Graduates must be well-rounded and better equipped for life due to their
liberal education. How many vocations does the college produce? Do
alumni support their alma mater? Are prominent alumni good role
models? Is the scholar-athlete who chose to stay with his sport now a
respected professional, or is he on the juice? Most importantly, when the
graduating senior is asked, “Are you a better human being now than you were
four years ago?” the answer is, “Yes.”
These criterion are neither impossible or naïve. Several schools
would receive a “B” or higher if this were an examination, and thus merit
inclusion in this survey of
Universities. The majority of the selections are Roman Catholic schools,
which is not surprising given that classical liberal education has been
well-preserved within the Catholic intellectual tradition. Here they are,
with a few brief insights:
Hillsdale College,
Although nonsectarian, this school lives out the criteria about as well as any
institution of higher learning in the
States
independent, committed to the Truth, classical and liberal in the proper sense,
proudly American and devoted to the mind, body and soul of every student.
Like C.S. Lewis, Hillsdale is beloved by Roman Catholics and Protestants
alike. I noticed that their chapel features a crucifix as its
focus. While touring the campus with my oldest son, we came upon their
new statue of George Washington. I asked him (rhetorically) what other
campus in this country has a new statute of our first president? Our 40th
president, Ronald W. Reagan, said that, “Hillsdale deserves the appreciation of
all who labor for freedom.” (Hopefully a statute of the Gipper is on the way.) William F. Buckley, Jr. was
given an honorary doctorate by Hillsdale, and upon receipt mused, “Well, thanks
to
all here, a lifetime’s work. Necessarily, you will find infelicities here, and
maybe a deviation or two, but it is all an earnest attempt to contribute to the
patrimony, preserved here thanks to Hillsdale.” Buckley, a devout Roman
Catholic and iconic American conservative, found a home in the spirit of this
small rural college.
Thomas Aquinas College,
The school almost did not make the list since it is virtually devoid of
organized athletics. However, at TAC one will find no better classical
liberal education in the
States
splendid campus settings in
The dress code, the in-room TV prohibition, its tiny size (about 320 students),
relative isolation, the curfew, and devout Catholicism will be off-putting for
most students, which is fine with TAC. The school is only for students
who are not afraid to immerse themselves in a world which in four years time
will see them become far better human beings. The seminar-style classroom
settings are very conducive to healthy student participation and interaction
with their excellent professors. There is only one degree – Bachelor of
Liberal Arts – and no graduate school. But the intellectual tools and
moral foundation these students come away with equip them well for religious or
secular life. There is also a healthy intramural program where students
can develop physically. Even the mainstream college-rating organizations
give this counter-cultural school very high marks. As
added bonuses, the beach is 15 minutes away and the Ronald W. Reagan
Presidential Library is nearby in
Valley
University of Dallas,
Here is an orthodox, intellectually rigorous Roman Catholic school which takes
its connection to ancient Western Civilization and the
Mother
literally. Its campus in
every UD student the opportunity to study in
semester and includes a trip to
Students bring the Greco-Roman culture back to the
promoting a greater appreciation for Western Civilization. The seminary
on campus reminds students that God is near. Unfortunately, there is a
significant problem with drinking among some students, which the school needs
to address more proactively. The Stalinist architecture reflects its
emergence in the 1960s and 70s, and the lack of new construction its precarious
finances in the 1990s. But UD is on the rise, thanks in large part to her
aptly named president, Dr. Lazarus. There is school spirit and
athleticism—next door to
and in the heart of one of the most conservative metropolitan areas in the
States
and spiritually conservative place, but UD is no stuffed shirt.
Grove City College,
One has to love a school like this which keeps its message simple: “Faith
and Freedom.” This is a non-denominational Christian school in which
holds “a vision of Christian society transcending denomination, creeds, and
confessions, [and is] committed to the advancement of free enterprise, civil
and religious liberty, representative government, arts and letters, and science
and technology.” At GCC, students work hard. Chapel attendance is
mandatory. This is a patriotic place.
