Christ the Teacher Institute for Education
Brother Paulos W. Mesmer, FSC, Director; Associate Dean and Associate Professor of Education
In 1991, there was a growing number of young religious in East Africa who intended to devote their lives to teaching. However, at that time only a few programs were devoted to preparing teachers, particularly for secondary school teaching. The De La Salle Christian Brothers (The Brothers of the Christian Schools), having been engaged in secondary school management in East Africa since 1955, took the initiative to establish a teacher training program in Nairobi, Kenya. Brother Leonard Courtney, FSC, Ph.D., was the founding director of Christ the Teacher Centre (as it was then called).
In 1993, Saint Mary’s College (as Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota was called then) was requested to sponsor Christ the Teacher Centre as an institute of its School of Education. Over the next two years, intensive work was accomplished by Brother Raphael Patton, FSC, Ph.D., the second Director, in cooperation with Brother Louis DeThomasis, FSC, Ph.D., then President of Saint Mary’s College.
Formal announcement that Saint Mary’s was authorized by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools to extend its accreditation to include the three-year diploma and bachelor of science in education degree was received in August 1995; at this time, the official name of the program became Christ the Teacher Institute for Education (CTIE), an institute of the School of Education of Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota.
The first graduates of Christ the Teacher Institute for Education were awarded the bachelor of science in education degree in May 1997 from Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota. In March 2005, the Higher Learning Commission granted Saint Mary’s University the approval to change the title of the degree from bachelor of science to bachelor of education. In 2013, the master of education in educational leadership and administration was added to CTIE’s offerings. More information on the M.Ed. can be found in the SMU Graduate Schools catalog.
The programs offered at CTIE:
Three-year Diploma in Education
Bachelor of Education in Education
The three-year diploma and B.Ed. programs include concentrations in the following areas of study:
- Biology
- Business Studies
- Chemistry
- Christian Religious Education
- Computer Education
- English
- Geography
- History
- Kiswahili
- Mathematics
- Physics
De La Salle Language Institute
Rebecca Vogel, Director
See De LaSalle Language Institute of the catalog.
GeoSpatial Services
GeoSpatial Services (GSS) is a full-service provider of geographic information systems (GIS) development services and in the natural resource assessment services. GeoSpatial Services is a program of Saint Mary’s University, with operations on the Winona campus, the university’s new Prairie Island Field Station, and on the Minneapolis campus. GeoSpatial Services has a rich history of developing geographic information systems for a broad spectrum of clients in both government and private industry. The GIS discipline grew out of Saint Mary’s University’s long commitment to research of the Upper Mississippi River, where GIS was applied as an analysis and trending tool for biological studies. Use of GIS for trend analysis is a key strength of GeoSpatial Services. Target industries include natural resources, and oil and gas pipelines. GSS also has experience in developing GIS for clients in a variety of other industries and applications. GSS developed and grew its natural resources program through the National Park Service’s Natural Resource Condition Assessment Program. GSS is a recognized leader in providing the Park Service resource assessment services for national parks. GSS has grown this program and is also providing the NPS climate change vulnerability assessments for resource areas.
The Hendrickson Institute for Ethical Leadership
The Hendrickson Institute for Ethical Leadership is committed to developing emerging and current leaders to live lives of ethical leadership and service, and serves as a forum for the exploration of ethical issues. Through the tremendous generosity and vision of Bill ‘39 and Jean Hendrickson, Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota created the Tomorrow’s Leaders scholarship program. Currently, the university has 17 named and endowed Tomorrow’s Leaders scholarships that serve over 60 Saint Mary’s students. Students agree to commit to a lifestyle characterized by good character, scholarship and service to the community.
In 1994, the institute was created. Currently it offers a variety of programming to develop creative, ethical and globally oriented leaders at the College and the Schools of Graduate and Professional Programs. The annual Hendrickson Forum recognizes ethical leaders with an annual award and features renowned speakers to address the Twin Cities community about topics related to ethical leadership, locally and around the globe. The Hendrickson Grants Program allows Saint Mary’s Schools of Graduate and Professional Program’s faculty, students and staff to enact proposals that promote ethical leadership, moral reflection and dialogue.
The Kabara Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies
Christine Beech, M.S., Executive Director
The Kabara Institute aims to incite a passion for entrepreneurial spirit in students across the university, regardless of their major field of study; to enhance the entrepreneurship program offerings at Saint Mary’s University by providing opportunities for students to interact with entrepreneurs and experience entrepreneurship first-hand; and to foster a greater understanding and appreciation of the importance of entrepreneurs and entrepreneurship in our society. The Kabara Institute provides students with the skills they need to be effective entrepreneurs in their chosen field of study by creating and supporting a culture of creativity and innovation that will positively contribute to the common good.
The Lasallian Teacher Immersion Program
The Lasallian Teacher Immersion Program (LTIP) is designed for college-age men who are discerning a career in education. The program is sponsored by the Midwest District of the Christian Brothers, Christian Brothers University, Lewis University, and Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota. The nine-week experience includes living in community with the Christian Brothers and Lasallian Volunteers. Students earn up to 11 credits in theology and education at four to five different Lasallian educational sites. The sites may include some or all of the following: La Salle Center and DeLaSalle at St. Matthews in St. Louis MO; Holy Family Catholic Worker in Kansas City, MO; San Miguel Middle School in Chicago, Ill.; and Ocean Tides School in Narragansett, R.I. Students eligible for LTIP must interview with the director of the program, have earned a minimum of 24 credits, and be entering their sophomore year.
Maryknoll Institute of African Studies
Rev. Prof. Michael Kirwen, M.M., Ph.D., Director and Associate Dean
Located in Nairobi, Kenya, the Maryknoll Institute offers intensive, participatory experiences for those wishing to systematically understand, appropriate and articulate African cultural knowledge. The Institute offers a Master of Arts (MA) in African Studies, and a Master of African Studies (MAS). Courses are offered both on a 12-week semester basis and on a three-week immersion basis of two blocks from the last week of May through mid-July. In concert with their classroom work, students do an hour of supervised field research for every hour of class. The research is facilitated by trained assistants who work with students on a one-to-one basis in the field. The research is correlated with the material of the courses being taught. A 15-page paper, in which students show their ability to interrelate the field research data with the lecture and biographical materials, is required for each course. The Master of Arts degree requires six courses and a thesis. The Master of African Studies degree requires seven courses and a long essay. For both degrees, three courses are required with the remainder electives combining social science and theological courses. For full details, browse the Institute’s websites at: www.mias.edu and www.africancultures.org or see the SMU Graduate and Professional Programs catalog.
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