Frequently Asked Questions  

•  What is Clare College?  Clare College is the academic unit of St. Bonaventure University that administers the core curriculum for all its students.  The faculty of Clare is drawn from all schools of the university, and its courses are not restricted to traditional disciplinary or departmental boundaries.

•  Why are students required to take Clare College courses?  Clare College reflects our commitment to the Catholic and Franciscan tradition, and our identity as a liberal arts based university.  In 1995, the faculty decided to create Clare College in order to ensure the integrity of the core and provide a shared intellectual experience for its undergraduates. Students in Clare College learn an appreciation of their history, culture, religion, and science, and they develop an awareness of other cultures and traditions.  Having completed this curriculum, students will be better prepared to be intelligent and moral citizens of the emerging global community of the new century.

•  Why can’t students just concentrate on their majors and professional education?

St. Bonaventure University offers its students an excellent preparation for professional life. In addition, Clare College provides distinct advantages to all Bonaventure graduates: a common core of values, learning and skills, which enhance their professional and personal development.   Clare College encourages students to think critically, to articulate and examine their fundamental beliefs, and to see knowledge as unified and coherent. We believe that life is an intellectual and spiritual journey, hence we expect our graduates to be continuous life-long learners.  We believe that knowledge is best achieved through a diversity of intellectual approaches, hence we expect our graduates to be tolerant and open to new and different sources of learning. 

•  Why not allow students a range of choice among Clare College courses? The Clare College curriculum consists of a series of specific courses all students must complete in order to graduate from St. Bonaventure University.  When the faculty set up Clare College, it was decided that students would most benefit by a shared educational experience that would promote community-wide intellectual conversation.  Likewise, it was hoped that a common curriculum would bring faculty from diverse disciplines together in new ways thereby demonstrating to students a learning community based on respect for diversity.  Finally, if all students are given a common intellectual experience, the curriculum can be guided by a common set of goals and our results might be better and more fairly assessed.

•  How can faculty from so many different areas teach the same course?   Doesn’t this mean that faculty teaching Clare courses are working outside their fields? Faculty who teach in Clare College (often called “Tutors”) are drawn from all areas of the University.  The syllabus for each course is developed in common.  Participating Tutors organize summer workshops to assist each other in course development and are expected to meet during the semester to assess their progress and share advice about teaching the course.  In many cases, the texts for the course are written and edited by your Tutors.  However, Clare College is so young and innovative, that many Tutors are teaching their courses for the first or second time.  The willingness of your Tutors to prepare themselves to teach in new and different areas expresses our view of life as a continuing intellectual journey.

•  May any of the Clare College courses be waived?  The only waivers which have been officially approved involve the placement of first-year students directly into Composition and Critical Thinking II, rather than CCT I.  This is based upon the student’s verbal SAT score and the decision of the Dean and Academic Vice-President.  

•  May courses taken at other institutions transfer in as Clare College courses?

 Yes, students who have completed undergraduate courses at other institutions, including in summer school, may have those courses accepted in place of some of the regular Clare College courses.  Students wishing to enroll in summer courses at other institutions are strongly advised to seek the prior approval of the Dean of Clare College to ensure transfer equivalence.  However, all students transfers notwithstanding, must complete both the Intellectual Journey and the University Forum at St. Bonaventure University.

•  Do Clare College courses transfer out to other universities?   Yes, Clare College courses do transfer to other universities for full credit.  Their specific transfer value is based on the other school’s policy. If any student is seeking to transfer his or her Clare credits to another institution, the Dean will assist that student and the other institution in finding a satisfactory transfer equivalency.

•  Does St. Bonaventure’s Clare College requirements exceed those at similar universities?  No, the total number of credits required is 12 courses for 36 hours. .  (There are other requirements determined by the student’s school and major.)  This is almost half of what SBU required of its students its previous curriculum.  Most universities have between 30 and 45 hours of required courses.

•  Are Clare College courses more difficult than other university courses?  Clare College may be more challenging to many students, particularly in its emphasis on active learning, but the average grades of Clare College courses are not significantly different from other courses at this University.