The College of St. Scholastica

Student Handbook

Student Handbook - General Information

GENERAL INFORMATION 

 

Dear Student,

Welcome to St. Scholastica!  This is a special place.  The great bluestones of Tower Hall remind us of the solidity and permanence of the Benedictine tradition whose values inform our College.  Our proximity to SuperiorNational Forest and Lake Superior reminds us daily of nature’s rhythms and cycles even as we study the achievements of human civilization.

You are joining a community of learners.  Our faculty will introduce you to the best theory and practice to prepare you for your professional life; they will also engage you in conversations about basic and important human questions, and they will challenge you to clarify and defend your values.  They will not “give” you an education, but they will show you how to learn.

Our dedicated staff will support your classroom learning and provide opportunities for you to participate in out-of-class activities that also teach lessons about life.

This handbook lists the rights and responsibilities of membership in this community.  It is important that you read these pages carefully and understand them.  In the end, what is said here may be summarized simply: Take charge of your learning and contribute to our life together.

Please accept my best wishes for a productive and happy academic year.

Sincerely,

Dr. Larry Goodwin

President

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BENEDICTINES OF ST. SCHOLASTICA  MONASTERY

Our historical roots reach back to 480 A.D. when twins, Benedict and Scholastica, were born in Norcia, Italy.  After going to Rome to pursue his education, Benedict became disillusioned with the corrupt morals of his society.  He withdrew to become a hermit, living in a cave near Subiaco.  There he sought God and devoted himself to prayer and holy reading, especially sacred scripture.

Eventually others learned of Benedict and came to him that they too might seek God.  Benedict was their spiritual guide.  After a few years (in 529 A.D.), Benedict and some of his monks left Subiaco and built the Abbey of Monte Cassino.  Here Benedict wrote his Rule, a masterful guide founded on moderation.  Prayer, work, and leisure formed the rhythm of daily life in the monastery.

Scholastica lived near Monte Cassino and the twins were able to meet once a year.  According to Pope St. Gregory the Great, Scholastica had been consecrated to God in her youth.  According to a delightful story related by St. Gregory, Scholastica (on the occasion of one such visit) prevented Benedict from returning to his monastery as he desired.  She bowed her head in ardent prayer and immediately there was a torrential downpour!  Thus, their holy conversation was able to continue throughout the night.  Three days later Benedict saw Scholastica's soul ascend to heaven in the form of a dove.

The spirit of the Benedictine way of life is captured in the Prologue of Benedict's Rule:  "Listen, my child, to your master's precepts and incline the ear of your heart."  Benedictines seek God through common life under the guidance of the Rule and a prioress or abbot.  Monastics gather for daily communal prayer and set aside time for personal prayer, study, and work.

Benedictines have a long history of involvement in education.  Benedict himself was an educator; at Monte Cassino noble boys were educated for positions of leadership in society.  In the Rule, Benedict emphasizes moderation, respect for every person, hospitality and stewardship.  These principles are foundational to education today, indeed to life itself.

Since 1892 the women of St. Scholastica Monastery have made outstanding contributions to education.  Among the pioneers are the first woman to receive a doctor of philosophy degree from the Catholic University of America; the woman who developed the first collegiate program for medical record administrators in this country; and the first woman to become dean of a school at the Catholic University of America. 

Today 160 women call St. Scholastica Monastery home.  Many Sisters reside at the Monastery or in Duluth.  Other Sisters live and work in northeastern and west central Minnesota communities, Minneapolis, Chicago, Arizona, and other U.S. locations.

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HISTORY

The College of St. Scholastica, the only private four-year college in Northeastern Minnesota, had its beginning over 100 years ago, when Benedictine Sisters from St. Joseph, Minnesota, founded a new Benedictine community in Duluth.

St. Scholastica was originally founded as the SacredHeartAcademy.  In 1909, the name was changed to Villa Sancta Scholastica when the academy opened in its new location in Kenwood.  It became a junior college in 1912 and a four-year college in 1924.  From 1909 through 1942, the College facilities grew through immense building programs.  This included the erection of Tower Hall with its three wings; Stanbrook Hall; Rockhurst Auditorium; Our Lady Queen of Peace Chapel; the library and two connecting cloisters between Tower Hall and Stanbrook Hall.  In 1964, Somers Residence Hall was completed and in October 1969, the multimillion-dollar ScienceCenter was dedicated.  The school officially became coeducational in 1969-70.  The Pine and Grove apartments were built in the early 1970s.  The ReifRecreationCenter was dedicated in April 1979, and the BenedictineHealthCenter opened in October 1980.  The Library was refurbished and expanded in the mid-1980s.  Later additions to the campus have been the Maple and Willow apartments, which were completed in the summer of 1989, the Birch apartments, built in the summer of 1990; and Somers Suites, which opened in 1993.  Construction of an expanded Student Union and the addition of the 500-seat Mitchell Auditorium were completed in the fall of 1993.  A major expansion of the ScienceCenter opened in September 1997. Cedar Hall apartment building opened in the fall of 2003 followed by our WellnessCenter in the fall of 2004 and Scanlon & Kerst Halls in the fall of 2005.

The growth and success of the College reflects an awareness of and response to the ever-changing needs of the student body and the community it serves.  Modern buildings, expanded course offerings and innovative programs, however, cannot overshadow the Benedictine tradition of academic excellence and the liberal arts commitment of the College.

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