Benedictine College is a small university in Atchison, Kansas. It is a Roman
Catholic, Benedictine, liberal arts, and residential college located on bluffs overlooking the Missouri River about forty-five minutes northwest of Kansas City,
Missouri. One of a number of U.S.
Benedictine colleges, it is sponsored by St. Benedict's Abbey and Mount St. Scholastica. The abbey has a current
population of some thirty-five monks.
Beginnings
The predecessors for the modern university were Mount St. Scholastica College, an all-women's campus named for
Benedict of Nursia's twin sister Scholastica,
and St. Benedict's College, an all-men's campus named for Benedict of Nursia,
founder of modern western monasticism. The universities merged on July 1, 1971 to form the current Benedictine College. At the time of this merger,
the college was also known as "The Co-Educational College of Mount St. Scholastica and St. Benedict's Colleges". The usage
of this name has disappeared since the college closed the South Campus, the former Mount St. Scholastica College, in
1989.
Education
Undergraduate programs include Art, Astronomy,Business, Finance, Mass Communications, Theatre,
Philosophy, Theology, Music,
Biology, Computer Science, Education, History, English,
Sociology (including Criminology), Math and Physics. Masters degree programs include Education and Business.
In a recent survey of approximately 162,000 students at 472 four-year colleges and universities (National Survey of Student
Engagement), Benedictine College scored in the top 5 percent nationally for student-faculty interaction, supportive campus
environment, and enriching educational experiences. [1] The
university staff to student ratio is 16:1.
Athletics
The school's athletic teams, the Ravens, wear black, red and white uniforms. St.
Benedict is usually pictured with a raven, because of the legend that a
raven saved him from eating poisoned bread.
The Ravens compete in fifteen varsity intercollegiate sports
(NAIA and Heart of America Athletic Conference), with men’s teams in baseball, basketball, cross
country, football, soccer,
tennis, and track and field. Women’s
athletics, "The Lady Ravens", include teams in basketball, cross-country, soccer, softball,
tennis, track, and volleyball. Benedictine’s cheerleading and spirit squads have been
recognized nationally.
Faith life
Mass is offered to students four times daily in several chapels including St. Martin's Chapel and St. Benedict's Abbey. There
are many opportunities for retreats, Bible study, evangelization, mission trips, service projects, youth ministry, music
ministry, and pro-life work. The Fellowship of Catholic University Students (FOCUS), a collegiate leadership apostolate, was founded at Benedictine College by Curtis
Martin.
The college is located within the Roman Catholic
Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas, though it is not officially affiliated with the Archdiocese.
Notable alumni
Notable facts
- Benedictine College is one of the few colleges to continue the tradition of making incoming freshmen wear a beanie atop their heads for the first week of orientation. If an upperclassman or alumni spots a freshman without
the beanie, they are required to "kaw like a raven" on top of the highest point in the area.
References
External links
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