Department of Classics
Fall 2007
Mission
The Classics Department undertakes to maintain and expand on the tradition of integral incorporation of the study of Classics into Jesuit education in light of the foundational role of ancient Mediterranean culture in Western Culture. Besides providing perspective on the origins of Western literature, art, philosophy, religion, government, and social norms, Classics offerings emphasize the critical posture of ancient Greek and Roman thought as a model for analyzing and questioning social assumptions as a starting point for change. The department strives to create a lively environment that encourages an engagement with and contributions to scholarly advances in the various sub-disciplines that constitute Classics.
Goals
Goal 1: To foster campus-wide exposure to and study of the classical worlds and Western culture
Objectives:
| a)
| Students should know the classical sources that form the core of
Western culture.
|
| | b) | Students should be able to articulate and reflect maturely upon the
characteristic aspects and on Western culture. |
| | c) | The department should be a resource for other departments and the
university community about issues concerning Western culture,
especially its origins and development. |
Goal 2: To make discernible progress in cultivating reflective thought among majors
| Objectives: | a)
| Students should develop cross-disciplinary skills that enable them to
collect and master important data, to distinguish fact from opinion, and
to make a cogent and compelling argument supported by the
appropriate use of evidence. |
| | b) | Students should have a coherent understanding of the connections
between human nature, community, and a life lived well, and be eager
and able to think seriously about the nature of responsible citizenship. |
| | c) | Students should be able to move towards critical thinking by
demonstrating objective, independent self-critical thinking even to the
point of reasoned and thoughtful subversiveness. |
| | d) | Students taking language courses should be able to use Greek and/or
Latin as a model for understanding language structure in general, and for
exploring the nexus between language and culture. |
| | e) | The department should provide major and minor programs, both with and
without a language component, that offer the strongest possible liberal
arts education. |
| | f) | The curriculum should ensure that those students who wish to pursue
graduate study in Classics are well prepared. |
Goal 3: To continue to promote an active community of scholars within the program
Objective:
| The department should be an intellectual community that promotes: a) faculty
publication and reflective teaching; and b) student exposure to and engagement with
the best scholarship our fields have to offer. |
Goal 4: To encourage civic engagement within the university and the wider community
Objective:
| The program should contribute to the betterment of the department, college,
and university by aligning our courses with Core Curriculum requirements and
by developing and participating in college, university, and community programs
to which our courses and professional competencies are especially suited. |
