Holy Spirit College
Encyclopedia
Holy Spirit College is a private Roman Catholic university located in Atlanta. The college describes itself as an "authentic Catholic college" in the spirit of the apostolic constitution
Ex corde ecclesiae
of Pope John Paul II
.
.
Starting in fall 2010, the college will admit its first class of full-time undergraduate students pursuing bachelors degrees in philosophy. These students will be offered majors in Philosophy, Theology and Catholic Education, and additional majors may be undertaken in partnership with Ave Maria University
. A Master's of Theology program is planned for spring 2011, with other Master's programs to follow in subsequent years.
was created by the heraldic designer James-Charles Noonan, and is blazon
ed as follows:
The crest
is blazoned as:
is Monsignor Edward J. Dillon, J.C.D.; the college's president is Gareth N. Genner, and Archbishop John Francis Donoghue is rector
.
Student life on the campus includes community dinners, which provide the opportunity for "social discourse between the members of the community and ... a venue to welcome distinguished guests into the fellowship of the College". Student organizations include a college chapter of the Knights of Columbus
(in formation), and chapters of two campus-based service organizations: Kappa Delta Omega (fraternity) and Kappa Alpha Phi (sorority).
The college also sponsors a variety of club and intramural sports, including track
, cross-country
, basketball
, tennis
, soccer, and golf
.
leading to an Associate of Arts degree or certificates in philosophy or the liberal arts.
In 2010, however, the college announced that it is planning to expand its course offerings and academic focus. Starting in the fall of 2010, the college now offers a bachelor's degree
program, while maintaining an emphasis on theology, philosophy and liberal arts. Courses in political and social sciences have been added.
The college offers study abroad
programs each summer alternating between Rome
and Oxford University.
.
The college is fully accredited by the American Academy for Liberal Education
(AALE) to award the Bachelor of Philosophy (B.Phil) degree, and is authorized to grant degrees by the Georgia Non-Public Secondary Education Commission (GNPEC). The college also maintains memberships in the American Catholic Philosophical Association
(ACPA), the Society for Ancient Greek Philosophy, the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO), the Fellowship of Catholic Scholars, and the Shakespeare Association of America. Holy Spirit is not accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
, the regional accreditation
association which covers Georgia.
Apostolic constitution
An apostolic constitution is the highest level of decree issued by the Pope. The use of the term constitution comes from Latin constitutio, which referred to any important law issued by the Roman emperor, and is retained in church documents because of the inheritance that the canon law of the...
Ex corde ecclesiae
Ex Corde Ecclesiae
is an Apostolic constitution issued by Pope John Paul II regarding Catholic colleges and universities.Promulgated on August 15, 1990 and intended to become effective in the academic year starting in 1991, its aim was to define and refine the Catholicism of Catholic institutions of higher education...
of Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
.
History
Holy Spirit College was founded in 2005 as an undergraduate college offering courses in the Liberal Arts to students of Holy Spirit Preparatory SchoolHoly Spirit Preparatory School
Holy Spirit Preparatory School is an independent, Roman Catholic preparatory school located in Atlanta, Georgia and was established in 1996, originally as the Donnellan School. It is located in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Atlanta....
.
Starting in fall 2010, the college will admit its first class of full-time undergraduate students pursuing bachelors degrees in philosophy. These students will be offered majors in Philosophy, Theology and Catholic Education, and additional majors may be undertaken in partnership with Ave Maria University
Ave Maria University
Ave Maria University or AMU is a private Catholic university in southwest Florida, United States, founded in 2003. The university moved to its permanent campus, situated in the planned town of Ave Maria, east of Naples, Florida, in August 2007...
. A Master's of Theology program is planned for spring 2011, with other Master's programs to follow in subsequent years.
Coat of arms
The college's institutional coat of armsCoat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
was created by the heraldic designer James-Charles Noonan, and is blazon
Blazon
In heraldry and heraldic vexillology, a blazon is a formal description of a coat of arms, flag or similar emblem, from which the reader can reconstruct the appropriate image...
ed as follows:
Azure, between three fleur de lys, one in bend in the dexter chief point, one in bend sinister in the sinister chief point, one in pale in center base point or, on a nimbus set around the rim with three equidistant bosses or, the dove of the Holy Spirit descending argent flammant proper.
