Benedictine College

Benedictine College celebrated its 150th anniversary in 2008. [ 4 ] The present-day college was formed in 1971 by the merger of St. Benedict's College , a men's college, and Mount St. Scholastica College , a women's college. View from the abbey At the request of John Baptist Miège , Vicar Apostolic of Leavenworth, two Benedictine monks arrived in Atchison from Doniphan and opened St. Benedict's College, a boarding school, in 1858. It was named for Benedict of Nursia , founder of modern western monasticism . The mainly classical school curriculum was intended to prepare students for the priesthood. The monks, who had recently arrived in the Kansas Territory , then moved their community to Atchison and founded the present-day St. Benedict's Abbey. It expanded to include commerce subjects to cater to the needs of the local population, which was primarily pioneers and settlers. Over the years the college continued to expand and by 1927 it was an accredited four-year liberal arts college . In 1863, the Benedictine Sisters of Mount St. Scholastica, whose namesake is Benedict of Nursia 's twin sister Scholastica , arrived in Atchison and founded St. Scholastica's Academy (now Maur Hill – Mount Academy ) for local young women. In 1924, Mount St. Scholastica's Junior College was opened so these young women could continue their tertiary education. It became a senior college in 1932 and was authorized to confer bachelor degrees . In 1970, Alcuin Hemmen, president of St. Benedict's College, announced that St. Benedict's would become a co-educational college. Mary Noel Walter, president of Mount St. Scholastica College, had been proposing a merger of the two colleges for over a year. Following Alcuin's announcement, Walter organized discussion of a merger. [ 5 ] It was agreed upon, and the universities merged on July 1, 1971, to form the current Benedictine College.

The separate colleges' corporations remain in existence for scholarships and land ownership purposes [ 6 ] and allowed the newly formed college a free 50-year lease of the separate colleges' facilities on their campuses. Benedictine College terminated the lease of the facilities from Mount St. Scholastica College on October 1, 1989, amidst financial hardship. [ 7 ] It continues to lease property from St. Benedict's College. Presidents Mary Noel Walter (Acting, July 1, 1971, to February 12, 1972) Gerard Senecal (February 12, 1972 to May 29, 1987) Katherine Delaney (Acting, May 29, 1987, to 1988) Thomas O. James (1988 to 1995) Daniel J. Carey (1995 to 2003) Stephen D. Minnis (2004 to present)

The most popular majors at Benedictine are Business, Education, and Theology. Commerce, teaching, and the faith are historically significant interests of both the college and the Benedictine order. [ 8 ] The School of Business offers bachelor's degrees and an MBA degree. Similarly, the Education Department offers undergraduate licensure programs and a Master of Arts. [ 9 ] The college's theology department grew out of St. Benedict's Abbey School of Theology and is the result of a 2007 shift from a Religious Studies program to a Catholic Theology program. All Theology professors are to have signed the canon-law mandatum [ 10 ] as implemented by the U.S. bishops, [ 11 ] and to take the oath of fidelity. [ 12 ] The National Catholic Register's Catholic Identity College Guide [ 13 ] notes that the president has made a public profession of faith and taken the oath of fidelity; the majority of the board of trustees are Catholic and the school's mandatum requirement is public. According to the Cardinal Newman Society 's "The Newman Guide to Choosing a Catholic College" guide, [ 14 ] the theology department shares the college's institutional commitment to the magisterium of the Catholic Church. In 2010, Benedictine College added an Engineering Department in which students earn ABET-accredited degrees. [ 15 ] The following year, the college added a nursing program dedicated to Mother Teresa of Calcutta who once visited Mount St. Scholastica in Atchison. [ 16 ] The college's architecture major, stressing classical styles, debuted in 2016. [ 17 ] The college's Discovery Program gives students the opportunity to create and present original projects in any discipline. In 2010, Discovery Day included 80 presentations featuring the works of 145 students, 40 faculty/staff members, and 18 academic departments; "more than 1800 students have participated in Benedictine’s Discovery Day events since its inception in 1996.

In that time, most faculty members and academic departments have taken an active role in sponsoring student projects." [ 18 ] Performing arts The college offers programs in the performing arts, including theatre, dance, and music. The college features two performance spaces: the Mabee Theatre seats approximately 130 and the O'Malley-McAllister Auditorium seats around 545 people. The Abbey Church and St. Scholastica chapel at Mount St. Scholastica Monastery are also utilized for organ recitals, orchestra, and choral performances. The college's music department traces its roots to Mount St. Scholastica Academy, now Maur Hill - Mount Academy , when in 1863 the Benedictine sisters were said to have first purchased a house and then a piano. The music department of the college was one of the first cooperative departments between the former two colleges, having been formed in 1964.