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About St. Mary's College of Maryland

St. Mary’s Athenaeum

Office of the President > St. Mary’s Athenaeum

Bringing together scholarship, civic dialogue, and public leadership at the National Public Honors College.

The St. Mary’s Athenaeum is a signature institutional platform created to spark intellectual exchange and illuminate the critical questions facing our world today. Through dynamic lectures, monthly forums, and interdisciplinary scholarship, the Athenaeum invites students, faculty, staff, alumni, and our local community to engage with transformative ideas and public leadership.

Aerial view of a campus with multiple buildings, roads, parking lots, a baseball field, and surrounding trees near a large body of water.

"The St. Mary’s Athenaeum reflects what it means to be the National Public Honors College. It gives us a way to bring scholarship, dialogue, and different perspectives together around questions that matter."

- Rhonda Phillips, Ph.D., FAICP, President of St. Mary’s College

A brick building with a glass walkway and solar panels on the roof, surrounded by trees and a brick courtyard under a clear sky.

2026–27 Essential Question

Theme of the Year: "What is Community?" Every academic year, the Athenaeum centers its programming around a single, vital inquiry. For 2026–27, we are exploring the concept of community across disciplines, international boundaries, and lived experiences.

  • The Core Inquiry: How do we create community, and what responsibilities do we have to one another?
  • An Ongoing Journey: Explored year-round through public lectures, student reflections, and collaborative forums.

Foundational Programs

President’s Colloquium Series Hosting nationally recognized scholars, artists, scientists, authors, and public leaders to address significant global and societal issues through a liberal arts lens.

  • Inaugural Event: The Goodpaster Lecture
  • Keynote Speaker: Henrik Syse — Norwegian philosopher, Peace Research Institute Oslo professor, and former Vice Chair of the Norwegian Nobel Committee.
  • Focus Area: The ethics of conflict, free speech, peacebuilding, and democratic leadership.
  • Date: November 10, 2026

SMCM Community Hour A regular monthly gathering designed to bring students, faculty, alumni, and local neighbors together for interactive, shared learning on timely issues.

  • Format: Monthly on Tuesdays | 5:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. | Daugherty-Palmer Commons
  • Kickoff Discussion: Lessons from Buenos Aires — SMCM students and faculty reflect on their global study visit to explore how community is formed across cultures.
  • Date: September 8, 2026 (Monthly through May)

Contact

Office of the President

112 Calvert Hall

(240) 895-4410

president@smcm.edu