Villanova is an Augustinian university, founded by the friars of the Order of St. Augustine, one of the oldest religious teaching orders in the Roman Catholic Church.

St. Augustine combined the Greeks' passionate pursuit of wisdom with Jesus' commitment to charity, and the Augustinians who follow him dedicate their lives to setting hearts and minds on fire. Even after he became a priest and a bishop, Augustine's desire was to live with his friends and study.

Today, Villanova University draws from that tradition the importance and development of the mind in a community of scholars. It is the impetus behind Villanova's Learning Communities, an opportunity for freshmen to live and learn with other students in order to enhance the students' college experience. Students in a learning community form close friendships with one another as they live together in a specially designated residence hall and learn together in courses and co-curricular programs.

The Augustinian tradition is also the impetus behind Villanova's commitment to Campus Ministry, which grows naturally in a community of friends. It even shapes student-faculty relationships by creating an atmosphere in which students and faculty work together and the emphasis is less on teaching than on learning.