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Undergraduate Course Catalog 
Volume 2023 2023-2024 Article 4 
7-1-2023 
Signature Programs 
Saint Mary's College of California 
Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.stmarys-ca.edu/undergraduate-catalog 
Recommended Citation 
Saint Mary's College of California (2023) "Signature Programs," Undergraduate Course Catalog: Vol. 2023, 
Article 4. 
Available at: https://digitalcommons.stmarys-ca.edu/undergraduate-catalog/vol2023/iss1/4 
This Section I is brought to you for free and open access by the College Archives at Saint Mary's Digital Commons. 
It has been accepted for inclusion in Undergraduate Course Catalog by an authorized editor of Saint Mary's Digital 
Commons. For more information, please contact digitalcommons@stmarys-ca.edu. 
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2023-2024 Academic CatalogSaint Mary’s College of California
Signature Programs
Saint Mary’s Core Curriculum
Collegiate Seminar
January Term
 
Saint Mary’s Core Curriculum
The Core Curriculum consists of skills, knowledge, and values that provide the foundation of undergraduate student learning at
Saint Mary’s College. It is an intentional, developmental, and integrated program of study in four broad intellectual areas:
Habits of Mind, Pathways to Knowledge, Theological Understanding, and Engaging the World.
Habits of Mind: Fundamental to a liberal arts education are the habits of mind that prepare students for a lifetime of
learning and critical engagement with the world. A trajectory of developmental learning begins in the first-year writing,
and continues through January Term and Collegiate Seminar courses. The Habits of Mind curriculum serves as a foun-
dation for developing students’ skills in Critical Thinking, Shared Inquiry, Written & Oral Communication, and
Critical Thinking & Research Practices.
Pathways to Knowledge: An understanding of the diverse ways that humans encounter and explain the world is a
central component of a liberal arts education. Through specially designated courses in the disciplines, the SMC Core as-
sures that students will tread the most important pathways to knowledge: Math, Science, Social Science, Arts and
Humanities, and Second Language Proficiency. 
Theological Understanding: Theological Understanding invites students from all faiths and none to explore the
perennial questions of theology and the implications that such questions have for how we should live both individually
and as a community. Students meet this goal with courses designated to Christian Foundations and Theological
Explorations.
Engaging the World: In fulfillment of the Catholic, Lasallian, and liberal arts mission of the College, SMC students
engage with the world beyond their immediate context. Students will explore justice, global citizenship, and community
engagement through Identity, Power, and Equity in the United States, Global Issues and Perspectives course, and
Engaged Learning. 
Collegiate Seminar
Since 1941, Collegiate Seminar has been central to the undergraduate experience at Saint Mary’s College. The program, revised
and renewed over time, seeks to engage Saint Mary’s students in a critical and collaborative encounter with the world of ideas,
as expressed in great and challenging texts of the Western tradition, considering those texts in dialogue with texts and ideas
from other traditions. Attending to the dialogue among writers and traditions, students take part in the Great Conversation. The
program seeks to help them develop as curious, thoughtful members of an intellectual community, able to think clearly, criti-
cally, and collaboratively, and to articulate their ideas effectively in speech and writing - powers that will serve them for the rest
of their lives.
As Collegiate Seminar reflects the core identity of Saint Mary’s as an intellectual community, it involves all undergraduate stu-
dents and faculty throughout the schools and academic departments of the College. It promotes collaborative dialogue and re-
spect for multiple perspectives and interpretations, inviting students and faculty to share their different ways of seeing and
thinking in a thoughtful, serious, and respectful conversation.
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In Collegiate Seminar classes, students read and discuss challenging texts from diverse genres, traditions, and periods, and, un-
der the guidance of faculty from many disciplines, test their own experience and their notions of authentic humanity against
them. They develop an appreciation for the diverse ways of knowing that the texts embody, and for the intellectual threads that
connect the texts through history and culture. In their Seminars, they create the groundwork for a lifelong reflective pursuit of
meaning and truth, and for a method of seeking truth that attends to and values the views of others.
January Term
Since 1970, January Term (JAN Term) has offered both undergraduate students and faculty the opportunity to explore courses
and experiences that depart from the constraints of the regular semester. Here, students are encouraged to explore beyond their
major, minor, or core requirements. Each year, faculty develop a new curriculum composed of content and approaches designed
to stimulate the imagination, and experiment with both subject matter and technique.
Like Collegiate Seminar, all undergraduate students and faculty from across the College participate in January Term. Students
and faculty are freed from disciplinary constraints to create innovative learning experiences. The College offers both on-campus
courses and off-campus travel courses throughout the United States and many parts of the globe. Many courses emphasize ex-
periential learning through service, community-based research, and on-site learning relevant to the region.
Each January promises new and innovative opportunities. Since students enroll in only one course, faculty members expect
more and tend to increase the pace of instruction. January Term is designed to suspend the ordinary and engage the extraordi-
nary, nurturing students as lifelong learners.


