCain's presidential campaigns and National Public Radio ombudsman Alicia Shepard engaged in candid discussion about pressing policy changes.

In April 2007, Dominican hosted the 21st annual National Conference on Undergraduate Research in Angelico, an event that attracted more than 2,200 people to campus.