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Fidelity & Excellence91 Aquinas College is unique among American colleges and universities, offering a faithfully Catholic education comprised entirely of the Great Books and classroom discussions.
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A Liberating Education
Truth MattersTruth, and nothing less, sets men free; and because truth is both natural and supernatural, the Colleges curriculum aims at both natural and divine wisdom.
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A Catholic Life
Under the Light of FaithThe intellectual tradition and moral teachings of the Catholic Church infuse the whole life of 91 Aquinas College, illuminating the curriculum and the community alike.
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Admission & Aid
Is TAC Right for You?Do you enjoy grappling with complex questions? Are you willing to engage in discussions about difficult concepts, with the truth as your ultimate goal?
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Students & Parents
Mind, Body & SpiritThere is always something to do at TAC something worthwhile, something fulfilling, and something geared toward ever-greater spiritual and intellectual growth.
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Alumni & Careers
What Can You Do with a Liberal Education?Nothing speaks more to the versatility of the Colleges academic program than the good that our alumni are doing throughout the Church and the world.
President McLean, Dean Kelly Reject Common Core Curriculum
91 Aquinas College President Michael F. McLean and Dean Brian T. Kelly have signed a letter sent to each of the nations Catholic bishops urging dioceses to reject the use of the Common Core curriculum in their schools. The letter, authored by University of Notre Dame Professor of Law Gerard V. Bradley and cosigned by 132 Catholic scholars nationwide, contends that Common Core was approved too hastily and with inadequate consideration. Implementing the curriculum in parochial schools, it charges, would be a grave disservice to Catholic education in America.
Common Cores primary flaw, the letter argues, is that it aspires toward little more than standardized workforce preparation, as opposed to the loftier goal of engaging the human mind and spirit. Its educational standards thereby fail to promote the virtues necessary to know, love, and serve the Lord, to mature into a responsible, flourishing adult, and to contribute as a citizen to the process of responsible democratic self-government.
This deficiency is most evident, the scholars allege, in Common Cores approach to literacy, which reduces reading to a servile activity. Rather than utilizing classical works, Common Core emphasizes informational texts, thereby foregoing the possibility of sustained and heartfelt encounters with great works of literature. The authors also express concern over forthcoming Common Core standards for natural science and history, which they anticipate will be predicated on materialistic and relativistic assumptions.
Every student, the educators argue, deserves to be prepared for a life of the imagination, of the spirit, and of a deep appreciation for beauty, goodness, truth, and faith. As such, they conclude that Common Core is so deeply flawed that it should not be adopted by Catholic schools which have yet to approve it, and that those schools which have already endorsed it should seek an orderly withdrawal now.
Posted: November 15, 2013