Thomas More College of Liberal Arts
Encyclopedia
The Thomas More College of Liberal Arts is located in Merrimack, New Hampshire
. The college emphasizes classical education
in the Roman Catholic
intellectual tradition and is named after Thomas More
. The school has approximately 100 students.
as its first president. Sampo had been a co-founder and president of both Cardinal Newman College and Magdalen College
, also in New Hampshire
. The curriculum, designed by educators Donald and Louise Cowan, associated with the University of Dallas
, centered on the direct reading of foundational works of Western culture.
In 2011, the college announced its intention to move to a larger tract of land in Groton, Massachusetts
, keeping the campus in Merrimack as a site for future graduate programs.
at Thomas More College is similar to a Great Books
program. Students read the great works of Western literature, philosophy, and political science in their entirety rather than as a collection of excerpts. Students earn a B.A.
degree in Liberal Arts
without a major concentration
. Part of the sophomore year is spent in Rome
, Italy
.
In 2010, the college started a program of teaching students practical skills in art and music, using the medieval guild
system as a model.
The college is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges
. NEASC stated in 2009 that TMC was not meeting NEASC's standards for financial resources, and NEASC placed the College on probation.
, England, publisher of Second Spring, a journal on faith and culture, since 2007.
In 2008, the college absorbed the Sophia Institute Press to make the press the school's publishing arm.
Merrimack, New Hampshire
Merrimack is a town in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 25,494 at the 2010 census, making it the eighth-largest municipality in New Hampshire....
. The college emphasizes classical education
Classical education movement
The Classical education movement advocates a form of education based in the traditions of Western culture, with a particular focus on education as understood and taught in the Middle Ages. The curricula and pedagogy of classical education was first developed during the Middle Ages by Martianus...
in the Roman Catholic
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
intellectual tradition and is named after Thomas More
Thomas More
Sir Thomas More , also known by Catholics as Saint Thomas More, was an English lawyer, social philosopher, author, statesman and noted Renaissance humanist. He was an important councillor to Henry VIII of England and, for three years toward the end of his life, Lord Chancellor...
. The school has approximately 100 students.
Founding
Thomas More College was founded in 1978, with political science professor Peter SampoPeter V. Sampo
Peter V. Sampo is an educator and college president.He is a founder of four colleges and was first president of two Catholic liberal arts colleges with curricula built on Great Books of Western culture, The College of Saint Mary Magdalen...
as its first president. Sampo had been a co-founder and president of both Cardinal Newman College and Magdalen College
Magdalen College (New Hampshire)
The College of Saint Mary Magdalen, in Warner, New Hampshire, is a four-year coeducational Roman Catholic liberal arts college offering a curriculum based on the classic texts of Western civilization....
, also in New Hampshire
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
. The curriculum, designed by educators Donald and Louise Cowan, associated with the University of Dallas
University of Dallas
The University of Dallas is a private, independent Catholic regional university located in Irving, Texas, established in 1956, which is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. According to U.S...
, centered on the direct reading of foundational works of Western culture.
Reform and relocation
In 2009, the curriculum was revised under president William Fahey in an effort to improve its chronological approach to topics and strengthen the presentation of Catholic themes. Distinct majors in literature, political science, and philosophy were phased out in favor of a non-major liberal arts program.In 2011, the college announced its intention to move to a larger tract of land in Groton, Massachusetts
Groton, Massachusetts
Groton is a town located in northwestern Middlesex County, Massachusetts. The population was 10,646 at the 2010 census. It is home to two noted prep schools: Groton School, founded in 1884, and Lawrence Academy at Groton, founded in 1793. The historic town hosts the National Shepley Hill Horse...
, keeping the campus in Merrimack as a site for future graduate programs.
Presidents
- Peter V. Sampo, 1978-2006
- Jeffrey Nelson, 2006-2009
- William Fahey, 2009-current
Academics
The core curriculumCore Curriculum
The Core Curriculum was originally developed as the main curriculum used by Columbia University's Columbia College. It began in 1919 with "Contemporary Civilization," about the origins of western civilization. It became the framework for many similar educational models throughout the United States...
at Thomas More College is similar to a Great Books
Great Books
Great Books refers primarily to a group of books that tradition, and various institutions and authorities, have regarded as constituting or best expressing the foundations of Western culture ; derivatively the term also refers to a curriculum or method of education based around a list of such books...
program. Students read the great works of Western literature, philosophy, and political science in their entirety rather than as a collection of excerpts. Students earn a B.A.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree in Liberal Arts
Liberal arts
The term liberal arts refers to those subjects which in classical antiquity were considered essential for a free citizen to study. Grammar, Rhetoric and Logic were the core liberal arts. In medieval times these subjects were extended to include mathematics, geometry, music and astronomy...
without a major concentration
Academic major
In the United States and Canada, an academic major or major concentration is the academic discipline to which an undergraduate student formally commits....
. Part of the sophomore year is spent in 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...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
.
In 2010, the college started a program of teaching students practical skills in art and music, using the medieval guild
Guild
A guild is an association of craftsmen in a particular trade. The earliest types of guild were formed as confraternities of workers. They were organized in a manner something between a trade union, a cartel, and a secret society...
system as a model.
The college is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges
New England Association of Schools and Colleges
The New England Association of Schools and Colleges, Inc. is the U.S. regional accreditation association providing educational accreditation for all levels of education, from pre-kindergarten to the doctoral level, in the six-state New England region. It also provides accreditation for some...
. NEASC stated in 2009 that TMC was not meeting NEASC's standards for financial resources, and NEASC placed the College on probation.
Other programs
The college has sponsored the Centre for Faith and Reason at OxfordOxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
, England, publisher of Second Spring, a journal on faith and culture, since 2007.
In 2008, the college absorbed the Sophia Institute Press to make the press the school's publishing arm.