Signature Programs

 Academic Calendar 2023–2024 - Semester System (4-1-4) 
 Graduate and Undergraduate Programs 
 Summer Term 2023 
 May 29, 2023  Memorial Day (observed) 
 May 30, 2023  First Official Day of Summer Term 
 May 30, 2023  First Day of Undergrad Summer Session 1 
 May 30, 2023  Special Drop/Add Period for Grad Kines Colloquium 
 May 30-31, 2023  Undergrad Summer Session 1 Drop/Add Period 
 May 30–June 10, 2023  Summer Term Graduate Programs Drop/Add Period 
 June 19, 2023  Juneteenth Holiday (observed) 
 June 23, 2023  Undergrad Summer Session 1 Withdrawal Deadline 
 July 4, 2023  Independence Day Holiday (observed) 
 July 7, 2023  Last Day of Undergrad Summer Session 1 
 July 10, 2023  First Day of Undergrad Summer Session 2 
 July 10-11, 2023  Undergrad Summer Session 2 Drop/Add Period 
 July 14, 2023  Grades Due for Undergrad Summer Session 1 
 August 4, 2023  Undergrad Summer Session 2 Withdrawal Deadline 
 August 7, 2023  Incomplete Grades Due for UG Summer Session 1 
 August 18, 2023  Last Day of Undergrad Summer Session 2 
 August 25, 2023  Grades Due for Undergrad Summer Session 2 
 August 26, 2023  Last Official Day of Summer Term 
 September 3, 2023  Summer Term Graduate Programs Grades Due 
 September 18, 2023  Incomplete Grades Due for Undergrad Summer Session 1 
 September 26, 2023  Incomplete Grades Due for Summer Term Grad Programs 
 Academic Calendar 2023–2024 - Semester System (4-1-4) 
 Graduate and Undergraduate Programs (continued) 
 Fall Term 2023 
 August 27, 2023  Residence Halls Open 
 August 28, 2023  First Official Day of Fall Term 
 August 28–September 3, 2023  Drop/Add Period 
 September 1, 2023  Fall Undergraduate Overload Registration Forms Due 
 September 4, 2023  Labor Day Holiday (Observed) 
 September 24, 2023  Deadline to Submit Late Course Adjustment 
 September 24, 2023  Deadline to Submit Leave of Absence 
 September 25, 2023  Undergraduate Travel Jan Term Registration 
 October 9, 2023  Graduate January Term Registration Begins 
 October 9-12, 2023  Undergraduate On-Campus Jan Term Registration Period 
 October 9-13, 2023  Undergraduate Midterm Exam Period 
 October 15, 2023  Fall Census Date 
 October 19-20, 2023  Undergraduate Midterm Holiday 
 October 22, 2023  Midterm Grades Due (if applicable) 
 October 30-November 10, 2023  Undergraduate Advising Period 
 November 10, 2023  Veteran’s Day (observed) 
 November 12, 2023  Pass/Fail Deadline (if applicable) 
 November 12, 2023  Withdrawal Without Academic Penalty Deadline 
 November 13, 2023  Spring 2023 Registration Begins 
 November 20, 2023  Spring Undergraduate Overload Registration Begins 
 November 20–26, 2023  Thanksgiving Recess 
 December 8, 2023  Last Day of Fall Undergraduate Classes 
 December 11-14, 2023  Fall Undergraduate Finals Week 
 December 16, 2023  Last Official Day of Fall Term 
 December 17, 2023–January 2, 2024  Winter Break 
 December 23, 2023  Fall Term Final Grades Due 
 January 16, 2024  Incomplete Fall Grades Due 
 January Term 2024 
 January 3, 2024  First Official Day of January Term 
 January 3-4, 2024  Undergraduate Jan Term Drop/Add Period 
 January 3-7, 2024  Graduate January Term Drop/Add Period 
 January 14, 2024  Pass/Fail Deadline (if applicable) 
 Academic Calendar 2023–2024 - Semester System (4-1-4) 
 Graduate and Undergraduate Programs (continued) 
 January 14, 2024  Withdrawal Without Academic Penalty Deadline 
 January 15, 2024  Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday (observed) 
 January 26, 2024  Last Day of Undergraduate Jan Term Classes 
 January 28, 2024  Last Day of Graduate Programs January Term Classes 
 February 1, 2024  Last Official Day of January Term 
 February 2-4, 2024  Post Jan Term Break 
 February 11, 2024  January Term Grades Due 
 March 1, 2024  Incomplete January Term Grades Due 
 Spring Term 2024 
 February 5, 2024  First Official Day of Spring Term 
 February 5-11, 2024  Drop/Add Period 
 February 9, 2024  Spring Undergraduate Overload Registration Forms Due 
 February 23, 2024  Summer 2024 Registration Begins 
 March 1, 2024  Commencement Application Deadline 
 March 3, 2024  Deadline to Submit Late Course Adjustment 
