Saint Michael's College: A Legacy of Liberal Arts and Career Preparation

Saint Michael's College, a private Catholic institution in Colchester, Vermont, offers a comprehensive educational experience rooted in the liberal arts tradition. Founded in 1904 by the Society of Saint Edmund, the college has evolved from a men's institute to a co-educational institution with a diverse array of undergraduate and graduate programs. This article explores the rich history of Saint Michael's College, its academic programs, special opportunities for students, and the career paths available to graduates.

A Foundation Rooted in History

"Remembering the past is a fundamental human activity." This ethos resonates deeply within the History program at Saint Michael’s College, where students are prepared to be critically-engaged citizens of the world. By studying the diversity and complexities of lived experiences, students develop ethical accountability and understand the perils of silence and apathy. The college's commitment to historical understanding is reflected in its curriculum and special programs, fostering essential skills in investigation, writing, and critical analysis.

The Society of Saint Edmund

The Society of Saint Edmund, the founding religious order of Saint Michael’s College, played a significant role in the struggle for Civil Rights in the 1960’s. Their legacy of social justice and ethical responsibility continues to inspire students and faculty.

Academic Programs: A Broad Spectrum of Disciplines

Saint Michael's College offers a wide range of academic programs, encompassing over 40 majors and minors. These programs are designed to provide students with a strong foundation in the liberal arts while preparing them for successful careers.

History Department: Cultivating Critical Thinkers

The History Department at Saint Michael's College offers a variety of courses that hone skills in investigation, writing, and critical analysis. Examples of courses include:

American Revolution
World War II in Europe
African-Europeans from Antiquity to Today
African-American History 1619 to Today
Civil Rights and the Church
The Civil War and Reconstruction
Crime and Society in 19th Century Britain
Public History
History of Rome
Early America on Film
The Medieval World
Modern Europe
Modern Middle East

Every History major completes a senior thesis, a significant research project on a historical topic of interest. Recent senior seminar topics include:

Spring 2019

Border Lines and Racial Divides: On the Radical and Cultural Behaviors of the Ninth Cavalry Regiment
The First and Second Opium Wars: The Economics of the Conflicts
Ideas of the Middle Ages: How Perspectives of the Past are Shaped by One’s Present as Seen Through the Works of Petrarch, Voltaire, and Burckhardt
A Life of Unconventional Thought: Comprehending Hanna Arendt’s Eichmann in Jerusalem and Jewish Identity
Order in Revolt: Popular Organization and Consciousness from 1323-1381
Understanding the Middle Ages: Contemporary Reflections on Revolt and the Meaning of the Medieval Past
The Universality and Diversity of the Cinderella Tale
Who Lost China? The China Hands and the Demise of Sino-American Relations

Fall 2018

The Christian Conversion of Scandinavia
The Consequences of Racism in Education: A Case Study of American and South African School Systems
Denmark and the Problem of Middle Eastern Immigrants: A Case Study into the Phenomenon of Western Islamophobia
Does Place Matter?: The Conflict over the Aptuxet Trading Post Location
The Formation of the Kingdom of Portugal and a Portuguese Identity
How the Development of Urban America Impacted the Fire Service
The Iraq War and the Subsequent Expansion of Executive Power under the George W. Bush Administration
Medical Innovations: A History of Wartime Influence on the Profession of Nursing
O Museu Nacional: The Formation and Destruction of National Narratives

Art History Minor: Visual Culture

Studying art history improves essential skills that are the building blocks of 21st Century learning: observation, analysis, synthesis, and creative and critical interpretation. As a minor in art history, you will study visual culture that spans the spectrum of humanity from cave paintings to the present day, and learn to make sense of its meanings through the study of both form and context.

Interdisciplinary Programs

Saint Michael's College is also closely associated with several interdisciplinary programs - American Studies, East Asian Studies, Gender Studies, Humanities, and Medieval Studies. Many students choose to double-major or minor with one of these other disciplines to further enhance their academic experience.

