In order to offer students a truly valuable college experience, we recognize that we must equip them to be great workers, as well as great thinkers. We want students to have a deep understanding of history, philosophy, literature and art, as well as the skills to build, design, engineer, and grow. Our graduates will be required to have two majors: one focused on the liberal arts and the other on technical skills. Each of these major programs will culminate in a significant capstone project.

Another main philosophy of our academic program is our recognition in the innate ability of students to learn independently and the benefit of being a capable autodidact. We recognize that many students are fully capable of learning and mastering subjects outside of an academic community of professors and peers. We believe, however, that personal study is made more enjoyable and successful when learners are encouraged, critiqued, held accountable, and given resources by an engaged, face-to-face collegium of fellow students and expert teachers. Sometimes our learning process need an expert to take us to the next level and give us confidence to move forward as well as peer learners to discuss and work through our problems with.

Furthermore, we recognize two realities students entering our college are faced with. First, most students have grown up experiencing a pedagogy not amenable to auto-didacticism. Many of these traditional students, and even many non-traditional self-teachers, will often lack the diligence and inspiration necessary for independent learning. The Saxifrage School will offer its students a rich environment which will challenge students to learn and live capably and thoughtfully. The second reality is the need for credentials necessitated by society and the job marketplace. In our model we will allow for independent work, even work that has been accomplished outside of the College, to be eligible for official credit. This accrediting process will be different for each course of study, but will be rigorous and thorough with the burden of proof resting on the student. If someone can capably demonstrate and present their independent work to their professors and peers, this work will be eligible for credit pending a review. Independent work will only be eligible for credit if it falls under the scope and focus of the College’s current academic program, course offerings and/or expertise of the faculty.

Beyond the dual-degree program, our academic program has two additional requirements. The first of these is the participation in the College’s four-year semi-immersive Spanish Language proficiency program. Every member of The Saxifrage School–teachers, students, and staff–must work towards or complete proficiency certification during their time at the School. Foreign language requirements at most colleges are unambitious, leaving most students with nothing but untested elementary knowledge. The usual standard requirement of just two language courses offers little value to graduates. In this aspect of our education, America has fallen far behind the rest of the world.

The Saxifrage School will redesign foreign language study by creating an artificially immersive environment and by integrating the language study throughout the college experience. Since it is impossible to truly immerse students in a native foreign language setting for four years, we will bring the immersive setting to them. They will be consistently encouraged and held accountable to their progress by every member of the college community. Every single person learning and teaching Spanish to one another. The foreign language program will include a lengthy study/work abroad trip in a native country, frequent peer-study sessions, as well as a beginner’s competency test for entering freshmen requiring them to demonstrate an elementary understanding of the language prior to entering the program.

The second additional requirement is a small, but important core program in self-sufficiency skills. Depending on a student’s field of study, they will likely complete some of the Core as part of their academic major coursework. The rest of the Core will be completed as additional courses or in smaller electives. The purpose of the self-sufficiency Core is to enable students to not only work and think well, but also to live well; they will be required to gain and/or demonstrate capabilities in providing their own food, shelter, and transportation.