With the support of a $79,870 NetVue (Network for Vocation in Undergraduate Education) Program Development Grant from The Council of Independent Colleges, Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota will establish The Academy of Human Flourishing — serving adult, online bachelor’s students.
The Academy of Human Flourishing will integrate virtue, vocation, and well-being across the online bachelor’s student experience at Saint Mary’s. The university plans to grow its enrollment among non-traditional learners by uniting curricular and co-curricular formations rooted in the vision of Human Flourishing – where every academic program helps students grow in wisdom, virtue, and practical skill so they may flourish as persons created in the image of God.
Through interdisciplinary courses, reflection opportunities, and meaningful engagement, the Academy will help online students develop a habitual disposition to the true, good, and beautiful, aligning with the university’s Lasallian Catholic mission.
Through the support of the NetVUE Program Development Grant, Saint Mary’s will implement new vocational activities for non-traditional students and will take time to develop more immersive, relational activities for human flourishing. Over two years, new interdisciplinary course modules in Human Flourishing will integrate theology, psychology, philosophy, and leadership into the online bachelor’s degree academic curriculum. Additionally, students will be invited to participate in online opportunities for spiritual enrichment and prayer, and a virtual speaker series on courageous conversations will be hosted.
The university is also committing $88,090 in matching support, including staff time, funding for student scholarships and event logistics.
Read the full announcement on the Saint Mary’s Newsroom