City
wars and has fought hard for its independence.
City
the seminal U.S. Supreme Court opinion on how the federal government can take
control of a private college through its student loan program. By and
large, GCC has been successful in maintaining its independence from government
intrusion. Like Hillsdale, it affords its own non-governmental financial
aid to students, thanks in large part to an endowment totaling over $100
million. The campus is old and beautiful, it has its own unique Greek
system, admissions standards are very high, the student body is intelligent,
and it is one of the most affordable private colleges in the country. A
student fortunate enough to attend will get one of the finest classical liberal
educations available.
Franciscan
spirit in bucketfuls, and its graduates certainly seem to emulate this in
whatever they do in the culture. These people take salt and light into
the world in keeping with the charisma of their patron, St. Francis of
The students and faculty develop a familial bond in an environment which
encourages charismatic worship, which certainly is not for everyone. The
school describes its Catholicity in terms of “dynamic orthodoxy.” The
academics are good and several of the theology professors (most notably Dr.
Scott Hahn) have
reputations. Ninety-nine percent of the faculty is Roman Catholic.
It offers 35 undergraduate majors and seven masters degrees. The Master of Arts
in Sacred Music helps fight the tide of awful church music.
students (98% of whom are Catholic) came out in droves during the 2004
presidential campaign to remind Senator John Kerry (D-MA) (an alleged Catholic)
during a visit to the
belt that his radical pro-abortion positions were incompatible with
Catholicism. Kerry was taken aback. The school has reinvigorated
its previously abandoned intercollegiate athletic program in order to better
develop the whole man.
the side of our nation’s capital and nestled in the beautiful
Valley
would be hard pressed to find a more faith-filled and politically active
student body in the
States
a group of separatists. One sees a large contingency of Christendom students at
every significant pro-life event in
In many respects, Christendom is “Thomas Aquinas College-East,” although it
would not necessarily embrace that moniker, and would most likely call TAC
“Christendom-West.” President Timothy O’Donnell is a prominent advocate
for the college who walks the walk of faith in his own life. His
education in
connections to the
assure the Catholicity of the college. With 84 core credits required for
graduation, this school has perhaps the most demanding core curriculum of any
college in the
It recently added a small graduate program, albeit at a separate campus in
The school’s athletics are well supported. Like TAC, there are a significant
number of home-schooled kids who have varying levels of socialization.
There is also a decidedly pro-Irish bent, which may be off-putting to
Anglophiles. Given its close proximity to
college has its fair share of high-powered speakers, and the school ensures
that their presentations are compatible with the mission of the school.
Christendom is committed to maintaining a wholesome, entertaining, genuinely
Catholic environment for her students in unison with rigorous academic
standards.
Benedictine College,
This college is celebrating the 150th anniversary of its original
founding as a Benedictine monastery which later grew into a fine, orthodox
Roman Catholic institution for higher learning. I cannot recall a
friendlier campus and more students, faculty, and administration who were willing to go out of their way for a guest.
In many ways, Benedictine is a Catholic Hillsdale, with many of the same
attributes and virtues, including the small-town setting. Unlike
Hillsdale, it has a graduate school, which has garnered a fair level of
respect. Many students are business majors, and the liberal arts were a
bit thin until recent years. The school has a fine, long-standing
intercollegiate athletic tradition which includes football and most other major
college sports. It also has made a concerted effort to grow, maintain
high academic standards, adhere to the Catholic intellectual tradition, and be
faithful to the Magisterium of the Roman Catholic
Church. This effort has been significantly helped along by BC’s energetic and
orthodox Catholic lay president, Stephen Minnis.
The monks are still on campus, and their community is vibrant. Many of
the campus buildings are old and beautiful and set on a high bluff overlooking
the
The school is isolated enough that big-city temptations are inconvenient, but
the amenities of
less than 40 miles away.
