Bellarmine College Case Statement
Critical thinking and problem-solving skills, taught through a liberal arts education, are essential to success in any field of endeavor. While preparing students to be leaders in both career and community, a liberal arts education also arms them with intellectual skills that they use throughout their lives. LMU's Bellarmine College of Liberal Arts honors the very best traditions of teaching broad and rewarding disciplines, while enthusiastically promoting a contemporary and critical commitment to social justice and service to people in need.
Bellarmine College provides a broad spectrum of interdisciplinary courses taught by an accomplished and passionate faculty. Developing students' minds and spirits, the college plays a pivotal role in securing LMU's reputation as an educational institution that strives for academic excellence while providing a spiritually nourishing and student-centered education.
The college's faculty assists students to analyze in class what they have discovered through community service learning. In the college's Street Read/Street Write program, for example, English students promote literacy by tutoring urban adolescents. Other service learning courses place students in underserved communities throughout Los Angeles and, in a very real sense, transform our students' lives and teach them to be true "men and women for others."
A community of scholar-teachers, the faculty also incorporates into the curriculum many unique educational experiences. An outstanding example is the annual Bellarmine Forum, a week-long program engaging the entire university in the exploration of contemporary issues of international significance.
Students in the college are actively engaged in meaningful independent research opportunities, working closely with faculty members to present their findings in highly regarded academic publications and conferences.
The campaign will enable the college to continue animating and growing these important and exciting new endeavors in teaching, service learning, and research. It also will dynamically augment our hallmark programs in bioethics, theology, leadership studies, and archaeology. Campaign Goals
- Attracting diverse and talented students -- $8 million
The availability of merit scholarship support is often the deciding factor for students who have their choice of prestigious institutions. While nearly 80 percent of LMU students are on some form of financial aid, dramatically increasing the amount of renewable scholarship support for undergraduates becomes an even more significant goal.
Lack of financial resources also makes it difficult for many students to take advantage of invaluable learning opportunities, such as the university's extensive study-abroad programs or low-paying internships at nonprofit organizations. An endowment to underwrite these opportunities will further strengthen LMU's ability to recruit and retain the finest students.
- Ensuring innovative academic programs -- $6 million
Bellarmine College is home to a number of distinctive programs that enrich the student learning experience, serve the greater community, and break new ground academically. Endowment support will ensure the continued growth of these offerings while building the college's capacity to address new opportunities as they arise.
The new Bioethics Institute trains both undergraduate and graduate students to examine some of the most challenging ethical dilemmas that face modern society. The institute sponsors public lectures by internationally recognized scholars and offers new courses and symposia for the medical community. LMU is partnering with several inner-city Catholic hospitals to provide support for important issues health care providers confront every day. Endowment assistance will help position the Bioethics Institute as a leading medical resource for Los Angeles and surrounding counties.
The Institute for Leadership Studies promotes, develops, and coordinates curriculum and co-curricular activities related to the study and advancement of leadership. The Oxford Scholars Program, Dilemmas of Democracy Conference, and White House internships are among its very noteworthy programs.
In the five years since the Bellarmine Forum was founded, it has provided thoughtful and sustained engagement on subjects of global importance. The Bellarmine Forum, however, operates on a shoestring budget. Endowment support will secure this important program over the long term and will allow it to grow exponentially to benefit the entire university.
The Center for Archaeological Studies is among the university's most extraordinary programs. Building on LMU's strong curriculum in archaeology, Biblical studies, ancient languages, and history, the center utilizes a renowned Archae-ological Artifacts Library and Museum. Additional funding would support new curricular offerings and more frequent symposia on the interdisciplinary subject of archaeology and theology.
- Recruiting and retaining distinguished faculty -- $6 million
Among the positions the college seeks to fund through The Campaign for LMU are chairs or professorships in ecumenical/inter-religious dialogue, pastoral leadership, and interdisciplinary Los Angeles studies. Support in these areas would give LMU a unique opportunity to educate and form future leaders of both Los Angeles and the Catholic Church. Funding also is needed for professional development opportunities to bolster faculty research, which will assist the college with the financial resources to attract and retain exceptional faculty, while expanding the number of full-time professors.
Contact
Michael E. Engh, SJ
Dean
310.338.2716
mengh@lmu.edu
Donna Gray
Director of Development
310.338.7852
DGray@lmu.edu