Should our professors be invested in our development as human beings? What does it mean to develop as a human being? As it's meant here, development is something akin to the process of forming habits, beliefs, values, and characteristics that in themselves are conducive to well-being and equanimity. Because such development seems of a fundamentally different nature than the acquisition of knowledge and skill sets, whether this specific kind of education should be a part of our learning here in a classroom setting is not by any means clear. Because this is an issue that concerns what we are doing here as a liberal arts college, it seems important for us to reach (greater) consensus on. The goal of Dialogue is to bring about greater clarity on this issue of precisely the kind of edifying effect the things we do in our (humanistically-oriented) classes are meant to have on us by facilitating open and fair-minded in regards to this question. As of Spring 2011, Dialogue will be hosting weekly discussions and campus events (so far talks, panel discussions, and dinners), releasing a publication of relevant essays by students, and performing a (somewhat) informal survey of professors and students in regards to our main line of inquiry, among other things (including a small proposal for an optional supplement applying to all the school's curricula).
Meetings: 3pm at Laird 206
Contact: Hannah C. Trees, Winnie Zwick, Henry Neuwirth, Rachel Levit Ades, Isaama Stoll, Lauren Chow
Visit our web site for more information.