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, Australia, represents one such opportunity. After many years of planning, Campion—named after the English martyr St. Edmund 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 Australia. One of the influences in the formation of Campion was the U.S.-based Fellowship of Catholic Scholars, which provided counsel and, informally, members of the college’s international advisory board. The college also has established links with several U.S. Catholic institutions, including Thomas Aquinas College and Christendom College; Christendom president Dr. Timothy O’Donnell attended Campion’s opening. In fact, Cardinal George Pell, the Archbishop of Sydney, has said of Christendom and Campion: “These two colleges are signs of the vitality of evangelization in the Church. Both are lay-inspired. Both blend faith and reason in the quest for truth. Both pledge loyalty to the Church that guarantees their religious integrity and educational distinctiveness.” Dr. O’Donnell said at the opening, “I believe that the beginning of this College will mark a turning point in the history of higher

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quick facts Founded: 2006 Type of institution: Small college Setting: Suburban Undergraduate enrollment: 75 (2009) Undergraduate cost: AUD $27,050 (tuition, room and board for 2010) Undergraduate majors: 4

Five Key Points 1. The only liberal arts, Catholic college in Australia. 2. Provides a fully accredited, quality education with a full BA degree in only three years. 3. Students take 24 required courses in liberal arts. 4. Located near the center of Australia’s largest city yet close to famous beaches. 5. Affordable education overseas.

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education in Australia.” The first group of students completed the three-year undergraduate program (the norm in Australia) in December 2008. Of the 12 graduates, all of whom received a bachelor of arts in liberal arts, nine went on to postgraduate studies. The 2009 Campion academic year began with an orientation in February. The first semester ran from March to June; a winter course was in July; and then there was a service outreach to aboriginal enclaves. The academic year ends with a second semester from August to November. Seventy-five students were enrolled in February 2009. The college is eager to attract U.S. students to study there for one or more semesters, or to complete a full degree. The first U.S. student transferred from Thomas More College of Liberal Arts and completed her degree in 2008. The first American study abroad student came from Benedictine College in 2008. Several American students also participated in the 2008 summer session. Campion College is accredited by its state New South Wales Department of Education and Training. Depending on the current exchange rate, the cost of studying at Campion can be very affordable. The total cost for tuition, room and board in 2009 (February-November) was $27,050 in Australian dollars, or $22,779 in American dollars as of August 2009. Finan-

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cial assistance including need-based grants and loans is available.

Governance The college is governed by a 10-member board of trustees, the Campion Institute, which includes Dr. Michael Casey, private secretary to Cardinal George Pell. The college also has an eight-member Campion Foundation, which launched the college and raises funds for it but has no direct control over the institution. The international board of advisors includes such notable figures as philosopher Dr. Ralph McInerny, moral theologian Dr. William May and Georgetown professor Father James Schall, S.J. The late Father Richard John Neuhaus was a member. Since December 2008, the college has been led by an acting president, Dr. David Daintree. He has been tapped to formally succeed Father John Fleming, who is currently on extended administrative leave. Dr. Daintree previously served as rector of St. John’s College at the University of Sydney.

Public Identity According to the college, “As a Catholic institution faithful to our traditions and in union with the Magisterium of the Church, the essential purpose of Campion College is to place students on the path to Christian wisdom, a

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Campion College

wisdom born from the contemplation of both natural and divinely revealed truth.” The college also points out, “At Campion, we train students for life, in fact, we Educate for Eternity.” The phrase “Educating for Eternity” and its Latin translation, Educare ad Aeternitatem, is part of Campion’s crest. The crest also includes the designation “IHS” and the papal triple tiara which, it is noted, “attests to the Catholic identity and doctrinal fidelity of the institution.” According to Karl Schmude, who is a founder of the college and executive director of the Campion Foundation,“The presence of [John Henry Cardinal] Newman can be felt throughout Campion College, most notably in his Idea of a University which seeks to enlarge the mind by re-integrating secular and religious learning.” The college also pledges its support for Ex corde Ecclesiae. Three Australian bishops concelebrated the Mass at Campion’s opening in 2006. Archbishop Philip Wilson of the Archdiocese of Adelaide said, “Campion College will, I am sure, soon find its proper place in Australian Catholic tertiary education and make a significant contribution.” Cardinal Pell, who was in Rome at the time of the opening, sent a message which noted, “The opening of Campion College is a sign of the times, a strong sign of hope, and its success will work powerfully to change and renew Sydney and Australian society.” More recently, Archbishop Barry Hickey of the Archdiocese of Perth sent one of his seminarians to study at Campion. Following the college’s first graduation ceremo-

