2008 Woodie Awards
Augustine program undergoes make-over
Laura Avila
Issue date: 8/28/07 Section: Other News
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The program, formerly under the honors department, is now under the supervision of the Catholic Studies department.
Additionally, the new Living-Learning Community will be open to all students on campus. "It used to be open to freshmen only, but the focus is integration, and you cannot have integration by only including freshmen," said Sister Paula Jean Miller, director of Catholic Studies.
The program is designed to encourage students to understand their beliefs and be able to practice them, resident adviser and senior Catholic studies and Spanish major Beckie Becan said.
"This is a unique program with the idea of putting your ideas into practice," Becan said. "It is important for someone in college to practice his or her beliefs and this program is a really good way to practice them."
The Living-Learning Community is more than a place to live, peer mentor and sophomore Catholic studies and Spanish major Rebecca Heffner said. "This is a place where your faith is an aspect of community, a family community," Heffner said.
During their first semester in the program, new students will take the lower-division theology and philosophy classes: Teachings of the Catholic Church and Philosophy of the Human Person. "The two courses will combine faith and reason to see the relation of both in the academic component," Sister Miller said.
In their second semester, students will take the first lower-division Catholic studies course, Mapping of the Catholic Cultural Landscape, where the relationships of the University's essential foundations are linked.
"The program entails other aspects, such as service projects," Sister Miller said. "Students will be required to complete 15 hours of community service each semester and are welcome to do more than that."
Half of the students will work with Catholic Charities in various service projects throughout the Houston area, while the other half work with Sister Maura Behrenfeld, through Campus Ministry, in UST-based projects. The groups will switch projects during their second semester.