Contact: Rolando N. Rivas, Belmont Abbey College, 704-461-6561, rolandorivas@bac.edu
 
BELMONT, N.C., Sept. 11, 2018 /Standard Newswire/ -- Belmont Abbey College has renewed its commitment to educating top students by enhancing its honors program. The college's previous honors curriculum has proven successful at forming thoughtful, well-rounded young people through classroom learning and cultural events.  The newly-named, expanded, and redesigned Honors College aims to welcome more students each year by focusing on the Great Books of Western Civilization as foundations for growth in knowledge and wisdom.

"Students of the Honor College will join a unique community of scholars. You will enjoy four years with other intellectually and morally serious young men and women studying works by some of the greatest thinkers and poets who ever lived. A close community of friends who take time to laugh and have fun, will complement the richness of your study," said Dr. Joseph Wysocki, director of the new Honors College. "In this undertaking, students will engage in what is rightly considered the truest form of human friendship: a shared life dedicated to the pursuit of wisdom."

The curriculum of the new Honors College is divided into the Ancient, Christian, and Modern eras. Many of the classes will be conducted in the seminar style, wherein students will converse and engage in textual analysis with their peers, driven by guiding questions that tackle the fundamental ideas of a given day's reading. Featured authors include Homer, Aristotle, Aquinas, Shakespeare, Heisenberg, and Ratzinger. Study at the Honors College requires not just a knowledge of a given conclusion, but also the ability to articulate the argument that supports it. Newly enrolled students have the option of majoring in the Great Books, or taking on a traditional major, such as Biology, while also studying the Great Books as a core foundation for the chosen major.

Beyond the classroom, the Honors College creates a community centered upon shared experiences that nurture friendships and engage the intellect. Students can expect to live together in the dormitories, bond with faculty, and learn through playful camaraderie. In addition, the college sponsors cultural opportunities, such as local plays and concerts. In the summer prior to senior year the students travel abroad to either Ireland or Italy, for a study experience—an enjoyable trip designed to further their understanding of the great Western tradition.

Students interested in the Honors College must complete an additional application. Along with the exceptional learning opportunity, those enrolling will be eligible for the college's most valuable scholarship with an Honors College acceptance. The scholarship covers up to $9,000 of the college's standard $18,500 tuition. For more information visit www.belmontabbeycollege.edu/greatbooks or contact Honors College Director, Dr. Joseph Wysocki at josephwysocki@bac.edu.

About Belmont Abbey College: Founded in 1876, Belmont Abbey College is a private, Catholic, baccalaureate and liberal arts institution. Our mission is to educate students in the liberal arts and sciences so that in all things God may be glorified. Guided by the Catholic intellectual tradition and the Benedictine spirit of prayer and learning, we welcome a diverse body of students and provide them with an education that will enable them to lead lives of integrity, to succeed professionally, to become responsible citizens, and to be a blessing to themselves and to others. Our beautiful and historic campus is conveniently located just 10 miles west of Charlotte, N.C., and is currently home to more than 1500 students.  For more information, visit www.belmontabbeycollege.edu.