Humanities Courses

The college also offers a sequence of Humanities courses that explore key texts and ideas from different periods in history. These courses include:

HU 101 - Ancient and Medieval Civilization: A chronological and interdisciplinary study of significant texts from Antiquity and the Middle Ages. Readings may include Virgil’s Aeneid, Saint Augustine’s Confessions, the Rule of Saint Benedict, the Lays of Marie de France, an Arthurian romance, and Dante’s Inferno.
HU 102 - Modern Civilization: This course explores key texts from the Renaissance to the present. Readings may include Shakepeare’s The Tempest, Rousseau’s Second Discourse on Inequality, Bronte’s Wuthering Heights, Marx’s Communist Manifesto, Hannah Arendt’s Eichmann in Jerusalem and Achebe’s Things Fall Apart.
HU 203 - Renaissance and Reformation: An interdisciplinary survey of some of the most important influential texts and works of art in European history from about 1350 to 1650. Authors studied may include Machiavelli, Christian humanists (Erasmus and/or More), Catholic and Protestant thinkers (Luther, Ignatius Loyola, Calvin), Marguerite of Navarre, Montaigne, Descartes, and Shakespeare.
HU 205 - Enlightenment and Revolution: Covers the years from the seventeenth century to 1815. The major areas of consideration are: the Industrial and French Revolutions, and the causes and effects of the Enlightenment through the Napoleonic Era. Readings may include The New Science (Bacon, Galileo, Descartes, Locke, and/or Newton), and selections from the area of society and politics (Locke, Pope, Voltaire, and/or Rousseau). The second half of the course concerns the Romantic reaction against the Enlightenment and focuses on the poets Blake, Wordsworth, Coleridge, Shelley and Byron.
HU 207 - The Nineteenth Century: The Nineteenth Century is an interdisciplinary study of the main intellectual and literary currents in nineteenth century thought. Readings include Darwin, Marx, and Nietzsche as well as representative English, French and Russian novels.
HU 209 - The Twentieth Century: A cross-cultural, interdisciplinary course that draws on a wide variety of artistic manifestations in literature, art, music, and cinema.

Other Programs

Saint Michael’s College offers 40 majors and minors as well as Graduate, Pre-Professional, and Certificate Programs.

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Analytics, Computing, and Data Science major
Aquatic and Marine Biology minor
Business Administration major, minor
Computer Science major, minor
Data Science and Applied Statistics major, minor
Digital Marketing major, minor
Digital Media & Communications major, minor
Emergency Medical Services minor
Environmental Science major
Environmental Studies major, minor
Ethics, Philosophy, and Religion major
Gender and Sexuality Studies major, minor
Global Languages and Cultures major
Human Resource Management minor
International Relations major, minor
Medieval and Early Modern Studies minor
Philosophy and Ethics major, minor
Philosophy, Politics, and Economics major
Political Science major, minor
Public Health major, minor
Religious Studies major, minor
Secondary Science Education major
Sociology and Anthropology major, minor
Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) minor
Clinical-Counseling Psychology graduate
Master of Arts in Teaching graduate
Master of Education graduate
M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instructional Design (Online) graduate
Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages graduate
Racial Equity & Educational Justice Graduate Certificate Program graduate
Holistic Restorative Education Certificate Program graduate
Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study graduate

Special Opportunities for Students

Saint Michael's College offers a variety of special opportunities for students to enhance their academic experience and prepare for their future careers.

Study Abroad

Many students study abroad all over the world, including Asia, Europe, Africa, and Australia.

Study Tours

Consider taking a study tour course to Selma, Alabama, where the Society of Saint Edmund played a significant role in the struggle for Civil Rights in the 1960’s. An academic study tour to Assisi, Italy, focusing on Saint Francis of Assisi, d. 1226, and the Franciscans) is also in the works.

Internships

Students have interned at a variety of places, including the Office of the Governor of Vermont, the Immigration and Naturalization Service, the Vermont Commission on Women, the Hinesburg Land Trust, Shelburne Museum and more.

Honor Societies

Saint Michael’s College houses the following honors: Phi Beta Kappa; Delta Epsilon Sigma, the Catholic honor society; Pi Sigma Alpha for Political Science; Omicron Delta Epsilon for Economics; Phi Alpha Theta for History; Kappa Delta Pi for Education; Psi Chi for Psychology; Sigma Xi for Science and Technology; Pi Mu Epsilon for Mathematics; Beta Beta Beta for Biology; Kappa Tau Alpha for Journalism and Mass Communication (the only KTA chapter nationwide housed at a small college); and Sigma Beta Delta for Business, Management, and Administration.

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The History Department has a chapter of Phi Alpha Theta, the international Honors Society in History. Saint Michael’s College founded its chapter, Alpha Epsilon Nu, in 1991, and membership is open to all students, regardless of major. Special programs and activities are planned throughout the academic year. Phi Alpha Theta’s motto is “seek truth.” Every year the local chapter of Phi Beta Kappa at Saint Michael’s College (Gamma of Vermont) also inducts several history majors and minors into its ranks.