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From the Financial Aid Office “Scholarships of up to AUD $7,000 per year are available to students demonstrating need. Application is being made for financial aid and students loans for U.S. students.” ny in December 2008, Archbishop Hickey said, “The growing popularity of Campion College and the wonderful opportunity and education it provides is witnessed not only by its growing numbers but also by the fact that it has become a national and international institution of Catholic higher learning, attracting students from around Australia as well as from overseas, including England, the USA, Canada and New Zealand.” Among other speakers at Campion have been Father Ian Ker, Ph.D., of Oxford and a renowned expert on Cardinal Newman, and Dr. Pierre Ryckmans, an Australian academic and Chinese scholar, who spoke on “An Idea of the University.”

Academics The three-year bachelor’s program requires six semesters of work. Each semester of the first two years, students must take one course in each of four fields—history, literature, philosophy and theology—and two science courses are added in the third year. Overall, students take 24 required courses in a sequence by discipline, with some flexibility 267

Campion College

in choosing subjects in the last year. For example, in history, students progress from an overview course to ancient history; then the Middle Ages; and finally the Renaissance and Reformation and beyond. In the third year, students have the option of studying the 20th century and “Australian Politics, Culture and Religion.” The required courses in theology are “Theological Foundations of Christian Culture,” “The Development of Revelation,” “Sacramental Theology” and “Theology of the Post Conciliar Era.” Optional courses include “Moral theology” and “Human Bioethics.”

Students also can choose extra courses as electives in Latin and mathematics. The college has five lecturers in the fields of theology, history, philosophy, literature and history and classics. All five are relatively young, but they all hold doctorates. As part of Campion’s academic program, students participate in a one-week service project in aboriginal communities in rural areas of New South Wales, the southeastern state which has about one-third of Australia’s population, including the Sydney area. Enhancing the intellectual life of the college, Campion held a three-day conference, “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 enthusiastic 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 grandeur of the vision. On behalf of all my colleagues and students I send greetings to our American cousins: think outside the square—come and join us!

Yours in Christ,



Dr. David Daintree

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Campion College

sion of G.K. Chesterton,” as a run-up to World Youth Day in summer 2008. Among those participating was Mr. Schmude, who is president of the Australian Chesterton Society; he has sought to foster at Campion College an interest in Chesterton as expressing the intellectual and religious fullness of a Catholic liberal arts education. Also, the Fellowship of Catholic Scholars’ Australian Chapter sponsored a one-day conference on “Faith and the Disciplines: The State of Play” in 2007. One student commenting on the intellectual nourishment at Campion in the college’s publication, Campion’s Brag, said, “I have found Campion College an oasis in the desert.” The college established a John Paul II Evangelium Vitae Scholarship Fund in 2008. This follows up on three other scholarships targeted to graduates of specific Australian schools. For U.S. students to enroll at Campion on a study-abroad program, they need to have completed their freshman year. Those seeking to enroll on a full-time, three-year basis need to be high school graduates.

Spiritual Life A chaplain, Father Richard Aladics, arrived from England in 2008. In addition to providing spiritual direction to students and faculty, he celebrates Mass twice daily during the school year in the Ordinary Form. The Extraordinary Form Mass is also celebrated at least weekly. The Newman Guide

A schola made up of students and faculty sing at Mass regularly at Campion and also on occasions at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Parramatta and St. Mary’s Cathedral in Sydney. On most days students can participate in Morning and Evening prayer and Eucharistic Adoration at the Campion Chapel. All-night adoration occurs every first Friday of the month. A large cross has been constructed, and students regularly conduct an outdoor “Stations of the Cross” together with prayers in the local suburb and other public streets. Campion students are active leaders in the Catholic Youth community in Sydney. Many are members of the Australian Catholic Students Association (ACSA), and one is a board member. Students participate in the annual Corpus Christi procession and are active in supporting Catholic causes, including conducting protests at the Chinese embassy against China’s “one child” policy. Students were very involved with World Youth Day in Sydney in July 2008, participating in the many events while 105 international visitors were housed by Campion.

