SMU brings to our students, programs that are at the intersection of the liberal arts and sciences as well as technology. Our education is defined as liberal in the sense of an education that is “liberating” – liberating the mind to think freely. One of the great challenges facing higher education in the next century will be related to the type of education that our young people will receive. The increasing demands on our educational system to educate for the skills required by the information age has often resulted in an emphasis on higher education towards technical skills at the expense of the liberal arts and sciences. At SMU, we provide our students with the right balance.
Our students are provided with a rigorous, intense education that both disciplines and expands the mind. Students develop a lifelong desire to learn and grow while also acquiring skills and knowledge necessary for success in their professional lives. At the heart of this education is the General Requirement, which exposes all our students to primary fields of inquiry and the cultural values that shape our world. We expect our students to perform at the highest level and set demanding standards in the classroom and virtual environments.
With the use of cutting edge technologies, SMU delivers some of the best career-focused programs to students across the globe. SMU has affiliations with local and international universities and other institutions. In addition, we are home to a number of independent academic and professional centers as well as academic journals. These programs and activities enrich the University’s intellectual life, open up opportunities for specialized study, and engage students with important issues in the wider world.
Our students are expected to improve the common good by utilizing their skills and knowledge to promote tolerance, compassion, and social justice. The curriculum is designed to engage students with important social concerns, both domestic and international, and prepare them to lead as informed citizens, socially responsive professionals, and active members of the community. It is because of this that our motto is Servire Sine Fine, the Latin for “Service Without Limit,” and our slogan is “Transforming Lives, Transforming Society.”
At SMU, we are committed to the success of our students. For this reason, we also have as one of our slogans “Learn with Support, Graduate with Confidence.” This is made possible by our responsive faculty and staff. In addition, we have an emphasis on small classes and a professionally oriented teaching faculty, which makes us an ideal university in which students can capitalize on the values and benefits of a liberal education that prepares them for the technological age. Our relatively small private university provides a sound education, where teaching and research for the faculty holds the primary rewards.
Welcome, once more, to Saint Monica University: The American International University!