New academic partnership
The Woods College of Advancing Studies at Boston College has entered into a new partnership that will provide students of Hellenic College, in Brookline, Mass., with access to new academic opportunities while allowing them to remain rooted in their Orthodox Christian campus community.
Under the terms of the agreement, signed on February 10, Hellenic College students may complete their school's core curriculum—which is grounded in the Orthodox faith and the Hellenic heritage and introduces students to a variety of fields and disciplines, as well as critical thinking—then transition to the Woods College to develop the skills and knowledge required by high-demand fields in a rapidly evolving professional landscape.
Qualified Hellenic College students granted admission to the Woods College may pursue a bachelor's degree in one of six majors: criminal and social justice, cybersecurity, digital communications, economics, information technology, and applied liberal arts with a political science concentration.
Administrators say the agreement represents the shared commitment by both institutions to foster academic excellence, holistic personal development, and faith-based community engagement.
"We are delighted to partner with Hellenic College," said Woods College Dean David Goodman. "Our two schools have several commonalities, in offering degrees grounded in faith and the liberal arts enhanced by a practical focus, in our focus on service, and in our emphasis on personal attention to each student.
"This agreement dovetails with our Woods College mission to make a Boston College education accessible to students at all points in their academic journeys," he said, "as well as to help students discern their passions, encourage their intellectual, personal, and spiritual growth, and equip them to succeed in a wide variety of professional capacities."
Goodman added that academic and cultural discussions may arise from the partnership that could enrich both communities.
Hellenic College President Demetrios Katos called the partnership "a wonderful opportunity for students to attend Hellenic College for the Orthodox Christian intellectual and spiritual formation while pursuing new professional interests to launch their careers.
"This partnership with the Woods College at Boston College strengthens Hellenic College as the educational and spiritual formation center of our Church and advances its mission of preparing men and women for service to Church and society," he said.
Nicholas Ganson, interim dean of Hellenic College, added that “the new agreement opens up an opportunity for students inclined toward modern technical fields and the social sciences to benefit from Hellenic College’s distinctive Orthodox formational experience and then continue into those fields, assured of high-quality career preparation at BC Woods College.”
Founded in Connecticut in 1937 as Holy Cross Theological School, the institution relocated to Brookline in 1947, and later expanded its offerings into a full four-year liberal arts program named Hellenic College, which opened in 1968. Now known collectively as Hellenic College Holy Cross, it is the only accredited Orthodox Christian college, seminary, and graduate school of theology in the Western Hemisphere.
Woods College Senior Advisor to the Dean Claudia Pouravelis, a graduate of Boston College who ran point on the partnership discussions, finds the affiliation exciting on a personal level. "As someone who is Greek Orthodox," she said, "I recognize the value of Hellenic College as the premier educational institution for their programs. It is a small college but has a huge impact on the Greek Orthodox community nationally and internationally."