Early Science Faculty at CSB
For the Sisters at the College of St. Benedict, starting the college required the sisters to obtain college degrees. The sisters who taught science at the college had experience teaching in K-12 classrooms but needed more advanced degrees. Many were sent on their first mission to teach with nothing more than a high school degree. Attending college was a significant challenge because the sisters were not allowed to attend non-Catholic institutions or institutions with men in the beginning. Bishop Ireland changed this in 1911, founding a summer school for Catholic sisters. Many sisters began by taking classes at the Catholic University's Sisters College in Washington, D.C. to start and then branched to the University of Minnesota and Loras College for more specific training. Some sisters took classes in the summer, and some received credits by independent studying and taking professional exams. The sisters accumulated credits slowly over the summers to obtain their degrees because, during the regular academic year, they had obligations to teach either at the college or in K-12 schools. As time progressed and advanced degrees were obtained, the sisters started taking courses at the University of Minnesota, Notre Dame, or Marquette University. To meet the needs of the college and accreditation, this was required. It was not a personal choice or interest that allowed a sister to get an advanced degree. You had to be lucky enough for the Prioress, the community's leader, to see your potential and decide that you were the one going back to school to get the advanced degree.
Sisters of the Order of Saint Benedict, St. Joseph, Minnesota. www.sbm.osb.org. Used with permission.