Belmont Abbey College,
Like
Belmont Abbey was founded in the 1870s and ensconced in an idyllic eastern
setting about 10 miles outside of
Like
a Benedictine school inhabited by monks who teach and are part of students’
daily lives. They take the charisma of St. Benedict very seriously:
treat each person like Jesus Christ. This is a Roman Catholic island in
one of the most Protestant areas of the country. There are
roughly the same number of Protestant students as Catholic. But
with just under 1,000 students, young people receive an excellent classical
liberal education in a personally attentive environment. BAC, like so
many other Roman Catholic schools, has made genuine progress in redeeming its
Catholic identity. Parents should know that they are not sending their
son or daughter to a place which will ruin their souls. There is a very
active alumni that is fiercely loyal to the
school. One of the youngest Representatives in Washington, Patrick
McHenry (R-NC), is a 1999 BAC graduate and history major. He has solid
conservative credentials and attributes much of his formation to BAC.
The Catholic University of America,
our nation’s Roman Catholic bishops, would not have been on the list. But
largely due to the determination of its president, Father David O’Connell, CUA
has shaken off much of the political correctness afflicting it. Given its
history, size and location, it cannot help but be a major player in the culture
war. The enormous Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate
Conception adjacent to the campus is an imposing presence and the center of
Catholic culture. Its philosophy program is unrivaled and the quality of
its faculty is superior. It offers 53 undergraduate majors. Its
graduate programs are extensive and include the Columbus School of Law.
It is also prohibitively expensive despite generous scholarships. There
are still old guard leftists on the faculty, but they no longer predominate—nor
dominate. Alcohol abuse by some students has been a problem and the small gay
subculture does not appear to encounter much resistance. The ACLU was
disallowed on campus because of its abortion advocacy. This is an
American university that is no longer ashamed of its name and is rediscovering
the traditions that made it great. Pope Benedict XVI chose CUA to address
Catholic educators from across the nation when he visited the
April. In many ways CUA is emblematic of what has happened to the Roman
Catholic Church in
finally is realizing that the true “spirit of Vatican II” is a call to
orthodoxy in the modern world.
There are several “emerging” colleges and universities that, given time,
may find their place among the truly excellent American schools. They may
be too new or only recently have begun the process of turning around. These
schools include:
the tradition of TAC with an understandable emphasis on outdoor
adventures. It is working to build a permanent campus.
University of St. Thomas,
60-year-old school, which dropped athletics and became a commuter campus, is
now rebuilding its Catholic orthodoxy and is beginning to do all the right
things.
College of
the Ozarks,
tuition is charged at this competitive Christian school. Rather, the
students (most of whom are lower middle class) must work 15 hours a week for
payment in kind.
Southern
year this new Catholic school will graduate its first class. SCC is well
on its way to becoming the school Emory could have been.
Ave Maria University, Ave Maria,
promising school. But it is well-funded, thanks to Domino’s Pizza magnate
Tom Monaghan, and has created a town in which to live.
Finally, there are some big time, well-known colleges and universities
that have the potential to be excellent American schools. And on many
levels they already demonstrate excellence. The sad fact is that the ACLU
and other leftist groups have succeeded via judicial fiat in throwing God off campus
at government institutions and stifling freedom of expression. Of course,
one actually cannot throw God off a campus, but one can pretend that he does
not exist. Some of the private schools cannot break free of the
politically correct agendas gripping universities these days, but they have a
growing conservative culture that gradually is starting to change business as
usual. These schools include:
The
United States Air Force Academy,
Springs
Princeton
University,
Jersey
University
of Chicago,
A&M,
The
Military College of South Carolina (commonly known as The Citadel),
Virginia
Military Institute,
Notre
Dame University,
Bend
St.
Johns College,
Mexico
Yeshiva
University,
York
Paul T. Yarbrough, J.D. is
affiliated with the Free Congress Foundation.