FAITH & REASON LEARNING COMMUNITY

As part of a Communitas Learning Community, students in the Faith & Reason Learning Community live together and participate in classes and discussion as a group to continue their growth and first-year journey.

The Communitas Learning Community classes have three main components, all of which will add to the first-year experience at Villanova.

  • Big Questions: The Communitas Learning Community class—Augustine and Culture Seminar (ACS)—is a discussion-based class. Students per class read texts and engage in conversations about "big questions." ACS focuses on the heart of human experience: 
    • Who Am I? 
    • What does it mean to be human? 
    • How should I and can I interact with the world around me?
  • "Friends for Life": Because students are living and learning together, students often form bonds which are uniquely strong. 
  • Student selected Theme: Together students select the theme for their ACS class which serves as the year-long focus of the learning community. 

The community focus is to create a supportive and open environment where dialogue can happen among students who are exploring relationships and who see the college experience as an opportunity to learn not only about themselves but each other and how all of these relate to one's faith journey.

More specifically, the Faith and Reason Learning Community will explore:

  • The student's approach to the meaning of life
  • The meaning of personal faith journey
  • The theories of faith development
  • The intersections between faith, academics and career aspirations
  • How academics can enhance a holistic approach to ones life

The Faith & Reason Learning Community is led by Beth Hassel, the director of the Center for Faith & Learning and a faculty member in CLAS. Its mission is to enhance and integrate student learning inside and outside of the classroom as students transition to college life.