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Why attend a Jesuit University?

• What is the Jesuit Vision of Education?
• Rich Cultural Heritage
• The Purpose & Themes of Jesuit Education

Loyola's rich history dates back to 1540, when Saint Ignatius of Loyola founded the Society of Jesus, whose members are called Jesuits. From the beginning, Jesuits have held that scholarly excellence plays an integral role in helping men and women achieve moral excellence. For more than 450 years, excellence in education has been an essential focus of the Jesuits. It was with this focus that the Jesuits first arrived among the earliest settlers in New Orleans and Louisiana, eventually establishing what would become Loyola University New Orleans and continuing the Jesuit tradition of creating centers of education.

The Jesuit educational network is one of the largest systems in American higher education, with more than 200,000 students currently enrolled in the 28 U.S. Jesuit universities. Worldwide, Jesuit universities and colleges have graduated more than 1,000,000 students.

What Is The Jesuit Vision of Education?

Jesuit education is a call to human excellence, to the fullest possible development of all human qualities. This implies a rigor and academic excellence that challenges the student to develop all of his or her talents to the fullest. It is a call to critical thinking and disciplined studies, a call to develop the whole person, head and heart, intellect and feelings.

The Jesuit vision of education implies further that students learn how to be critical, examine attitudes, challenge assumptions, and analyze motives. All of this is important if they are to be able to make decisions in freedom, the freedom that allows one to make love-filled and faith-filled decisions.

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Rich Cultural Heritage

The Jesuits were among the first explorers in Louisiana and because of this connection, Loyola is an integral part of the rich history of one of the most culturally diverse cities and states in the country. With its unique cuisine, numerous museums and historical sites, and flourishing arts community, New Orleans provides an ideal setting for achieving a cultural experience few cities can match.

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The Purpose & Themes of Jesuit Education

The Purpose

To produce students who can contribute intelligently and effectively to the welfare of society because they are competent and virtuous.

The Themes

Academic Rigor - Being true to the internal integrity of an academic subject is necessary for the students to be able to benefit themselves and society intelligently.

Learning Integration - Students engage in learning so that the results become part of their outlook on life. thinking through to a personal understanding, in contrast to just memorizing information.

Eloquentia Perfecta - Students are able to debate and discuss the subject matter in small circles, to write and speak with stylistic excellence, and to engage in public debate.

Discernment - Students will develop character by building convictions and habits based on good values and ideals, and hence will be able to make wise decisions in a wide variety of situations.

Cura Personalis - Teachers will have personal knowledge of the students and will help them reflect on the circumstances of their own lives, to advance their spiritual welfare and intellectual progress. Counseling, group activities, and religious activities are linked to and supplement academic instruction. The good example of the teachers' own lives is counted on to inspire students to virtue.

Curriculum Blending Past and Present - To enable students to express their religious humanity in contemporary society, the curriculum should combine material from the past with enduring value and integrate it with newly emerging knowledge.

Social Justice - St. Ignatius affirmed the exceptional dignity of all human beings and advocated their full development. Students and teachers are to act toward themselves and others in a way that affirms the dignity of all. Today, this requires not only an attitude that looks for God in all people and all things, but a program of study that includes analysis of social systems for their impact on human dignity.

Holistic Wellness - Full human development requires balanced attention to intellectual, spiritual, and physical growth.

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*Excerpted from The Jesuit Spirit of Education: Ignatius, Tradition, and Today's Questions by Wilfred L. LaCrois, S.J., Rockhurst University, 1989