Thomas Aquinas College

For other schools named after St. Thomas Aquinas, see Institutions named after Thomas Aquinas.

Thomas Aquinas College
Motto	Verum • Bonum • Pulchrum (The True • The Good • The Beautiful)
Type	Private
Established	1971
Affiliation	Roman Catholic
President	Dr. Michael F. McLean
Dean	Dr. Brian Kelly
Students	359
Location	Santa Paula, California, USA
Website	www.thomasaquinas.edu

Thomas Aquinas College is a Roman Catholic liberal arts college offering a single integrated academic program. It is located in Santa Paula, California in Ventura County. It offers a unique education with courses based on the Great Books and seminar method. It has school accreditation from the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, a regional accrediting board for California and Guam.^[1] It is endorsed by The Newman Guide to Choosing a Catholic College.

Academics

The Chapel

Thomas Aquinas offers one degree program: Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts.^[2]

As a matter of principle, to ensure the institution's autonomy, the school does not accept any direct government funding; neither does it receive funding from the Catholic Church. Rather, it offers need-based scholarships funded by the private donations of individuals and foundations.^[3]

Rankings

In 2012, the American Council of Trustees and Alumni included Thomas Aquinas College in its What Will They Learn? study, which is an annual evaluation system of colleges and universities. The report assigns a letter grade to 1,070 universities based on how many of the following seven core subjects are required: composition, literature, foreign language, American history, economics, mathematics and science. Thomas Aquinas College was one of 21 schools to receive an "A" grade, which is assigned to schools that include at least six of the seven designated subjects in their core curriculum.^[4]^[5]

Curriculum

Thomas Aquinas offers one degree, a bachelor of arts in liberals arts. This is an integrated liberal arts curriculum made up primarily of the Great Books of the Western Tradition, with order of learning emphasized in the structure of the curriculum. Much of the first two years of the 4-year program is devoted to the Trivium (logic, rhetoric, and grammar) and the Quadrivium (geometry, astronomy, arithmetic, and music.)^[6] Natural science, philosophy, and theology are studied all four years. Papers are assigned in the various subject areas throughout the year; fourth year students produce a senior thesis, and defend it before a panel of faculty members.

The college replaces textbooks with original sources, the seminal works in all the major disciplines.^[7] Thomas Aquinas College acknowledges that not all texts in their program are of equal weight. They regard some as masterworks and others as sources of opinions that "either lead students to the truth, or make the truth more evident by opposition to it."^[6] Students read some texts in their entirety and only excerpts from others.^[6]

The college's St. Vincent de Paul Lecture and Concert Series complements its regular academic program, providing events at least once a month during the academic year.

Student life

Four chaplain-priests live on campus. They provide the sacraments and spiritual direction.

The school has a club soccer team that plays in a Ventura County league. There is also an intramural sports program offering soccer, tennis, football, and volleyball on the school's courts.

The St. Genesius players produce one play a year, commonly a selection from Shakespeare. The College Choir presents an annual concert and a spring musical, often a production of Gilbert and Sullivan. It sings at Sunday Mass and special events. Another student choir and various instrumentalists and vocalists in the student body provide informal recitals throughout the year, at formal and informal events.

Unmarried students are housed on-campus in six dormitories. Married students may live off-campus. Men's and women's residence halls are off-limits to members of the opposite sex.^[8]

The possession or use of alcohol or illegal drugs on campus or in the dormitories is not allowed and may entail expulsion from the college.^[8]

Chapel

The Chapel

As the “crown jewel” of the Thomas Aquinas College campus, Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity Chapel was dedicated on March 7, 2009.^[9] The design for this 15,000-square-foot (1,400 m²), $23 million building employs Early Christian, Renaissance, and Spanish Mission styles.^[10] Designed by University of Notre Dame architect Duncan Stroik, it is cruciform in shape and features both a 135-foot (41 m) bell tower and a 89-foot (27 m) dome.^[11] Pope John Paul II blessed the chapel’s plans in 2003, and in 2008, Pope Benedict XVI blessed its cornerstone . Adoremus Bulletin has called Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity Chapel “A Triumph of Sacred Architecture”.^[12]

Library

The ceiling of the college's Saint Bernardine of Siena Library has been constructed from recovered wood from a 17th-century Spanish monastery. The library has a collection of rarities, including thousands-year old Hittite seals, and devotional and sacred objects of saints.

