Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

First Prison Program Students to Receive Associate of Arts Degree from SLU

  • 10/23/15

ST LOUIS, MO – Saint Louis University (SLU) and the Missouri Department of Corrections recently announced the graduation of the first students in the innovative Associate of Arts degree program offered by the university's Prison Program.

The SLU Prison Program is the only onsite degree granting program in the United States that serves both the incarcerated as well as those who work in the facility. The program is operated out of the Eastern Reception, Diagnostic and Correctional Center (ERDCC) in Bonne Terre, MO, in coordination with the Missouri Department of Corrections.

The program began in 2008 when a small group of SLU faculty — inspired by SLU's Jesuit mission — began holding theological studies classes with 15 incarcerated men at the ERDCC. The effort expanded to include prison staff with the creation of the Associate of Arts degree program in 2010. Since then, more than 20 professors have taught courses there ranging from philosophy to mathematics.

Department of Corrections staff students will participate in the mid-year commencement ceremony at the Chaifetz Arena on Friday, December 11, 2015.

On Monday, November 23, 2015, SLU will host a special graduation ceremony at the ERDCC for incarcerated students. SLU President Fred Pestello will deliver the commencement address.

About the Saint Louis University Prison Program
The SLU Prison Program is a Jesuit-inspired initiative that provides education to prison staff and people incarcerated in Missouri, promotes service and conducts research on education and incarceration.

Featured

  • Rethinking K-12 Schools as a Continuous Learning Experience

    Most students move through three or more separate facilities during their K-12 journey, yet the built environments they encounter at each stage have traditionally been designed in isolation, with little continuity in spatial language, learning philosophy, or physical resources. Each new school is a reset with different layouts, learning models, expectations, and ways of moving through a building. The next generation of school design is making the case that the first day of kindergarten and the last day of high school can and should feel connected through common support systems and infrastructure in the physical environment.

  • Spaces4Learning Announces 2026 Product Award Winners

    Spaces4Learning has just announced the winners of the 2026 Product Awards! The award program spotlights outstanding product development achievements of manufacturers and suppliers whose products or services are considered to be particularly noteworthy in their ability to enhance K–12 and higher-education learning environments.

  • Wold Completes Geothermal Projects at Two Minnesota Schools

    Wold Architects & Engineers recently announced that it has completed two geothermal expansion projects for Mounds View Public Schools in Shoreview, Minn., according to a news release. The work at Highview Middle School and Irondale High School serves the district’s long-term goal of reducing energy costs and dependency on non-renewable fuel sources, as well as improving building performance.

  • Cal Poly Humboldt Starts Construction on Healthcare Education Hub

    California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt in Arcata, Calif., recently announced that work has begun on a renovation project that will turn the Stewart Building into a new Healthcare Education Hub, according to a news release. The university is partnering with Sundt Construction Inc. for construction services.