Cura Personalis

The Jesuit principle of cura personalis is central to Georgetown’s educational mission. Literally meaning “care of the person,” the phrase cura personalis was used to describe the responsibility of the Jesuit Superior to encourage the fullest possible development of all of the talents of each community member.  Today, the phrase is understood to describe the student-centered nature of Georgetown’s core educational mission, which is realized through a variety of initiatives across campus.

The mission of teaching to the whole person encompasses a wide range of pedagogical approaches, including:

• increasing awareness of different learning styles
• encouraging students to relate academic material to their lives outside the classroom
• facilitating reflective thinking and writing
• taking into account the diversity of student ethnic, cultural, and religious backgrounds
• addressing the affective and emotional dimensions of student learning

CNDLS sustains and furthers Georgetown’s mission of teaching to the whole person by providing cohesive pedagogical support for faculty. CNDLS directs a wide range of programs and services designed to help faculty integrate the principle of cura personalis into their classroom teaching. From large-scale programs such as the ongoing Engelhard Project and the annual Teaching, Learning, and Innovation Summer Institute (TLISI), to individual consultations with faculty members on topics such as assessment, CNDLS provides a comprehensive resource for faculty development in the area of teaching to the whole person. 

CNDLS partners with other organizations, both at Georgetown and beyond, to support projects that relate to the mission of teaching to the whole person. For example, CNDLS is working with Columbia University’s Center for New Media Teaching and Learning to design curriculum applications for Project Rebirth, a documentary film which portrays the aftermath of September 11, 2001 through interviews with survivors. CNDLS is also supporting the Jesuit Universities Humanitarian Action Network (JUHAN), a collaborative effort to develop university programs which strengthen understanding of humanitarian crises and the ability to respond to them effectively.