Notable alumni

The Very Rev. John Berg, Superior General of the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter
Pia de Solenni, 1993

References

↑ "Accreditation". Thomas Aquinas College. Retrieved 2009-04-01.
↑ "Degree". Thomas Aquinas College. Retrieved 2009-04-01.
↑ "Financial Aid". Thomas Aquinas College. Retrieved 2009-04-01.
↑ "Thomas Aquinas College". What Will They Learn?. American Council of Trustees and Alumni. Retrieved 11 January 2013.
↑ Czupor, Z.J. (10-11-2012). "National study ranks Colorado Christian in top 2% of colleges". Denver Post. Retrieved 11 January 2013. Check date values in: |date= (help)
1 2 3 "Curriculum". Thomas Aquinas College. Retrieved 2009-04-03.
↑ "Great Books". Thomas Aquinas College. Retrieved 2009-04-03.
1 2 "Rules of Residence". Thomas Aquinas College. Retrieved 2016-02-05.
↑ "News". Ventura County Star. Retrieved 2010-01-13.
↑ "Chapel". Thomas Aquinas College. Retrieved 2010-01-12.
↑ "A Sign of Contradiction". Inside the Vatican. Retrieved 2010-01-13.
↑ "Chapel". Adoremus Bulletin. Retrieved 2010-01-14.

Sources

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Thomas Aquinas College.

Coordinates: 34°25′47″N 119°05′14″W / 34.4296°N 119.0871°W / 34.4296; -119.0871

Colleges and Universities of Ventura County

Two-year and community colleges	Moorpark College Oxnard College Santa Barbara Business College Ventura College

Four-year colleges and universities	Biola University, Thousands Oaks Campus Brooks Institute California Lutheran University CSU Channel Islands Thomas Aquinas College National University, Camarillo Campus University of La Verne, Ventura County Campus

Graduate-only schools	St. John's Seminary Southern California Institute of Law Ventura College of Law

Ex Corde Ecclesiae US Catholic colleges

Archdiocese of Los Angeles

Ordinaries of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles

Bishop of Two Californias	Francisco García Diego y Moreno

Bishop of Monterey	Joseph Sadoc Alemany

Bishops of Monterey-Los Angeles	Thaddeus Amat y Brusi Francisco Mora y Borrell George Thomas Montgomery Thomas James Conaty John Joseph Cantwell

Bishop of Los Angeles-San Diego	John Joseph Cantwell

Archbishops of Los Angeles	John Joseph Cantwell James Francis Cardinal McIntyre Timothy Cardinal Manning Roger Cardinal Mahony José Horacio Gómez

Auxiliary bishops, current	Thomas John Curry Gerald Eugene Wilkerson Edward W. Clark Oscar Azarcon Solis Alexander Salazar Joseph Brennan David O'Connell Robert Barron

Auxiliary bishops, former	Juan Alfredo Arzube Alden John Bell Stephen Blaire Joseph Patrick Dougherty Carl Anthony Fisher William Robert Johnson William Levada Joseph Thomas McGucken Donald William Montrose Manuel Duran Moreno Armando Xavier Ochoa Sylvester Donovan Ryan Joseph Martin Sartoris Thaddeus Anthony Shubsda John J. Ward Gabino Zavala George Patrick Ziemann

Priests who became bishops	Justin F. Rigali

Churches in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles

Archdiocese	Cathedral Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels Cathedral, former Cathedral of Saint Vibiana