Visiting Scholars

The History Department sponsors the prestigious and annual Norbert A. Kuntz Memorial Lecture in History. The department established the lecture series to honor Dr. Norbert Kuntz, a long-time Saint Michael’s professor and chair of the History Department. This series brings a historian of international stature to Saint Michael’s College to address the community. Members of the department also work with other programs and honor societies to bring noted scholars to campus to interact closely with our students. For example, our department cooperated recently with the college Phi Beta Kappa chapter to bring a Phi Beta Kappa Visiting Scholar to campus.

Athletics

Saint Michael's has a special history with the NE10 - including being part of the conference's name change. In 1987, both Saint Michael's and Quinnipiac joined the Northeast-8. With membership increased to 10 institutions, the league made one final rebrand by changing its name to the Northeast-10.

Since joining the NE10, Saint Michael's has enjoyed its share of athletic success - including a pair of conference titles in men's basketball over a three-year span (1999 and 2001). In that stretch, Saint Michael's won two NE10 regular season titles, two NE10 tournament titles and made three appearances in the NCAA Tournament. In that span, the Purple Knights were led by Todd Roberts - the NE10 Player of the Year and future NE10 Hall of Fame inductee. He helped Saint Michael's compile a four-year record of 88-35 (.651).

Field hockey advanced to the NCAA semifinals in consecutive seasons in 2000 and 2001, which included a pair of NE10 regular season titles. Under head coach Carla Hesler, the Purple Knights went a combined 28-10 those two seasons - a winning percentage of .737.

In non-NE10 sponsored sports, Saint Michael's won a national championship in ice hockey in 1999 as a member of the ECAC by beating Southern New Hampshire, 8-5. The NE10 began sponsoring men's ice hockey the following season (1999-2000).

Career Paths for Graduates

A degree from Saint Michael's College opens doors to a variety of careers and workplaces. History majors, in particular, develop skills in critical thinking, research, and communication that are highly valued by employers in a wide range of fields.

Career Opportunities for History Majors

After graduation, history majors go on to careers like:

History Teacher
Editorial Assistant
Law Clerk
Paraprofessional
Political Campaign Position
Community Integration Specialist

A degree in history is valuable for a variety of careers and workplaces, including:

Law
Marketing/Public Relations
Insurance
Teaching
Business
Banking
Education agencies and foundations
Museums
State or federal government historical programs
Libraries
Research institutions
Public research agencies
University research agencies
Foundations or philanthropic organizations
State councils on the humanities
Historic preservation
Restoration programs
State and federal departments of archaeology
Resident historians in state or national parks
Government service

Career Opportunities for Art History Minors

Saint Michael’s art history alumni work in exciting fields including Landscape Design, Urban Planning, Art Gallery and Auctions Administration, Historic Preservation, and Marketing and Development for non-profit organizations.

Graduate Programs

After Saint Michael’s, art history minors go on to graduate school in Museum Studies, Historic Preservation, Library Science, and other disciplines in the Humanities.

Campus Life and Traditions

Saint Michael's College offers a vibrant campus life with a variety of activities and organizations for students to get involved in.

Student Activities

There are over 40 student organizations. There are no fraternities or sororities. Other activities include Saint Michael's Fire and Rescue student volunteer first responders, Student Association, Adventure Sports Program, Campus Ministry, the campus radio station WVTX, club sports, student musical and play productions, the Saint Michael's Chorale, Vermont Gregorian Chant Schola, open mic nights and various instrumental and vocal ensembles. Christmas and spring semi-formal dances are held.

Saint Michael's offers over 40 different student-run clubs and organizations. Clubs range from the arts (e.g. A cappella groups, Drama Club, Chorale) to community groups (e.g. Common Ground, Food Justice, Student Global AIDS Campaign) to academic clubs (e.g. Turtle Underground is a student-run program that promotes student art, music, and performance. There are shows on most Saturdays during the semester.

Sustainability Initiatives

Saint Michael's has taken many steps towards sustainability over the years. It was named the first fair trade school in Vermont. Along with the initiatives in the cafeteria, Saint Michael's has an organic garden that started in 2008 and has grown into a huge project for students and faculty alike. The garden utilizes student volunteers through the Mobilization of Volunteer Efforts (MOVE) program and also works with summer interns and crew members to prepare the vegetables for Farm Stands that run from mid-summer through the beginning of fall. The school also provides a free CCTA (Chittenden County Transportation Authority Bus Route) commuter pass to all students, staff, and faculty. To improve water conservation, dual-flush handles for toilets have begun to be installed in various buildings around campus. All campus showerheads and sink aerators are low-flow. Saint Michael's College also took the St.

