What does it mean at be a College with a Conscience?

Saint Anselm earned national recognition this summer, with the publication of a new guidebook called Colleges with a Conscience: 81 Great Schools with Outstanding Community Involvement.

The Princeton Review selected colleges and universities admired for their commitment to making a positive difference in the world. For us at Saint Anselm, this has been at the core of our academic mission from our earliest days. Our commitment to excellence in liberal arts seeks to share with our students the skills they will need to discern what is right and wrong in their personal lives as well as in politics, economics, and legal and social policies.

We want them to have the wisdom it takes to keep our democracy alive and well. For us at Saint Anselm, it is also our commitment to Catholic social teaching that prepares our students to understand that their thoughtful participation in the life of their communities is not something optional.

In fact, it is critical and something that our students demonstrate every day through a number of outlets: the classroom, the Meelia Center, Campus Ministry, service learning and the New Hampshire Institute of Politics.

While one might expect that we would educate our own students for a lifetime of citizenship, the college has gone beyond even that responsibility with a pilot program this summer. Twenty-three high school students from New Hampshire, all entering their junior year, attended the first Civic Leadership Academy at the NHIOP. This rigorous and competitive two-week residential program attracted some of the state’s brightest students and many of the state’s most influential political figures, including the governor, the chief justice of the Supreme Court and executive councilors.

They debated New Hampshire tax law, refugee resettlement and welfare reform; they questioned Gov. John Lynch at length about a potential sales tax; and wanted to know why the state does not better compensate its 424 legislators. The enthusiasm and intellectual curiosity that these students brought to the table was not only remarkable, but inspiring. It demonstrated that with the right venue and approach, young people do become very informed and engaged, something that critics say is nearly impossible.

We can all recall instances when citizenship became very real to us: when we were able to articulate a great idea to another, when we realized that having a desire to serve others is one characteristic of a truly great leader, when we were able to positively affect the life of another or work with others to improve the lives of many.

Our understanding of what it means to be a “college with a conscience” includes both direct service and education that equips students with the knowledge and values that will help them “do the right thing” for the benefit of our society.

As we celebrate our honor as one of the nation’s “Colleges with a Conscience,” we must also keep in mind that our mission is not complete until all those associated with us become “citizens with a conscience.”

Sincerely,
Rev. Jonathan DeFelice, O.S.B.
President