Our Lady of the Angels Pastoral Region	Deanery 13 (Westside) Corpus Christi Catholic Church, Pacific Palisades St. Monica Catholic Church, Santa Monica St. Augustine Catholic Church, Culver City St. Martin of Tours Catholic Church, Brentwood St. Timothy Catholic Church, Los Angeles Church of the Good Shepherd, Beverly Hills St. Ambrose Church, West Hollywood Saint Victor Catholic Church, West Hollywood Deanery 14 (Central LA/Hollywood) Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church, Hollywood Cathedral Chapel, Los Angeles Christ the King Catholic Church, Los Angeles St. Basil Catholic Church, Wilshire St. Brendan Catholic Church, Los Angeles Deanery 15 (Downtown/South) Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels La Iglesia de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Ángeles Precious Blood Catholic Church,Los Angeles St. Cecilia Catholic Church, Los Angeles St. Patrick Catholic Church, Los Angeles St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church, Los Angeles St. Vincent de Paul Church, Los Angeles Deanery 16 (South LA/Inglewood): Ascension Catholic Church, Los Angeles Spanish Mission La Iglesia de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Ángeles Note: This is not a Spanish Mission, but rather, a parish church.

San Fernando Pastoral Region	Deanery 5 (West San Fernando Valley) St. Cyril of Jerusalem Church and School, Encino Deanery 6 (Crescenta Valley, Glendale and Eagle Rock) Holy Family Catholic Church, Glendale Incarnation Catholic Church and School, Glendale Deanery 7 (Central San Fernando Valley and Burbank) Cathedral of St. Mary Byzantine Catholic Church, Sherman Oaks St. Charles Borromeo Church, North Hollywood St. Finbar Catholic Church and School, Burbank St. Robert Bellarmine Catholic Church, Burbank Deanery 8 (Santa Clarita Valley and Lancaster/Palmdale): Blessed Junipero Serra Catholic Church, Lancaster

San Gabriel Pastoral Region	Deanery 9 (East LA, Boyle Heights, City Terrace): All Saints Catholic Church, Los Angeles Assumption Catholic Church, Los Angeles Deanery 10 (Pasadena, Altadena, San Gabriel, Monterey Park, Montebello, Alhambra) All Souls Catholic Church, Alhambra Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Catholic Church, Pasadena St. Andrew's Catholic Church, Pasadena Mission San Gabriel Parish, San Gabriel Deanery 11 (Arcadia, Covina, Glendora, Monrovia, La Puente): Annunciation Catholic Church, Arcadia Deanery 12 (San Dimas, Claremont, Pomona, Diamond Bar, La Puente, Valinda, Walnut):

San Pedro Pastoral Region	Deanery 17 (Downey, Compton, Huntington Park, Lynwood): Deanery 18 (Whittier, La Mirada, Pico Rivera, Norwalk): Beatitudes of Our Lord Catholic Church, La Mirada Deanery 19 (South Bay and San Pedro) American Martyrs Catholic Church, Manhattan Beach SS. Peter and Paul's Church, Wilmington Deanery 20 (Long Beach):

Santa Barbara Pastoral Region	Deanery 1 (Lompoc, Solvang, Santa Maria) La Purisima Mission, Lompoc Mission Santa Inés, Solvang Deanery 2 (Santa Barbara) Santa Barbara Mission, Santa Barbara Deanery 3 (Oxnard, Ventura, Ojai, Fillmore, Santa Paula) Mission San Buenaventura, Ventura Deanery 4 (Simi Valley, Westlake Village, Thousand Oaks, Moorpark, Camarillo): Blessed Junipero Serra Catholic Church, Camarillo

Education in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles

Archdiocese	Seminaries St. John's Seminary

Our Lady of the Angels Pastoral Region	Universities and Colleges Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles Mount St. Mary's College, Los Angeles High schools Bishop Conaty-Our Lady of Loretto High School, Harvard Heights Cathedral High School, Los Angeles (Boys) Immaculate Heart High School, Los Feliz (Girls) Loyola High School, Harvard Heights (Boys) Marymount High School, Bel Air (Girls) Notre Dame Academy, Los Angeles (Girls) St. Bernard High School, Playa del Rey St. Mary's Academy, Inglewood (Girls) St. Monica Catholic High School, Santa Monica Verbum Dei High School, Watts (Boys) High schools, closed Daniel Murphy High School, Los Angeles

