Campion College

Campion College Old Toongabbie, Australia www.campion.edu.au Overview Education today is experiencing the same globalization that other sectors are. It is not surprising, then, that there would be an option for U.S. Catholics to be able to study at a faithful Catholic college in distant lands, and Campion College outside of Sydney, Austra- lia, represents one such opportunity. After many years of planning, Campi- on—named after the English martyr St. Ed- mund Campion—opened its doors in 2006. The founders saw the need for a Catholic liberal arts school that would help produce Catholic leaders for society and the Church in QUICK FACTS Australia. Founded: 2006 One of the influences in the formation Type of institution: Small college of Campion was the U.S.-based Fellowship Setting: Suburban of Catholic Scholars, which provided counsel Undergraduate enrollment: 75 (2009) and, informally, members of the college’s in- Undergraduate cost: AUD $27,050 (tuition, ternational advisory board. The college also room and board for 2010) has established links with several U.S. Catho- Undergraduate majors: 4 lic institutions, including Thomas Aquinas College and Christendom College; Christen- FIVE KEY POINTS dom president Dr. Timothy O’Donnell attend- 1. The only liberal arts, Catholic college ed Campion’s opening. in Australia. In fact, Cardinal George Pell, the Arch- 2. Provides a fully accredited, quality bishop of Sydney, has said of Christendom and education with a full BA degree in only Campion: “These two colleges are signs of the three years. vitality of evangelization in the Church. Both 3. Students take 24 required courses in are lay-inspired. Both blend faith and reason liberal arts. in the quest for truth. Both pledge loyalty to the Church that guarantees their religious in- 4. Located near the center of Australia’s largest city yet close to famous tegrity and educational distinctiveness.” beaches. Dr. O’Donnell said at the opening, “I be- lieve that the beginning of this College will 5. Affordable education overseas. mark a turning point in the history of higher The Newman Guide 265 Campion College education in Australia.” cial assistance including need-based grants The first group of students completed and loans is available. the three-year undergraduate program (the norm in Australia) in December 2008. Of the Governance 12 graduates, all of whom received a bachelor of arts in liberal arts, nine went on to post- The college is governed by a 10-member board graduate studies. of trustees, the Campion Institute, which in- The 2009 Campion academic year be- cludes Dr. Michael Casey, private secretary to gan with an orientation in February. The first Cardinal George Pell. The college also has an semester ran from March to June; a winter eight-member Campion Foundation, which course was in July; and then there was a ser- launched the college and raises funds for it vice outreach to aboriginal enclaves. The aca- but has no direct control demic year ends with a over the institution. second semester from The international August to November. board of advisors in- Seventy-five students cludes such notable fig- were enrolled in Feb- ures as philosopher Dr. ruary 2009. Ralph McInerny, moral The college is ea- theologian Dr. William ger to attract U.S. stu- May and Georgetown dents to study there for professor Father James one or more semesters, Schall, S.J. The late Fa- or to complete a full ther Richard John Neu- degree. The first U.S. haus was a member. student transferred Since December from Thomas More 2008, the college has College of Liberal Arts been led by an acting and completed her president, Dr. David degree in 2008. The Daintree. He has been first American study tapped to formally suc- abroad student came ceed Father John Flem- from Benedictine Col- ing, who is currently on lege in 2008. Several extended administrative American students leave. Dr. Daintree previously served as rec- also participated in the 2008 summer session. tor of St. John’s College at the University of Campion College is accredited by its Sydney. state New South Wales Department of Educa- tion and Training. Depending on the current exchange rate, Public Identity the cost of studying at Campion can be very affordable. The total cost for tuition, room According to the college, “As a Catholic insti- and board in 2009 (February-November) was tution faithful to our traditions and in union $27,050 in Australian dollars, or $22,779 in with the Magisterium of the Church, the es- American dollars as of August 2009. Finan- sential purpose of Campion College is to place students on the path to Christian wisdom, a 266 The Newman Guide Campion College wisdom born from the contemplation of both natural and divinely revealed truth.” From the The college also points out, “At Campi- Financial Aid Office on, we train students for life, in fact, we Edu- cate for