 March 3, 2024  Deadline to Submit Leave of Absence 
 March 15, 2024  Spring Census Date 
 March 18-22, 2024  Undergraduate Midterm Exam Period 
 March 31, 2024  Midterm Grades Due (if applicable) 
 March 29, 2024  Good Friday (observed) 
 April 1, 2024  Easter Monday (observed) 
 April 1-7, 2024  Spring Break 
 April 21, 2024  Pass/Fail Deadline (if applicable) 
 April 21, 2024  Withdrawal Without Academic Penalty Deadline 
 April 22-May 3, 2024  Undergraduate Advising Period 
 May 6, 2024  Fall 2024 Registration Begins 
 May 13, 2024  Fall Undergraduate Overload Registration Begins 
 May 17, 2024  Last Day of Spring Undergraduate Classes 
 May 20-23, 2024  Spring Undergraduate Finals Week 
 May 25, 2024  Last Official Day of Spring Term 
 May 25, 2024  Undergraduate Commencement 
 May 26, 2024  Graduate and Professional Studies Commencement 
 June 2, 2024  Spring Term Final Grades Due 
 June 25, 2024  Incomplete Spring Term Grades Due 
 Academic Calendar 2023–2024 - Quarter System 
 Summer Quarter 2023 
 July 8, 2023  First Official Day of Summer Quarter 
 July 8-16, 2023  Drop/Add Period 
 July 10, 2023  First Day of Classes for Graduate Programs 
 July 21, 2023  Deadline to Submit Late Course Adjustment 
 July 21, 2023  Deadline to Submit Leave of Absence 
 August 18–September 1, 2023  Autumn Quarter Registration Period 
 August 25, 2023  Pass/Fail Deadline (if applicable) 
 August 25, 2023  Withdrawal Without Penalty Deadline 
 September 4, 2023  Labor Day Holiday (observed) 
 September 17, 2023  Last Official Day of Summer Quarter 
 September 24, 2023  Summer Quarter Grades Due 
 October 17, 2023  Incomplete Summer Quarter Grades Due 
 Autumn Quarter 2023 
 September 23, 2023  First Official Day of Autumn Quarter 
 September 23-October 1, 2023  Drop/Add Period 
 September 25, 2023  First Day of Classes for Graduate Programs 
 October 6, 2023  Deadline to Submit Late Course Adjustment 
 October 6, 2023  Deadline to Submit Leave of Absence 
 October 15, 2023  Fall Census Date 
 November 3–December 17, 2023  Winter Quarter Registration Period 
 November 10, 2023  Veteran’s Day Holiday (observed) 
 November 10, 2023  Pass/Fail Deadline (if applicable) 
 November 10, 2023  Withdrawal Without Penalty Deadline 
 November 20–26, 2023  Thanksgiving Recess 
 December 10, 2023  Last Official Day of Autumn Quarter 
 December 17, 2023  Autumn Quarter Grades Due 
 January 10, 2024  Incomplete Autumn Quarter Grades Due 
 Academic Calendar 2023–2024 - Quarter System (continued) 
 Winter Quarter 2024 
 January 6, 2024  First Official Day of Winter Quarter 
 January 6-14, 2024  Drop/Add Period 
 January 8, 2024  First Day of Classes for Graduate Programs 
 January 15, 2024  Martin Luther King Jr. Day (observed) 
 January 19, 2024  Deadline to Submit Late Course Adjustment 
 January 19, 2024  Deadline to Submit Leave of Absence 
 February 16–March 1, 2024  Spring Quarter Registration Period 
 February 23, 2024  Pass/Fail Deadline (if applicable) 
 February 23, 2024  Withdrawal Without Penalty Deadline 
 March 1, 2024  Commencement Application Deadline 
 March 15, 2024  Spring Census Date 
 March 17, 2024  Last Official Day of Winter Quarter 
 March 24, 2024  Winter Quarter Grades Due 
 March 29, 2024  Good Friday 
 April 1, 2024  Easter Sunday 
 April 1-5, 2024  Spring Break 
 April 17, 2024  Incomplete Winter Quarter Grades Due 
 Spring Quarter 2024 
 April 6, 2024  First Official Day of Spring Quarter 
 April 6-14, 2024  Drop/Add Period 
 April 8, 2024  First Day of Classes for Graduate Programs 
 April 19, 2024  Deadline to Submit Late Course Adjustment 
 April 19, 2024  Deadline to Submit Leave of Absence 
 May 17-31, 2024  Summer Quarter Registration Period 
 May 24, 2024  Pass/Fail Deadline (if applicable) 
 May 24, 2024  Withdrawal Without Penalty Deadline 
 May 26, 2024  Graduate and Professional Studies Commencement 
 May 27, 2024  Memorial Day (observed) 
 June 16, 2024  Last Official Day of Spring Quarter 
 June 23, 2024  Spring Quarter Grades Due 
 July 16, 2024  Incomplete Spring Quarter Grades Due 


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