San Fernando Pastoral Region	Universities and Colleges: High schools Bellarmine-Jefferson High School, Burbank Bishop Alemany High School, Mission Hills Chaminade High School, West Hills Crespi Carmelite High School, Encino Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy, La Cañada Flintridge Holy Family High School, Glendale Louisville High School, Woodland Hills Notre Dame High School, Sherman Oaks Paraclete High School, Lancaster Providence High School, Burbank St. Francis High School, La Cañada Flintridge St. Genevieve High School, Panorama City

San Gabriel Pastoral Region	Universities and Colleges: High schools Ramona Convent Secondary School, Alhambra St. Lucy's Priory High School, Glendora Bishop Amat Memorial High School, La Puente Damien High School, La Verne Salesian High School, Los Angeles Cantwell-Sacred Heart of Mary High School, Montebello La Salle High School, Pasadena Mayfield Senior School, Pasadena St. Monica Academy, Pasadena Pomona Catholic High School, Pomona San Gabriel Mission High School, San Gabriel Alverno High School, Sierra Madre

San Pedro Pastoral Region	Universities and Colleges Marymount College, Palos Verdes High schools St. John Bosco High School, Bellflower Queen of Angels Academy, Compton St. Pius X / St. Matthias Academy, Downey Junipero Serra High School, Gardena St. Joseph High School, Lakewood St. Anthony High School, Long Beach Don Bosco High School, Rosemead Mary Star of the Sea High School, San Pedro St. Paul High School, Santa Fe Springs Bishop Montgomery High School, Torrance

Santa Barbara Pastoral Region	Universities and Colleges St. John's Seminary, Camarillo Thomas Aquinas College, Santa Paula High schools Bishop Garcia Diego High School, Santa Barbara La Reina High School, Thousand Oaks St. Bonaventure High School, Ventura St. Joseph High School, Santa Maria Santa Clara High School, Oxnard Villanova Preparatory School, Ojai

Hospitals and Cemeteries in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles

Our Lady of the Angels Pastoral Region	Hospitals Saint John's Health Center, Santa Monica Cemeteries Crypt Mausoleum of the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, Los Angeles Holy Cross Cemetery, Culver City

San Fernando Pastoral Region	Hospitals Northridge Hospital Medical Center, Northridge Providence Holy Cross Medical Center, Mission Hills Cemeteries San Fernando Mission Cemetery, San Fernando

San Gabriel Pastoral Region	Hospitals: Cemeteries Calvary Cemetery, East Los Angeles

San Pedro Pastoral Region	Hospitals: Cemeteries:

Santa Barbara Pastoral Region	Hospitals: Cemeteries:

Catholicism Portal

International Council of Universities of Saint Thomas Aquinas

Africa	Universidade Católica de Angola Ethiopian Catholic University of St. Thomas Aquinas Universidade São Tomás de Moçambique Catholic University of Nigeria

Americas	Universidad Católica Argentina Universidad Fraternidad de Agrupaciones Santo Tomás de Aquino Ohio Dominican University Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú Pontificia Universidad Católica Madre y Maestra Universidad Santo Tomás (Bogotá) Universidad Santo Tomás (Chile) Universidad Santo Tomás (Honduras) Universidad del Norte Santo Tomás de Aquino Saint Thomas University Thomas Aquinas College University of Saint Thomas (Texas) University of Saint Thomas (Minnesota)

Asia-Pacific	Aquinas University of Legazpi Australian Catholic University Pontifical and Royal University of Santo Tomás Sei Katarina Daigaku Sei Tomasu Daigaku Universitas Katolik St. Thomas Sumatera Utara

Europe	Institut catholique d’études supérieures Facultà di Teología di Lugano Mary Immaculate College Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas CEU San Pablo University CEU Abat Oliba University CEU Cardinal Herrera University

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