As part of Merrimack College’s Augustinian mission and values, faculty educate their students holistically with an emphasis on community service.
To further enhance these efforts, the College recently received a NetVUE Program Development Grant from the Council of Independent Colleges to conduct two years of research on Augustinian-based education and the potential benefits of teaching through an Augustinian lens.
Sixteen Merrimack faculty and administrators will receive a stipend to incorporate topics on self-reflection and community building into one of their upper-level courses.
“Our goal is to provide Merrimack faculty the opportunity to gather as a cohort to explore how Augustinian pedagogical themes of discernment, vocation and the common good can be incorporated into coursework offered to sophomores, juniors and seniors,” explained Dorie Mansen, associate vice president for mission and ministry and a co-lead on the study.
Fellow co-lead MT Dávila, associate professor of religious and theological studies, says the project will also help students further understand how their majors and studies play a role in building a healthier and more humane society.
“In my work in ethics, I see a failure to reflect and understand what humanity is about,” Dávila said. “I want people to have the tools to go out into society and think of themselves as contributing to the common good and continually reflect on what that looks like for them and their communities.”
This is the fourth NetVUE grant Merrimack has received. NetVUE funded a similar, smaller study following the revamp of the “Who Am I?” course. Now a requirement for all first-year Merrimack College students, “Who Am I?” encourages students to consider their education within an Augustinian context and understand their purpose not just as students, but as human beings.
Dávila credits Joseph Chiarelli ’09, an assistant professor of chemistry and biochemistry, as a faculty member who utilized NetVUE grant opportunities to keep his students’ focus beyond Merrimack and not just on their class credits.
“Once a week, he would pause and ask his students, ‘What are we learning this for? How do you see this being part of your life in the future outside of needing it for your degree?,’” she said. “We want all our students thinking about where they’ll use the tools they learn at Merrimack 20 years from now.
