The official role of any Theological college is the educational formation of the students enrolled. At St. Cyril‘s, we fully embrace this notion. However, at St. Cyril‘s, we also have a deeper and more nuanced understanding of our function, which is informed by our Orthodox theology.

Our College is an intrinsic part of the Coptic Orthodox Church. As such, we don‘t view our service in isolation from the rest of the Church, but rather as a service which has significance for the whole of the Church. We endeavour to nourish the hearts, souls and minds of the whole community. Whilst not the whole of the community will be directly associated with the college, we are deeply aware of the fact that our service will reach out, via our graduates, to the whole community. And so we also view our mission as that of spiritual formation. From an Orthodox perspective, academic excellence and spiritual formation are two sides of  the same task. In this, we are informed by the Evagrian maxim, “The one who prays is a theologian; the one who is a theologian, prays.” Accordingly, at St. Cyril‘s, the Chapel is just as integral as the lecture room. The transformation of the heart is as significant as the illumination of the mind. In short, we are dedicated to the edification of the whole person, and the whole Church.

Students at St. Cyril’s not only study together, they pray and worship together. They not only edge upon academic excellence, but just as importantly form lifelong friendships. They not only are immersed in Orthodox theology, but also authentic life and community. For as St John Chrysostom once noted, there are two altars: one in the Church and one in the town square; our students are immersed in theology that is palpable, real, and in its essence, life itself. Please check our events and news to see how students are formed in an authentic theology that goes well beyond our classrooms.

Support Services

St Cyril’s and SCD offers a range of services to support and ensure that the learning, study and well being needs of the student are met. We are committed to an environment that is welcoming, safe, inclusive and respectful for students and staff.

St Cyril’s students are supported with the following:

Academic learning support

Lecturers, librarians and other staff are available to provide ongoing academic support to all students. Online tutorials and workshops provide additional anytime support through Moodle/ Students have access to Studiosity, an online one-on-one out of hours student support service to assist students with their written work. Students can access Studiosity 24/7 on-demand to get help with academic literacy skills.

Campus facilities

St Cyril’s has facilities with access to WiFi, computers, study spaces, library, leisure spaces and catering.

Chapel

St Cyril’s chapel is where students partake in regular liturgical services. Students can use the chapel for personal devotional time and/or for group devotions.

Community engagement

St Cyril’s is engaged with the wider community through the Coptic Orthodox Church, partnerships with organisations and other colleges, and academic and social programs. Students may have an opportunity to participate in activities and thereby engage in a discourse with an extended community to build relationships and networks for good academic and social outcomes. St Cyril’s and the SCD organise symposiums, conferences, workshops and other similar activities that are academically stimulating and provide a platform for students to engage with people from around the globe who have similar interests.

Counselling

Study can be challenging. Time pressures, living away from home, new environment, study load, technology challenges and many other factors can overwhelm us. Counselling services within the colleges are there to help students find the support they need. Links and contacts are available via Moodle e-Learning.

Mental health support

St Cyril’s students can access TalkCampus, an app that provides support for mental health. TalkCampus is a safe social network instantly connecting students with the right people any time of day in a safe, effective and encouraging environment.

Pastoral services

Pastoral care is the backbone of St Cyril. Chaplaincy services and dedicated staff are available to help students with their spiritual journey and to provide counsel. St Cyril teaching faculty are research-active and experienced, but are also practitioners actively engaged in local ministry, and are often clergy of the Orthodox Church.

Student Support Officer

The Student Support Officer (registrar@stcyrils.edu.au) is there to assist all students with admission and ongoing study needs and queries. The Student Support Officer is the point of contact to assist students with:

• study information
• enrolment advice
• security and safety concerns
• health services information
• counselling / chaplaincy services information
• legal services information
• harassment / inappropriate behavior reporting
• hazard and critical incident reporting
• health and safety policies and procedures