Program Mission

  1. To provide a thematically integrated program of studies which is centered on the dignity of the human person and nurtures that "philosophic habit of mind" advocated by Cardinal Newman.
  2. To provide a multidisciplinary and historically sequenced approach to learning, which offers an alternative to the usual discipline-centered menu of general education requirements.
  3. To advance self-knowledge primarily through investigating the course and contributions of Western civilization as preparation for a lifetime engagement with contemporary thought and culture.
  4. To promote a great books, great ideas strategy for intellectual development that advocates depth rather than breadth, immersion rather than exposure, and active rather than passive learning.
  5. To produce independent, self-motivated learners through a mentoring process that culminates in the conception, development and presentation of an original thesis, scientific project or artistic work.
  6. To prepare students to flourish in an increasing digital environment by incorporating information technology into the instructional process, thereby extending the learning environment beyond the traditional confines of the classroom.
  7. To furnish a supportive environment for the development and training of faculty in alternative methods of instruction. To recruit, engage, develop and retain superior students who will serve as models both inside and outside the classroom.