By Irene Lagan
Herald Staff Writer
(From the issue of 10/23/03)

In Washington, D.C. plans are under way to open a two-year liberal arts institution that offers a bold alternative to typical college curricula. With a freshman class of 15 and a full-time faculty of four, Campion College will open in September, 2004.

The college in Washington will be a clone of a two-year-old program in San Francisco, with the same name and policies and an identical curriculum.

College president Robert Royal, director of the Faith and Reason Institute, said the small independent college, which promises to be unabashedly Catholic in its identity, is already attracting a variety of potential students.

"We have had a wide-range of inquiries into the program. People who want Catholic formation before moving on to a secular program view it as a stepping stone, and some adults who feel a lack in their education view it as remedial," said Royal. "What Campion really does is give an authentic Catholic education in Western civilization, yet with enough variety to move into other programs."

Modeled after the University of San Francisco’s St. Ignatius Institute (SII), the program offers a combined Catholic liberal arts and great books program designed to prepare students for transfer to another liberal arts program or to pursue other educational options, but with a firm grounding in Catholic teaching. Students follow a prescribed sequence of courses in philosophy, theology and western culture and civilization, totaling 64 units by graduation.

The seminar-style learning and emphasis on spiritual and social formation are designed to engage students in an intense learning environment where prayer and works of mercy are a regular part of the student experience.

Although not yet accredited, Campion College graduates will be able to transfer credits to several institutions, including Ave Maria University, Franciscan University of Steubenville and the International Theological Institute in Gaming, Austria. Royal hopes to work out similar arrangements with the John Paul II Institute for Marriage and Family Studies and Catholic University.

Originally founded by Jesuit Father Joseph Fessio, Campion College came into being after the University of San Francisco decided to restructure the SII curriculum, noted for its firm grounding in Catholic tradition and faithful adherence to the teaching magisterium of the Church. Amidst controversy over the widely publicized firing of Father Fessio, the new college has attracted enthusiastic students and donors, and will graduate its first class of 23 next spring.

Championed by Vienna, Austria’s Cardinal Archbishop Christoph Schonborn, editor of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, as "an excellent formation in the best tradition of Christian humanism," the program enjoys the support of a number of Catholic notables, including Jesuit Father James Schall and Capuchin Father Benedict Groeschel.

Royal predicts that other schools offering similarly alternative forms of education will begin to be more common. "We are going to see a whole new crop of alternative methods of higher education," he said. "People who know there are problems with existing Catholic institutions are less willing to be mesmerized by the prestige of old names."

Compared with other private institutions, Campion is affordable with a tuition of $15,000 per year. With financial aid and grants, however, Royal said most students will likely pay closer to $10,000. As with its San Francisco sister, the D.C. school will not have its own campus. Several possible locations in the Metro area are being considered for classrooms, and students will live locally in group households or with families.

In addition to Royal, full-time faculty and staff include Dennis Bartlett, vice president for student services and former associate director of SII, Dr. Mary Healy and Dr. Joseph Atkinson.

News of the college’s opening has attracted other potential faculty. For instance, Royal said United Press International bureau chief Lou Morrano has offered to teach writing at the college, and Father Groeschel, a strong supporter of the college’s mission, has volunteered his time to lend support to the college.

"He and others are interested in seeing this happen," Royal said.

Royal said they are accepting applications and have had inquiries from a number of students from different backgrounds, including other countries. Father Groeschel will speak about Campion College and about Catholics in higher education on Nov. 7 at 7:30 p.m. at Blessed Sacrament Church in Alexandria.

For more information about Campion College, visit the Web site at www.campion-college.org/dc.