The Lasallian Core Traditions Program is the required core for the majority of the students in the undergraduate College, and completion of the core curriculum partially fulfills the general education requirements. This core provides a common Lasallian educational experience for students and is grounded in the university mission and the Lasallian dispositions of faith, zeal, service, and community. These four commitments underscore the ultimate aim of the program: to awaken and nurture the intellectual, spiritual, and personal development of learners in preparation for lives of service and commitment to social justice. In addition to teaching in the program, faculty from the department serve as program advisors. Approximately thirty additional faculty from across the College and across disciplines teach in the program, contributing to the program’s uniqueness.

The first-year seminar enables new students to successfully transition to university life while also beginning to develop a Lasallian identity as educated, competent, and compassionate members of society. In the second-year course, students hone their writing skills through the study of important texts on the virtuous life from within the Western tradition, including selections from the life and work of Saint John Baptist de la Salle. In the junior year, students explore issues of social justice inherent in our emerging global society, while at the same time refining the knowledge, skills, and Catholic Lasallian values needed to evaluate and respond appropriately to different perspectives on real world issues, problems, and themes. In the senior capstone course, students explore the historical and philosophical origins of our American culture and examine how these origins affect our understanding of our work, our marriages and family lives, our faith, and our citizenship. The purpose of this forward-looking capstone course is to prepare students to live out the Lasallian charism in contemporary America and the world.

Students must complete the 12 credit-hour Lasallian Core Tradition Program to graduate; first-year students take LCT140; sophomores take LCT225; juniors take LCT375; and seniors take LCT475.

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