SJLA Program provides students with classic Jesuit education

Find out from alumni how the SJLA program provides students with an ‘incredible connection’ and classic Jesuit education.

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Since the 1970s, The University of Scranton’s Special Jesuit Liberal Arts Honors Program (SJLA) has offered high-achieving students a classic humanities-focused education that sets them up for a fulfilling career and a life well lived.

Every year, 50 to 60 first-year students are invited into SJLA, which gives them an alternate route to fulfilling their general education requirements. Students represent a variety of majors and move through the program as a cohort taking specially designed courses in philosophy, theology and literature. The primary emphasis is on helping them develop their writing, speaking and critical thinking skills, while encouraging them to strive for excellence and be of service to others.

“Every single professor I had was inspiring, and they created these very unique bespoke courses. And I’m still close with a number of students I went through the program with,” said SJLA alumna Juliana Vossenberg Kazemi ’17.

The courses are taught by award-winning faculty members who have remained with the program for many years, said SJLA Director Daniel Haggerty, Ph.D., professor and department chair of the Philosophy Department.

“The students are surrounded by the same people throughout their four years, who help them transition from high school to college and the next chapter of their life,” Dr. Haggerty said. “Their success is a priority, and throughout the year we have a number of events, receptions and retreats to help them feel supported in their efforts.”

Abbey Murphy ’20 on SJLA

Philosophy Abbey Murphy"The Special Jesuit Liberal Arts Program inspired me to pursue an academic career in philosophy through the faculty, who showed me the beauty of the study of philosophy. Philosophy brings us to ask questions about ourselves, the world and God, and through these questions to experience the world in a more profound way and to contribute to the betterment of the world.

I chose to pursue a career in academic philosophy in order to explore more deeply these questions so that I can show others the beauty of the philosophical discipline and way of life.

SJLA's interdisciplinary approach showed me how the study of philosophy is strengthened by the study of literature, theology, and other humanities disciplines.

...students, alumni, and faculty of SJLA emphasize the importance of community in the study of philosophy. It is through a search for truth, beauty and goodness, with other people, that we begin to find and to live the answers to these questions. The faculty are exemplars who believe in the value of philosophy, and it was through their living example that I was brought to pursue a Ph.D. in philosophy." 

While SJLA provides a great entry point for students interested in majoring in philosophy, it’s also ideal for those pursuing careers outside of the humanities, said David Dzurec, Ph.D., associate dean for the College of Arts and Sciences and professor of history.

“A lot of students who go to law school, business school and medical school go through SJLA. Personally, I think it’s a good thing to have a doctor who has studied philosophy and wrestled with the bigger questions of life,” Dr. Dzurec said. “The program helps them develop those skills that let them do anything in life. And they’re more complete and interesting people as they go into their careers.”

As a testament to the program’s enduring success, a recent SJLA reunion drew about 150 alumni.

“What’s incredible to me is the connection people feel for the program,” Dr. Dzurec said. “The loyalty to SJLA is mind boggling to me. You’re looking at several generations of students whose lives have been transformed in significant ways.”

Mary Purcell ’21 on Faculty

Mary Purcell"The Special Jesuit Liberal Arts program is grounded in the Jesuit pedagogical goal of Eloquentia Perfecta which emphasizes the importance of speaking and writing effectively. In accordance with these values, SJLA favored oral defenses for many of our examinations.

In Dr. (Daniel) Haggerty’s metaphysics class, I defended Aquinas’ Five Ways with two of my classmates in front of faculty members who sported medieval attire and personalities. In Dr. (Stephen) Whittaker’s Trivium, I wore a toga in the DeNaples Center and presented on Plato’s Symposium as my fellow SJLA classmates and professors tried to distract me. I debated various topics in Dr. (Matthew) Meyer’s Philosophy, Politics and Economics course. And in Philosophy of Conscience, I sat in Dr. (David) Black’s office answering question after question on Kant and Marx. Although unorthodox, these oral examinations called on each one of us to know these philosophers and their texts inside and out. 

Likewise, the program emphasized writing persuasively and effectively. Dr. (Richard) Klonoski’s difficult ethics exams trained me to read texts carefully as we had to answer questions with the exact language used by each philosopher. In the same spirit, quoting from a favorite professor of his own, Dr. (Duane) Armitage reminded us to “philosophize with” whatever philosopher we were reading at the time. As a historian of philosophy, I still find that the best way to approach a text is to “philosophize with” the author, and to take each philosopher at their word.

In Trivium, I learned to develop and defend my thesis in less than 300 words. We had to write clearly or risk facing Dr. Whittaker’s red pen as he graded our writing in front of us. 

SJLA trained me to write with purpose, to speak with confidence, to think on my feet, and to read with care. During my time in the program, I was introduced to Aristotle, Plato, Aquinas, Kant, Hume, Nietzsche, Marx and many more major players. It is no surprise, then, that I currently work in the history of philosophy.

However, it was my work with Dr. Andrew LaZella which ultimately led to my pursuit of an academic career. I work on early modern metaphysics with a focus on marginalized figures in the history of philosophy. My main focus is on the work of Margaret Cavendish, a 17th century natural philosopher.

During my time at Scranton, there were no women philosophers included on the syllabi. In fact, I only discovered Cavendish by flipping through a textbook I was using for an independent study on the rationalist/empiricist debate. Luckily, I was in the hands of Dr. LaZella who encouraged me to study Cavendish and patiently guided me in reading through her texts.

I am certain that not all professors would have been so willing to treat a woman philosopher seriously and to give her work the same care we give freely to men of the philosophical canon. Without Dr. LaZella, I would not have considered a career in academia and I would not be where I am today - in the Duke philosophy department working on Margaret Cavendish."

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