Founded in 1863, Saint Marys College of California is one of the oldest colleges in the West. Saint Marys has been directed since 1868 by the Christian Brothers, the largest Catholic order dedicated exclusively to teaching. The founder of the order, Saint John Baptist de La Salle, is the patron saint of teachers. Saint Marys is shaped by three traditions: Catholic, Lasallian, and liberal arts. Our Catholic tradition encourages an appreciation of all faiths, a respect for the dignity of human life, a willingness to explore the mystery of existence, and an understanding of the whole person, mind and body, soul and spirit. Our Lasallian tradition encourages a commitment to social justice and to transformative teaching - a shared investigation of faith, reason, and the diversity of human experience. Our liberal arts tradition means that we are dedicated to profound reflection and worldly experience, critical thinking and global awareness, integrated scholarship and lifelong learning. Our academic program includes advanced study in 30 major fields - in the arts and humanities, the sciences and social sciences, education and business. Our labs and classes are small-averaging around 20 students and student-centered, enabling intense discussion, lively debates, and a strong sense that ideas matter. Our rigorous core curriculum includes the Collegiate Seminar, a series of discussion-based classes examining the worlds great ideas. The January Term program allows students to pursue a single specialized topic in depth. We are committed to experiential learning; students take advantage of an extensive study abroad program and internships, research, and service opportunities. Many of our more than 200 full-time professors are internationally renowned for their research and scholarship; all are skilled teachers and dedicated mentors. Saint Marys is home to over 2,700 undergraduates from across the country and around the world. Our student body is unusually diverse; 50% of our undergraduates identify themselves as African American, Asian American, Hispanic/Latino American, or Native American. And our students are unusually active: they manage dozens of clubs and organizations, play on our 17 Division I teams, and coordinate our extensive recreation program. Our Catholic Institute for Lasallian Social Action is a nationally recognized center for social service; every year, nearly half of our students join a service project. Resident students live in thirteen residence halls and eight townhouse complexes; residential life is guided by trained student advisors, professional staff, and more than two dozen Christian Brothers.Our 420-acre campus is set among rolling hills and marked by a stately chapel, villa-style architecture, quiet courtyards, and fragrant pines. The most recent additions to the campus include the Syufy Performing Arts Center and our state-of-the-art science facility. The Joseph L. Alioto Recreation Center opened in spring 2015 and includes an 8,000 square foot fitness center with rock climbing wall, 3 full-size courts for recreation and indoor intramural sports, whirlpool, and an aquatics center with a recreational pool, to name a few aspects of the facility. The College is 20 miles east of San Francisco, one of the worlds cultural and commercial Meccas, and is surrounded by natural treasures, from redwood forests to the pacific coastline, from spectacular mountain ranges to alpine lakes.