Our Lady Seat of Wisdom College, formerly Our Lady Seat of Wisdom Academy, is a privateCatholicliberal arts college located in Barry's Bay, Ontario, Canada. The college offers a three-year program with concentrations in Theology, Philosophy, History, Literature, and Classical and Early Christian Studies, as well as studies in Mathematics, Languages, Sacred Music, Fine Arts, Natural and Social Sciences. SWC is known for its conservative values and traditional Catholic teaching.
History
Our Lady Seat of Wisdom grew out of a 1999 study group called “Mater Ecclesiae” in Combermere, Ontario, under the directorship of John Paul Meenan. The centre sought to provide affordable Catholic education to students wishing to advance their studies after high school. In the early days, studies took place in living rooms, basements, hay lofts, and other areas hosted by local families, while teaching and tuition were free. In 2000, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Pembroke donated the former grounds of St. Joseph's Convent for use by members of the study centre. In September 2000, Our Lady Seat of Wisdom Academy was established, and the school had its first official academic year which saw nine students and several teachers. In 2003, "the Academy" as it was called, added a second year of study to their program, and a third year in 2004. By the beginning of the 2015-2016 academic year, the student body had grown to 108 students. In September 2017, there were 136 students and a student-faculty ratio of 13:1. SWC has been featured in The Newman Guide to Choosing a Catholic College as one of the institutions around the world listed as faithfully Catholic colleges.
“ open the mind, to correct it, to refine it, to enable it to know, and to digest, master, rule, and use its knowledge, to give it power over its own faculties, application, flexibility, method, critical exactness, sagacity, resource, address, eloquent expression....” The courses at Our Lady Seat of Wisdom are centered on Catholic liberal arts, faithful to the Magisterium of the Church. With liberal arts education underlying the academics, SWC has a core curriculum that encompasses studies in Theology, Philosophy, History, Literature, Languages, Fine Arts, Sacred Music, and Natural and Social Sciences.
Programs and Degree-Granting Status
On May 1, 2017, Our Lady Seat of Wisdom received degree-granting status and the title of "College" in the province of Ontario. OLSW was approved by the Ontario Ministry of Advanced Education and Skills Development to grant Bachelor of Catholic Studies degrees. The first students received this degree at the end of the 2016-2017 academic year. SWC is working toward granting a four-year bachelor's degree. The college also grants various Certificates of Christian Humanities. SWC focuses on a core liberal arts curriculum.
Student life
Students have opportunity to take part in hikes, sports, musical performances, field trips, community prayer, choir practices, dances, special guest lectures, campus clubs and more. Official SWC clubs include the Paul Sanders and Janine Lieu Pro-Life Club, the Frassati Outdoors Club, the John-David Filmmaking Club, the Don Bosco Drama Club, and Schola. SWC currently has two chaplains, Fr. Blair Bernard and Fr. Joseph Hattie O.M.I. Both offer private spiritual direction and confession to students who wish to speak with them. Students at SWC live in single-sex residences. Each residence houses from 5 to 16 students. The main faculty professors include Dr. Richard Shaw, Dr. Ky Heinze, Dr. Karl Perrson, Dr. Jordan Olver, Dr. Christine Schintgen, Prof. Michael Schintgen, Prof. Scott Nicholson and Prof. John Paul Meenan