Student Activities There is a students’ association and an informal sports program. Kerygma Teams, a Christian youth group committed to evangelization, is active on campus. For two years now the students have operated a pro-life group that works to support other local pro269

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life organizations. A popular activity combined with the evening meal each week is the Public Speaking Club, which as the name suggests develops oral expression and provides skills in the procedures of business meetings. Students play the piano and perform at Formal Hall. The college is also proud of its Schola which performs weekly at Mass, regularly at formal events and in the Cathedral. Local concerts and plays are often free. The College game of choice is soccer and the students play it on a “pitch” they built themselves, along with a volley ball court. Trips to the beach, hikes in the mountains or picnics by the harbor are regular activities. Twice yearly a group ventures out for a multi-day hike in one of Australia’s National Parks or World Heritage areas. Students participate in improving the natural environment of the campus and learn practical skills in gardening, tool operation and installing nest boxes and take both pride and ownership of the presentation of the grounds. The spacious campus also allows students to build campfires around which they recite poetry, sing and perform skits. One of the traditions established at Campion is a Reveillon, which is a formal and festive celebration which takes place in November. Since the inception of Campion, students have provided assistance to members of the local community and along with staff annu-

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ally hold a BBQ for the neighbors of the college. In 2008 for the first time, students participated in an overseas mission trip to India to help out in an orphanage. Plans are being made for a trip in 2009, and it is hoped it will become a regular event to finish the academic year.

Residential Life Campus housing includes single rooms designated for men and women, each containing basic furniture and air conditioning as well as wireless Internet access. A linen service is provided for laundry needs. Students can rent nearby homes or apartments. Although these are not managed by the college, it will arrange to have the lawns mowed regularly. Average rental for a three-bedroom house runs about $200$260 per week in U.S. dollars. “Homestay”—renting a single or shared room in a nearby private home—is another option. A typical price is about $180 (U.S.) per week. Three medical clinics, as well as the 975-bed Westmead Hospital, are in the vicinity.

The Community The college is located in Old Toongabbie, one of the oldest suburbs of Sydney, and is located

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Campion College

18 miles from the central business district. It is also near Parramatta, a major business and commercial center. The campus is in a “bushland” setting in the midst of suburbia. Birds like cockatoos and loriokeets are commonly seen on the grounds. Among local attractions is the Blue Mountains World Heritage Area, where people can enjoy hikes or “bushwalking” or view spectacular waterfalls. The 2000 Summer Olympics took place nearby. There are many outstanding cultural, shopping and sports opportunities in Sydney, a city of more than four million people. Perhaps the most notable site is the Sydney Opera house, which features opera, symphonic and theatrical performances. Rugby is avidly followed, and residents and tourists enjoy the beaches, including Bondi Beach. Sydney International Airport is a major world airport where most travelers to Australia arrive. U.S. travelers usually come through Los Angeles for the 14-to-15-hour flight Down Under to Sydney. Two U.S. carriers, United and American Airlines, fly to Sydney as do many international airlines. The 45-minute trip from Sydney is accessible by automobile, bus and rail service.

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The Bottom Line Campion College was founded to provide Australian Catholic students with an opportunity to be educated and grow in their faith at a liberal arts institution. The college’s founders carefully studied the renaissance taking place in U.S. Catholic higher education at colleges such as Christendom College, and they have sought to plant a similar flag of orthodoxy in Australia. Today Campion College is a successful Catholic institution that offers a unique experience to American students seeking a study-abroad option or even matriculating for a longer period. Campion has developed a strong curriculum, which ensures that graduates will be able to go forth and evangelize. While certain aspects of Australian colleges and universities are unfamiliar to U.S. students—for example, a three-year undergraduate program and a February-to-November academic year—the opportunity to study at Campion could be very appealing to the adventurous student.

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