Eternity.” The phrase “Educating for “Scholarships of up to AUD $7,000 per Eternity” and its Latin translation, Educare ad year are available to students demonstrat- Aeternitatem, is part of Campion’s crest. The ing need. Application is being made for crest also includes the designation “IHS” and financial aid and students loans for U.S. the papal triple tiara which, it is noted, “at- students.” tests to the Catholic identity and doctrinal fi- delity of the institution.” According to Karl Schmude, who is a ny in December 2008, Archbishop Hickey founder of the college and executive director said, “The growing popularity of Campion of the Campion Foundation,“The presence of College and the wonderful opportunity and [John Henry Cardinal] Newman can be felt education it provides is witnessed not only by throughout Campion College, most notably its growing numbers but also by the fact that in his Idea of a University which seeks to en- it has become a national and international in- large the mind by re-integrating secular and stitution of Catholic higher learning, attract- religious learning.” The college also pledges ing students from around Australia as well as its support for Ex corde Ecclesiae. from overseas, including England, the USA, Three Australian bishops concelebrated Canada and New Zealand.” the Mass at Campion’s opening in 2006. Arch- Among other speakers at Campion have bishop Philip Wilson of the Archdiocese of been Father Ian Ker, Ph.D., of Oxford and a Adelaide said, “Campion College will, I am renowned expert on Cardinal Newman, and sure, soon find its proper place in Australian Dr. Pierre Ryckmans, an Australian academic Catholic tertiary education and make a signif- and Chinese scholar, who spoke on “An Idea icant contribution.” of the University.” Cardinal Pell, who was in Rome at Academics the time of the opening, sent a message The three-year which noted, “The bachelor’s pro- opening of Campion gram requires six College is a sign of the semesters of work. times, a strong sign of Each semester of hope, and its success the first two years, will work powerfully students must take to change and renew one course in each Sydney and Australian of four fields—his- society.” tory, literature, More recently, philosophy and Archbishop Barry theology—and two Hickey of the Archdiocese of Perth sent one science courses are added in the third year. of his seminarians to study at Campion. Fol- Overall, students take 24 required courses in lowing the college’s first graduation ceremo- a sequence by discipline, with some flexibility The Newman Guide 267 Campion College in choosing subjects in the last year. Students also can choose extra courses as For example, in history, students prog- electives in Latin and mathematics. The col- ress from an overview course to ancient his- lege has five lecturers in the fields of theology, tory; then the Middle Ages; and finally the history, philosophy, literature and history and Renaissance and Reformation and beyond. classics. All five are relatively young, but they In the third year, students have the option of all hold doctorates. studying the 20th century and “Australian As part of Campion’s academic program, Politics, Culture and Religion.” students participate in a one-week service The required courses in theology are project in aboriginal communities in rural “Theological Foundations of Christian Cul- areas of New South Wales, the southeastern ture,” “The Development of Revelation,” state which has about one-third of Australia’s “Sacramental Theology” and “Theology of population, including the Sydney area. the Post Conciliar Era.” Optional courses in- Enhancing the intellectual life of the col- clude “Moral theology” and “Human Bioeth- lege, Campion held a three-day conference, ics.” “Redeeming the Culture: The Reforming Vi- Message from the President Dear Parents and Prospective Students: Campion College simply sparkles with freshness, energy and new life. Its generous benefactors, its talented and dedicated academic and general staff, its unique and confident vision, and its splendid students all combine to make growth and success a certainty. I feel enormously privileged and elated to be part of this young and vibrant institution. It is impossible to imagine any student in Australia, or elsewhere, receiving a better education than that on offer here. This is a big claim, but the smallness of the classes and the enthu- siastic commitment of the lecturers combine to make a strong case for it: ours is an elite college in the best sense of that term. I like the contrasts at Campion: the relaxed and friendly Australian style side by side with traditional practices such as wearing gowns at ceremonies and at formal dinners in hall; the almost rural atmosphere in the midst of suburbia; the smallness of the community and the gran- deur of the vision.

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