Dr. E. Wesley Ely delivered the speech at the 2013 Aquinas College Commencement on Saturday, May 11. Dr. Ely is a medical school professor with a subspecialty in Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine. His research has focused on improving the care and outcomes of critically ill patients with sepsis and respiratory failure, with special emphasis on the problems facing older patients in the ICU. A devout Catholic, Dr. Ely has contributed inspirational articles to numerous publications, including the Tennessee Register, and delivered a lecture in the Fall of 2012 entitled “True Devotion to the Blessed Mother.”

Please click on the “CC” icon in the YouTube window for subtitles.

Awards

The awards given to outstanding achievement in the various programs are as follows:

St. Augustine of Hippo Award (School of Arts & Sciences)
Rebecca Marie Thompson

St. Joseph the Worker Award (School of Business)
Anthony Sherman Lena

St. Dominic, Teacher of Truth Award (School of Education)
Christina Ann Cathey

St. Catherine of Siena Award (School of Nursing—Associate of Science in Nursing)
Joshua David Parker and Jessica Rose Schultz

St. Martin de Porres Award (School of Nursing—Bachelor of Science in Nursing)
Jody Marie Boone

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More Information

Please check the Aquinas College website soon for more information and pictures about this year’s Baccalaureate Mass and Commencement.

We pray for our students who begin their Spring semester examinations today. The Houses will be offering snacks and refreshments in Aquinas Central all week.

We also offer this prayer, composed by our patron St. Thomas Aquinas, that may be helpful before studying, teaching, speaking, or any other activity that involves these faculties. The original prayer in Latin is also provided below.

A Prayer Before Study

Ineffable Creator,
Who, from the treasures of Your wisdom,
have established three hierarchies of angels,
have arrayed them in marvelous order
above the fiery heavens,
and have marshaled the regions
of the universe with such artful skill,

You are proclaimed
the true font of light and wisdom,
and the primal origin
raised high beyond all things.

Pour forth a ray of Your brightness
into the darkened places of my mind;
disperse from my soul
the twofold darkness
into which I was born:
sin and ignorance.

You make eloquent the tongues of infants.
refine my speech
and pour forth upon my lips
The goodness of Your blessing.

Grant to me
keenness of mind,
capacity to remember,
skill in learning,
subtlety to interpret,
and eloquence in speech.

May You
guide the beginning of my work,
direct its progress,
and bring it to completion.

You Who are true God and true Man,
who live and reign, world without end.

Amen.

Ante Studium

Creator ineffabilis,
qui de thesauris sapientiae tuae
tres Angelorum hierarchias designasti,
et eas super caelum empyreum
miro ordine collocasti,
atque universi partes elegantissime disposuisti,

tu inquam qui
verus fons
luminis et sapientiae diceris
ac supereminens principium

infundere digneris
super intellectus mei tenebras
tuae radium claritatis,
duplices in quibus natus sum
a me removens tenebras,
peccatum scilicet et ignorantiam.

Tu, qui linguas infantium facis disertas,
linguam meam erudias
atque in labiis meis gratiam
tuae benedictionis infundas.

Da mihi
intelligendi acumen,
retinendi capacitatem,
addiscendi modum et facilitatem,
interpretandi subtilitatem,
loquendi gratiam copiosam.

Ingressum instruas,
progressum dirigas,
egressum compleas.

Tu, qui es verus Deus et homo,
qui vivis et regnas in saecula saeculorum.

Amen.

Fall registration is now open for returning students at Aquinas College. The fall semester will begin on Monday, August 26. For a full schedule of classes, visit the Class Schedules page or download the schedule below.

• Fall Class Schedule (undergraduate)
• Fall Class Schedule (graduate)

The School of Education has announced the summer courses being offered to local teachers for teacher licensure renewal. Registration is also open.

Please visit the Summer Courses for Educators page for more details.

Aquinas College will begin offering graduate studies in Fall 2012. Receiving approval from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools-Commission On Colleges (SACS-COC), a prominent accrediting body for institutions of higher education, the College is expecting to fill classes in each graduate course of study from students already expressing an interest for the Fall 2012 semester.

The Master’s level programs will be offered in the School of Nursing and the School of Education. The degree programs are as follows:

• Master of Education (M.Ed. in Teaching and Learning)
• Master of Arts in Teaching, K–6 (M.A.T.)
• Master of Arts in Teaching, 7–12 (M.A.T.)
• Master of Science in Nursing (M.S.N. in Nursing Education)
• Post-Masters Certificate in Nursing Education

The Dean of the School of Nursing at Aquinas College, Brother Ignatius Perkins, O.P., Ph.D., R.N., F.A.A.N. reacted to the news of the SACS approval: “This is a great day for Aquinas College and for Nursing Education in Tennessee and throughout the nation. We already had approval from the Tennessee Board of Nursing and now, with the SACS approval, we can open our doors.”

The goal of graduate studies in nursing, Brother continued, “is to prepare nurses in the specialty role of nurse educator for faculty positions in schools of nursing and as clinical educators in health care facilities, community settings and in other health care organizations. The programs are founded on beliefs in a moral community of learners committed to protecting and defending the dignity of every person.”

“The Master’s degrees being offered through the School of Education at Aquinas College,” said Sister Mary Anne, O.P., M.Ed., Dean of the School of Education, “reflect the belief that teaching is more than a career choice; it is both a gift and a mission.”

Sarah Wannemuehler, Ed.D., Director of Graduate Studies in Teacher Education, added, “Students are prepared to be Teachers of the Truth, enabling them to bring the message of salvation to bear on ethical, social, political, religious and cultural issues in a variety of public, private and parochial school settings. We want our teachers to be everywhere.”

Students interested in either Nursing or Education Graduate Studies should contact the Office of Admissions at (615) 297-7545 or (800) 649-9956.

The applications with admission requirements can be found on the Graduate Admission Requirements page.

Information sessions for graduate studies in Nursing Education have already been scheduled. The dates are listed below.