Program Overview
Learning the wisdom of the past
Socrates famously quipped that the unexamined life is not worth living for a human being. As one of the earliest contributors to a long tradition of liberal learning, Socrates knew the importance of reflecting on our common humanity in preparing young people for their roles as responsible and effective leaders in their communities. The Lasallian Honors Program believes that the best way to educate talented students like you is by reading the books that have formed the tradition for this kind of “examined life.” To that end, the Lasallian Honors Program offers small classes, close and personal attention from committed faculty members, and the companionship of other committed students as aids on your journey through the ideas and texts that have shaped both the Great Human Traditions. Such a journey will challenge you to examine your own commitments, but it will also enable you to develop a clearer vision of the best life for you and your neighbors, and to imagine possible ways of bringing that vision to light.
Learning to learn
An education that prepares you for the new millennium requires more than learning the wisdom of the past. It must also train you for a constantly changing world. In that world, the way you have been trained to think and learn will be just as important as what you have come to know. Skills of critical inquiry, analysis, written and oral communication, and the ability to learn from people who are different from you have become essential tools for the successful professional and are a central component of the Lasallian Honors program.
The Lasallian Honors faculty will help you to refine these skills through innovative pedagogies that combine traditional methods (close textual reading and seminar discussions about the readings) with experiential and collaborative learning techniques, in order to give you hands on experience in the shaping of knowledge. As an institution that values excellence in teaching, Saint Mary’s University attracts outstanding faculty who view teaching and learning as their primary responsibilities. This is especially true in the Honors Program, where you will engage in spirited dialogue with some of the best faculty in the University, who come together from across disciplines to plan and teach courses in the Great Books and Great Ideas of the Humanities, Sciences and Arts.
Learning to serve
Intellectual and professional excellence are certainly central features of the Lasallian Honors Program but such mastery is readily available in many other university settings and programs. One feature that sets the Lasallian Honors Program apart, not only from other academic departments but also from most other University honors programs, is its decisive appreciation of the role service should play in any life worthy of the name "excellent." In the Sophomore and Senior years, students engage in service placements in the local community and in academic reflection in the classroom. This method has proved to be a truly excellent way of bringing students to a heightened awareness of just how delicate the balance is between pursuing intellectual and professional excellence while maintaining a robust commitment to the common good.
The Honors Program is also affiliated with The Hendrickson Institute for Ethical Leadership, which offers workshops and guest speakers on topics related to creative and ethical leadership.
