Academics
Liberal Studies Curriculum
Saint Michael’s College Statement of Mission affirms the commitment of the College to provide a liberal education in light of the Catholic faith and its tradition. This commitment influences all activities of the College especially its curriculum. Our curriculum is designed to develop virtue and good character in our students, as well as to develop their mental capacities. By including the teaching of Christian ideals and the teaching of the Gospel in the curriculum, the College carries out the tradition of liberal education which has always sought the formation, not only of the intelligent person, but of the good person.
The Saint Michael’s College Liberal Studies Curriculum reflects the mission statement of the College and is consistent with the desire to develop a community of persons striving for personal fulfillment and dedicated to the pursuit of justice for the common good. The Liberal Studies Curriculum is based on four basic principles.
I. Enhancement of Citizenship
The Liberal Studies courses should prepare students at Saint Michael’s to be responsible citizens in the larger community. Civic excellence requires students to become aware of the civic humanist traditions of the West, as well as the traditions of other cultures. The Saint Michael’s curriculum must empower its women and men to participate constructively in society and its institutions. Citizens of the twenty-first century will be called upon to meet the challenges of an increasingly integrated global community.
II. Appreciation and Cultivation of the Arts and Sciences
Students should develop an understanding and appreciation of the intrinsic value of the liberal arts and sciences. The Liberal Studies courses should promote a respect for the learning process, including an awareness of the various requirements of scholarship in religious studies, philosophy, natural science, mathematics, social science, humanities, and fine arts.
III. Critical Thinking and Communication
The Liberal Studies courses should promote the ability to think critically and to communicate thoughts in a clear and persuasive fashion. Both critical thinking and communication are necessary for the exercise of responsible citizenship, and both are needed to appreciate and participate in the dialogues that occur within the liberal arts, sciences, and fine arts. Critical thinking and communication are not exclusively the province of any particular course or discipline, and they are stressed in all courses in the Saint Michael’s curriculum.
IV. The Integration of Human Knowledge
The Liberal Studies courses should establish a foundation of integral values that will help the women and men of Saint Michael’s investigate, evaluate, and respect life in all its diverse manifestations, and assist them in making the personal decisions they will confront throughout their lives. An effort towards integration is expressed in a variety of ways: notably through the structure and arrangement of the Liberal Studies courses, the development of interdisciplinary courses, and the experience of common learning in Liberal Studies courses.