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An Innovative Programme St. Thomas University is widely recognized for leadership in liberal arts education. Here you will find a comprehensive arts programme with courses in 20 disciplines. In addition to traditional majors and honours programmes, you will have access to a range of cutting-edge interdisciplinary options such as the Aquinas Programme. The Aquinas Distinction An alternative to the regular curriculum, the Aquinas Programme offers courses using an integrated, interdisciplinary approach. First-year students typically take five, full-year courses (or the equivalent) in five different subjects, or disciplines. In the Aquinas Programme, three of your courses will be taken together in one section organized around a common theme or issue. For example, in the Truth in Society section of Aquinas, instead of taking separate courses in English, criminology and religious studies, students will explore how we arrive at what we can agree is “truth” from the perspective of all three disciplines. In the Great Books section, students will consider concepts such as love and knowledge from political Science, philosophy and English perspectives. In the Community in the Era of Globalization section, students will explore diverse experiences of “community,” drawing on the perspectives of sociology, social work and religious studies. The Aquinas Advantage The Aquinas Programme offers an in-depth exploration of a particular theme, and a broad understanding of the issues central to humanity. It introduces you to, and provides degree credit for, each of the three disciplines associated with your section. Best of all, it generates an earlier understanding of the interaction and connections among academic disciplines as well as an appreciation of the benefits derived from viewing issues from as many perspectives. A Unique Learning Community The enrolment in each section of the Aquinas Programme is limited to a maximum of 36 students. This creates a close-knit community where you will have the opportunity to participate actively and share your ideas with other students and three professors. Given the limited enrolment for this programme, you must tell us of your interest in this option when you register in July. Seats are assigned on a first-come, first-served basis, and only the first 36 applicants will be enroled in each section. 2004 - 2005 Aquinas Sections Great Books: an Introduction to Thoughtful Reading If you believe university is about the search for answers to life’s great questions, this course is the place for you to begin. In this section, you will explore and discuss various themes, including the concepts of good, evil, love, friendship and the nature of humanity by reading classic works of the western world. In Great Books, you will be encouraged to read and think critically about alternative and contrasting perspectives, and encouraged to rethink your ideas. For example, on the topic of love, you would read a novel, watch and discuss a contemporary movie, and discuss various perspectives on love across cultures and throughout ages. Works studied include Homer’s Iliad, Dante’s Inferno, Plato’s Republic and Shelley’s Frankenstein. In addition to lectures, you can expect to engage in active discussions and work in groups with your classmates. Frequently, all three professors will be present and active together in the classroom. This section will combine Political Science 1006, Philosophy 1013/1023, and English 1006. The disciplines will be fully integrated. Each of the major themes covered in the year will include texts and instruction from all three perspectives. Instructors: Barry Craig, Department
of Philosophy
For further information on this section, contact Sara MacDonald, smac@stu.ca or (506) 452-0519. 2. Truth in Society: How Do People Come to Believe What They Do? If you join this section of the Aquinas Programme, you'll have the opportunity to become an active, participating member of an academic community, and the chance, with the help of three professors, to learn what any first year course in each of the three disciplines -- English, criminology, and religious studies – would offer. You'll find yourself engaged in a collaborative investigation of an event in which "the truth" has been at stake. Past investigations have explored contending beliefs about sacrifice (Kamikaze pilots), education (the Ritalin controversy), racism (the Damascus Affair, Kristallnacht), and others. You'll use writing (on paper, and on Web sites) as a central medium for learning and communicating. You'll have opportunities to learn to work effectively with others and, at the same time, to be an independent learner and researcher. You'll participate in disciplinary seminars, create Web pages, and read, write and learn with three professors and up to 36 students. You'll attend plays, lectures, readings, gallery openings, and concerts, and think and write about them. You'll explore the library, and the Internet, together and independently. And you'll be invited to think and talk and write about your learning, and evaluate it for yourself. Click here for more information on the Truth in Society Section Instructors: Russell Hunt, Department
of English For further information on this section, contact Thomas Parkhill, parkhill@stu.ca or (506) 452-0438. Community in the Era of Globalization Are you concerned about the present state of the world? Do you feel confused and powerless in the face of massive social, political, economic and environmental problems? Do you wonder what role you play in the systems that profoundly affect your daily life? Do you wish that you could do something to make a positive difference? Making our global society more just, peaceful and environmentally sustainable depends on communities that foster insight, courage and humour. In Community in the Era of Globalization our general goal is to consider the multiple, shifting and contradictory meanings that are associated with "community." Drawing on the perspectives and methods of sociology, religious studies and social work, we will adopt a hands-on approach, paying attention to the ways in which we form ourselves into a learning community. Through the process of developing as humans, each of us learns something of community. In this Aquinas section, we will begin by examining our own direct experiences of community. We will also read widely in both scholarly and popular literatures, interview persons from diverse backgrounds, and take field trips to observe two distinct communities. We will attend and reflect on relevant public lectures, religious ceremonies, theatrical and musical performances, and art exhibits. While developing a variety of research skills, we will use writing as the central medium for communicating our findings with each other. Completing Community in the Era of Globalization will earn credit for Sociology 1006, Religious Studies 1006, and Humanities 1006. Instructors: Suzanne Dudziak, Department
of Social Work For further information on this section, contact John McKendy, jmckendy@stu.ca or (506) 452-0507. Finding out More About St. Thomas Admissions Office Request for information and/or application to be sent by mail.
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