AAC&U News | February 02

Santa Clara Aims to Educate the Whole Person

California's oldest institution of higher learning integrates science, ethics, and civic engagement in its science core curriculum.

Curae Personalis or "care of the person," a quote from the work of St. Ignatius of Loyola, is a guiding statement for Santa Clara University, one of 28 Jesuit colleges in the United States. By being engaged in the community, in the curriculum, and with their colleagues, students at California's oldest institution of higher learning transform themselves into people of conscience, competence, and compassion—the three "C's" of Santa Clara. This transformation occurs through 1) rigorous analytical inquiry; 2) exploration of values and ethics; 3) personal reflection in order to understand relationships; and 4) being engaged and involved.

"Jesuit education is intended to be 'transformative,'" said Dr. Peter Facione, dean of Santa Clara's College of Arts and Sciences when describing the University's mission to "educate the whole person." At Santa Clara, transformation is expected in the individual student, in the community, and in the learning environment. For example, this can occur through community-based learning, rather than "service learning," for in community-based learning, the student is transformed by what is learned from the community. Before one can serve society, on emust have an authentic understanding of society. This is precisely the Jesuit viewpoint, which encourages personal as well as intellectual growth in students. "The presumption is that Santa Clara-and Santa Clara students-can change for the better" adds Dr. Carmichael Peters, faculty director for Santa Clara's Unity residential community and assistant professor of religious studies.

Santa Clara's strategic plan focuses on two initiatives: Building a Community of Scholars, and Providing an Integrated Education—which translates to a well-rounded education. As part of the University Core Curriculum, students study World Cultures, Technology, and Ethics. In the newly implemented science Core Curriculum, every student is required to complete a hands-on laboratory science course in order to develop the critical thinking skills required to be a scientist, or to be successful in any discipline, rather than simply learning about science. Experiments in these Core science courses are exploratory and give students the chance to design their own procedures. Jean Gunner, Director of Core Composition and Associate Professor of English Composition, describes this as a logical curricular base that creates "meaningful integration" of disciplines.

"Chemistry and the Environment," taught by Dr. Amy Shachter, associate professor of Chemistry at Santa Clara, is one of the course options offered to fulfill the science Core Curriculum. This course is one of five original models presented at AAC&U's SENCER Summer Institute, an event hosted by Santa Clara on its campus in August 2000. Through SENCER (Science Education for New Civic Engagements & Responsibilities), Santa Clara is participating in a "national effort to … improve science education." The 2002 SENCER Summer Institute will again be held at Santa Clara University in early August. AAC&U's SENCER project connects science education and civc engagement by teaching rigorous science through the study of complex, capacious, and unsolved public issues.

A unique feature of science education at Santa Clara includes the institution's learning communities. All entering freshmen become members of one of seven campus residential learning communities. Those students who have an interest in science, whether or not that is their major, choose the ATOM community—for Aristotle, Telescopes, Oscilloscopes, and Microscopes—one of two campus learning communities in which students are encouraged to stay together for all four years. There are five additional communities and two more are currently under development—one of which will integrate faith and science, and the other will focus on environmental studies.

Since 1996, Santa Clara University has been one of six undergraduate institutions nationwide that have received funding from the National Science Foundation's Research Experiences for Undergraduates. A key component unique to the undergraduate research experience at Santa Clara is the emphasis on ethics. Santa Clara students are involved in the social impact of the sciences they study. Summer research students and faculty mentors participate in weekly "Ethics in Science" discussions. The purpose of these discussions is to help students develop the ability to identify when a research issue is an ethical one, the knowledge and skills needed to perform an ethical analysis, and the appreciation of different ethical perspectives.

Other innovative science education programs at Santa Clara include: SUPERLAB, a program currently under development by the Department of Chemistry that will include aspects of several current science laboratories into one intensive, year-long laboratory experience; the Community of Science Scholars Initiative, in which undergraduate researchers are given the opportunity to work in the research laboratories of participating SCU faculty; the Environmental Studies Institute, which coordinates education, research, and service programs in order to foster environmental awareness, dialogue, and inquiry; and the Biotechnology program which is designed to prepare students for advanced degrees in biotechnology or biomedical research, or to directly enter the workforce.

For more information about Santa Clara University and its science programs, see http://www.scu.edu/SCU/Departments/ArtsandSciences. For more information about SENCER or to download an application form for the 2002 Summer Institute, see http://www.aacu.org/SENCER.

For information about learning communities, see AAC&U's special issue of Peer Review, from Summer/Fall, 2002, at http://www.aacu.org/peerreview/pr-fa01contents.cfm.