Benedictine College

About

Heir to the 1500 years of Benedictine dedication to learning, Benedictine College’s mission as a Catholic, Benedictine, liberal arts, residential college is the education of men and women within a community of faith and scholarship.

Points of Excellence

The plan Benedictine 2020: A Vision for Greatness is garnering recognition for Benedictine College.

Lists & Rankings:

• Top 15 Best College — U.S. News & World Report.
• Newman Guide — One of America’s best Catholic colleges.
• Best in Kansas — CollegeSimply.com
• Best Private — TheBestSchools.org
• Hidden Gem — CollegeRaptor.com
• A Top 50 Nursing Program and a Top 25 Great Books Program.

Since 2000, alumni achievements include:

• 13 bank presidents, including Tom Hoenig ’68, former President of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, and a current vice chairman of the FDIC.
• 8 university presidents, including Boise State, San Jose State, and the University of Pittsburgh.
• 7 bishops and 200 pursued religious vocations.
• 2 Kansas Secretaries of Commerce.
• 1 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, the late Wangari Maathai ’64.

Brooke Cagle / Unsplash

Mission & Values

Heir to the 1500 years of Benedictine dedication to learning, Benedictine College’s mission as a Catholic, Benedictine, liberal arts, residential college is the education of men and women within a community of faith and scholarship.

Our Mission

Benedictine College is an academic community sponsored by the monks of St. Benedict’s Abbey and the sisters of Mount St. Scholastica Monastery. Heir to the 1500 years of Benedictine dedication to learning, Benedictine College in its own time is ordered to the goal of wisdom lived out in responsible awareness of oneself, God and nature, family and society. Its mission as a Catholic, Benedictine, liberal arts, residential college is the education of men and women within a community of faith and scholarship.

As a Catholic college, Benedictine College is committed to those beliefs and natural principles that form the framework of the Judeo-Christian tradition, and it is committed further to those specific matters of faith of the Roman Catholic tradition, as revealed in the person of Jesus Christ and handed down in the teachings of the Church. The college embraces students and faculty from all faiths who accept its goals, seeking in its members a personal commitment to the ideals and principles of spiritual life and the expression of these in worship and action. Benedictine College promotes the growing involvement of religious and laity in the Church’s ministries.

As a college founded on the Benedictine tradition, Benedictine College inherits the themes handed on to us by the Benedictine family: peace, the balance of activity and contemplation, and the glorification of God in all undertakings. With the ideal of a common life vitalized by the spirit of St. Benedict, the members of the Benedictine College community can share work and prayer in common, faithful participation in the life of the community, attentive openness to the Word of God, deep concern for issues of justice and peace, and the pursuit of moderation, hospitality and care for the gifts of creation.

As a liberal arts college, Benedictine College is dedicated to providing a liberal arts education by means of academic programs based on a core of studies in the arts and sciences. Through these programs, the college guides students to refine their capacity for the pursuit and acquisition of truth, to appreciate the major achievements in thought and culture, and to understand the principles that sound theoretical and practical judgment require. In addition, the college provides education for careers through both professional courses of study and major programs in the liberal arts and sciences. As an essential element in its educational mission, Benedictine College fosters scholarship, independent research and performance in its students and faculty as a means of participating in and contributing to the broader world of learning.

As a residential college, Benedictine College supports and encourages the full development of its students through a community life that expresses and proclaims the worth and dignity of each individual. In a caring and supportive atmosphere, students are helped to develop a sense of meaningful purpose in life and encouraged to participate in programs which promote sound bodies, emotional balance, and dedication to the welfare of others.

Our Vision

Building One of the Great Catholic Colleges in America

Building a great Catholic college requires a community-wide commitment to excellence. We dedicate ourselves to educating students to become leaders in the Benedictine tradition, who will transform the world through their commitment to intellectual, personal, and spiritual greatness.

Intellectually, we achieve this with an academic environment in which all students are challenged to reach their fullest potential through close collaboration with faculty and peers. Through a broadly-based liberal arts education, students are trained to view the world from a variety of academic perspectives and to use the tools of a number of disciplines to understand, analyze, and solve problems. At Benedictine, America’s Discovery College, students experience the power of collaboration and the joy of discovery, and learn to communicate clearly, effectively, and persuasively. We encourage them to form the habit of life-long learning and expect them to apply well-developed ethical standards in every aspect of their lives.

Personally, through immersion in a dynamic residential community, students are challenged to grow in character, in their relationships, and as leaders. They become equipped with the skills to nurture and develop the bonds of community. As business leaders, professionals, teachers, citizens, neighbors, and parents, our alumni will have learned to see others as God sees them—to appreciate the unique value and infinite worth of every human being. They will have been formed to cherish the welfare of others, loyalty to their communities and families, and an absolute dedication to personal integrity.

Spiritually, students grow in an atmosphere that values faith in Jesus Christ. As a Catholic institution, we are dedicated to “the ardent search for truth and its unselfish transmission … so as to act rightly and to serve humanity better.” [Ex Corde Ecclessiae] Because of this dedication, we welcome and support students of all faiths and encourage them in their quest to grow closer to God. We share the beauty and mystery of the Catholic faith with all members of our community, while we respect the essential freedom that is key to a mature faith. All students are challenged to put their faith into action.

These commitments are fostered within the framework of the Benedictine charism. The college community seeks to follow the example of Saint Benedict and Saint Scholastica, in word and deed, finding guidance for daily living in Holy Scripture and the Rule of St. Benedict. This calls us all to live united by our search for truth, zealous in fostering and recognizing the dignity of each person and committed to a balanced way of life. Through this framework, students are prepared to live a life of service, leading with true humility. Our distinctively Benedictine approach to education culminates in graduates who are committed to living their lives “so that in all things God may be glorified.” [Rule of St. Benedict]