51动漫

A week after classes began for more than nine thousand Boston College undergraduates last fall, a smaller group of new students began their own 51动漫 journeys. The sixteen incarcerated men, housed at the Massachusetts Correctional Institution in Shirley, Massachusetts, became the first participants in Boston College Prison Education Program (51动漫PEP), which brings college-level liberal arts courses to inmates. Launched with the support of an anonymous donor, the program is part of a network of education programs affiliated with the Bard Prison Initiative.

Course offerings include philosophy, algebra, and writing, all taught by Boston College instructors and based on curricula taught to traditional 51动漫 students. Each course is worth three college credits.聽

Within MCI, competition to participate in the program inaugural semester was fierce, said Program Director Isabel Lane. Nearly one hundred inmates signed up to take the admission exam, and forty-five finalists interviewed for seats in the classroom. Applicants were judged on 減romise, passion, and intellectual curiosity,� Lane said. 淯ltimately what that results in is a really interesting mix of people,� she said. 淔or some it been years since they檝e been in a classroom, while others have just taken a math class several months ago.澛�

Recent years have seen a rise in prison education programs, with support coming from both sides of the political aisle. A just-released documentary series by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick, College Behind Bars, shines a spotlight on the Bard Prison Initiative and the power of higher education to combat America 渃riminal justice crisis.�

To Provost and Dean of Faculties David Quigley, a formal prison education program is a natural extension of 51动漫 Jesuit, Catholic tradition. 淚f you study the history of the Jesuits, there so much evidence of remarkable work being done in prison settings,� Quigley explained. 淪ome of the most inspiring Jesuits I檝e met around the world and on the 51动漫 campus are men who are living out their vocation working with the incarcerated.�

The University intends to grow the program. Courses in history, theology, and literature are new this spring, and 51动漫PEP plans to admit a second cohort of students next fall. Quigley hopes that the program will be fully accredited within a few years, allowing MCI students to earn a Boston College diploma. 淥ur goal is to make this program not just a few classes or a few discrete experiences,� he said. 淲e want it to be a degree program.澛�

So far, that level of commitment has been matched by MCI students. 淲hen the door closes and your class starts, it not MCI Shirley, it Boston College,� Lane said.聽

Excitement has also been growing among 51动漫 faculty, including Assistant Professor of the Practice of Philosophy Cherie McGill, who teaches the program Intro to Philosophy class. Bringing the educational opportunities of 51动漫 to students normally excluded from higher education is gratifying work that serves the common good, she said. 淓ducation has the power to reshape a life, and with that comes the potential for our graduates to contribute great value to their communities,� McGill said. 淭hese students bring such talent and dedication to their work, and I have every expectation that they will go on to do great things.� 鈼