Athletics Facilities

Athletics facilities include a fitness room, racquetball and an indoor track and swimming pool. There are 21 varsity sports (10 for men, 11 for women) and over 20 intramural teams. Saint Michael's varsity sports teams are called the Purple Knights. The school colors are purple and gold. Eighteen varsity teams participate in the NCAA's Division II Northeast-10 Conference; Alpine and Nordic skiing are members of the multi-divisional Eastern Intercollegiate Ski Association (EISA), and women’s ice hockey competes in Division I New England Women's Hockey Alliance. Approximately 25% of students participate in a varsity sport. Student-led programs include men's and women's rugby, billiards, ping pong, floor hockey, volleyball, and indoor soccer. Tournaments are also scheduled throughout the academic year. Yoga, jazzercise, kickboxing, cardio step, and pilates courses are offered weekly.

Saint Michael's Playhouse

Saint Michael's Playhouse is the college's professional equity summer theater. The Playhouse is a member of the Council of Resident Stock Theaters (CORST).

Graduate Programs: Continuing the Tradition of Excellence

Saint Michael's graduate programs exemplify the College's tradition of quality education that prepares students to contribute to both a chosen field of study and the communities in which they live. These programs respond to educational needs in Vermont, in the nation and beyond, by providing practitioner-oriented programs in a variety of fields. In these professional fields of study, students are expected to achieve a level of competence and scholarship that will mark them as leaders.

History of Graduate Programs

From 1926 to 1959, Saint Michael’s offered a variety of master's programs, generally directed to training religious and other teachers serving in Catholic schools. By the mid-1960s, most of these early programs were phased out. However, the graduate programs in education were continued, and the 1960s saw the initiation of the graduate program in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (1963). In the late 1950s the Graduate Education Program began a graduate certificate program in guidance, which later transitioned into a counseling program. In 1984, this program became the Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology and later (2023) the Master of Arts in Clinical-Counseling Psychology. Graduate Program in Theology was founded in 1962. While the master's program in theology closed in 2012, the college continues to provide seminars, conferences and workshops in theology and pastoral ministry.

The Graduate Program in Administration and Management was added to Saint Michael’s offerings in 1979. Around this time, the College began to offer graduate courses on a year-round basis in order to meet the needs and interests of the growing number of students who wished to pursue advanced studies. In addition, a number of educational options such as certificate programs, summer institutes, and special workshops were developed to broaden opportunities for specialized study. In 2008 the Master of Science in Administration was phased out. At present, Saint Michael's offers master's degrees and certificate programs in education, TESOL, and clinical-counseling psychology. In general, these programs focus on the development of practical as well as theoretical skills and the preparation of professionals whose interests lie in education, community, or public service.

Core Values

The College's graduate offerings provide opportunities for lifelong learning, giving students and faculty the chance to share a process of educational and social growth meant to enrich professional and personal experiences, as well as the academic environment. Graduate students - as members of the larger Saint Michael's community - strive to reflect values of the College in their daily lives, not only on the campus and in the workplace, but in religious and service affiliations, in political participation, in family and neighborhood interactions, and in contacts with people from varied backgrounds and cultures.

Notable Alumni

Saint Michael's College has produced a number of notable alumni who have made significant contributions in a variety of fields. These include:

Moses Anderson: Catholic bishop
Tom Bowman: NPR correspondent
Tom Costello: Politician
Ann Cummings: Vermont State Senator
Rudolph J. Daley: Judge
Thomas E. Delahanty II: United States Attorney
Joseph F. Dunford Jr.: United States Marine Corps General
John Engels: Poet
Roger R. Festa: Scientist
Tom Freston: MTV creator
Vincent Illuzzi: Vermont State Senator
Patrick Leahy: United States Senator
Earle B. McLaughlin: Banker
Christina Reiss: Judge
Harold C. Sylvester: Jurist
Michael A. Tranghese: Big East Conference Commissioner
Robert White: United States Ambassador
Katjana Ballantyne: Somerville Mayor
Matt Benedetto: Entrepreneur and Inventor
Greg Delanty: Poet

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