The new Hardesty Plaza dedicated last Friday at the entrance to Holy Cross is symbolic of a new transformation occurring at the College — the creation of a four-year baccalaureate program to be added in the fall 2003.

The initiative, begun last fall by the College, will allow students with an associate's degree to receive a Holy Cross bachelor of arts degree with a broad emphasis in the liberal arts, according to William Mangan, vice president for academic affairs at Holy Cross.

Since the decision last fall to develop a four-year program, administrators, faculty and students have been outlining the program's details and meeting with the required accreditation committees to develop the new program, said Mangan. Over the summer, faculty worked to develop the baccalaureate courses, and the College finalized an agreement with the Brothers of the Holy Cross in Ghana to host students for the program's mandatory international experience.

On Sept. 9 and 10, a committee from the Higher Learning Commission visited Holy Cross to talk with administrators and review the College's accreditation proposal for the program.

"The team has informed the College that [it] will recommend to the commission that the College receive accreditation approval for the new baccalaureate program," Mangan said.

The commission at its Oct. 28 and 29 meeting will consider the team's report and decide whether to grant approval to the new program.

On Friday, the College's Board of Trustees voted for a resolution to formally accept candidates for admission to the new program. According to Mangan, screening of the first applicants will begin in February 2003 and admitted students will be notified in April of their acceptance to the program.

After the accreditation process is complete, Holy Cross will continue to search for additional internship and leadership opportunities for the program's participants, said Mangan.

"The process is … a never-ending one," he said, "so we will continue to make connections with leaders in the private and public sectors who recognize the value of a Holy Cross College education."

Wide-ranging benefits

According to Mangan, Holy Cross choose to create a four-year program for a variety of reasons. "First and foremost was the recognition that the proposed degree fits the mission of the College as a Holy Cross institution that educates students within the liberal arts," said Mangan.

Along with this, the new program will add mature, upperclass students to the campus and help stabilize enrollment with a base of baccalaureate students, Mangan said. Finally, students' desire to stay at Holy Cross for four years was a factor in creating the new program.

Justin Watson, director of the baccalaureate, stressed the important role upperclassmen in the new program would have on campus.

"These older students will enrich both our campus life and our academic curriculum," he said.

While faculty and administrators were designing the baccalaureate degree, Watson served as chair of the Faculty Forum and helped to lead the initiative for a four-year program.

Increased ties with Holy Cross alumni will also be a key benefit of the new program, said Michael Mancini, director of development at the College.

"Our alumni usually have a split allegiance between Holy Cross and the four-year institution where they received their degree," said Mancini. "The baccalaureate program will strengthen those ties with Holy Cross."

Mancini said that alumni in general have been very supportive of the new program. "They have enthusiastically endorsed [it]," he said. Some alumni wished the program had been in place while they were attending the College and were also impressed with the practicality of the proposed program.

Students themselves are also very excited about the new changes that the baccalaureate program will bring to the Holy Cross campus.

"This is definitely a step in the right direction and where Holy Cross needs to go," said sophomore Casey St. Aubin, president of the Student Advisory Council, Holy Cross' student government association.

Sophomore Jennifer Nelson, who intends to apply for the new program this spring and has been closely tracking its development, said it would combine excellent academics with increased leadership on campus.

"[The classes] are just so interesting," Nelson said Holy Cross sophomore Jennifer Nelson. "It's so creative but practical [and] it's going to change the dynamics of student life."

Unique experiences

The new program will offer several distinct features to incoming students. First, all students will follow the same program of core liberal arts courses with some options for electives.

"The bulk of their upper division work will be a core group of multidisciplinary courses and experiences," said Mangan. "The program will build on the College's tradition of excellence in liberal education by providing a strong liberal arts experience in a cohort model for students."

In addition to shared courses, students will be required to complete a study abroad experience in an area where the Congregation or Brothers of the Holy Cross have a ministry, Mangan said. Program participants must also complete an internship the career field that they intend to pursue. Students interested in graduate school must work with a career mentor to plan their post-graduate studies.

Administrators hope that all these experiences will give Holy Cross graduates the broad-based skills they will need to continue their education or enter the workforce.

To be admitted to the new program, applicants must complete a separate procedure from the two-year program and have earned an associate of arts degree, Mangan said.

"In addition, students must submit references from faculty and staff and participate in an interview," he said.

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