The crest
Crest (heraldry)
A crest is a component of an heraldic display, so called because it stands on top of a helmet, as the crest of a jay stands on the bird's head....
is blazoned as:
On a torse of the colors argent and azure a lamp of learning or, its flames proper.
Governance
The college's chancellorChancellor (education)
A chancellor or vice-chancellor is the chief executive of a university. Other titles are sometimes used, such as president or rector....
is Monsignor Edward J. Dillon, J.C.D.; the college's president is Gareth N. Genner, and Archbishop John Francis Donoghue is rector
Rector
The word rector has a number of different meanings; it is widely used to refer to an academic, religious or political administrator...
.
Campus and student life
The college's campus is located on grounds shared with Holy Spirit Parish and Holy Spirit Preparatory School. A Commons Building provides the college with facilities for study, dining and relaxation; the parish complex offers a library and college lecture theaters.Student life on the campus includes community dinners, which provide the opportunity for "social discourse between the members of the community and ... a venue to welcome distinguished guests into the fellowship of the College". Student organizations include a college chapter of the Knights of Columbus
Knights of Columbus
The Knights of Columbus is the world's largest Catholic fraternal service organization. Founded in the United States in 1882, it is named in honor of Christopher Columbus....
(in formation), and chapters of two campus-based service organizations: Kappa Delta Omega (fraternity) and Kappa Alpha Phi (sorority).
The college also sponsors a variety of club and intramural sports, including track
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
, cross-country
Cross country running
Cross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road...
, basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
, tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
, soccer, and golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
.
Academics
The college was founded for the purpose of providing programs to Holy Spirit Preparatory SchoolHoly Spirit Preparatory School
Holy Spirit Preparatory School is an independent, Roman Catholic preparatory school located in Atlanta, Georgia and was established in 1996, originally as the Donnellan School. It is located in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Atlanta....
leading to an Associate of Arts degree or certificates in philosophy or the liberal arts.
In 2010, however, the college announced that it is planning to expand its course offerings and academic focus. Starting in the fall of 2010, the college now offers a bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
program, while maintaining an emphasis on theology, philosophy and liberal arts. Courses in political and social sciences have been added.
The college offers study abroad
Study abroad
Studying abroad is the act of a student pursuing educational opportunities in a country other than one's own. This can include primary, secondary and post-secondary students...
programs each summer alternating between Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
and Oxford University.
Affiliations and accreditation
Though an independent Catholic college not affiliated with any religious order or congregation, Holy Spirit maintains a close association with Holy Spirit Parish, and the Archdiocese of AtlantaRoman Catholic Archdiocese of Atlanta
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Atlanta is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the southeastern United States. It is composed of the northern counties of the state of Georgia and is led by a prelate archbishop, who is also pastor of the mother church, the...
.
The college is fully accredited by the American Academy for Liberal Education
American Academy for Liberal Education
The American Academy for Liberal Education is a United States educational accreditation organization.- Accreditation :AALE provides two types of accreditation for higher education institutions that offer general education programs in the liberal arts...
(AALE) to award the Bachelor of Philosophy (B.Phil) degree, and is authorized to grant degrees by the Georgia Non-Public Secondary Education Commission (GNPEC). The college also maintains memberships in the American Catholic Philosophical Association
American Catholic Philosophical Association
The American Catholic Philosophical Association is an organization of Catholic philosophers established in 1926 to promote the advancement of philosophy as an intellectual discipline consonant with Catholic tradition...
(ACPA), the Society for Ancient Greek Philosophy, the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO), the Fellowship of Catholic Scholars, and the Shakespeare Association of America. Holy Spirit is not accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools is one of the six regional accreditation organizations recognized by the United States Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation...
, the regional accreditation
Regional accreditation
Regional accreditation is a term used in the United States to refer to educational accreditation conducted by any of several accreditation bodies established to serve six defined geographic areas of the country for accreditation of schools, colleges, and universities...
association which covers Georgia.