The Periclean Progress E-Newsletter Volume 10, Summer 2014 To view the Newsletter with photos: Summer 2014 Newsletter National Office News
Delegates from 25 Periclean Colleges and Universities Reconceptualize Organization of Civic Engagement and Social Responsibility In July, delegates representing 25 Periclean colleges and universities convened at The Pocantico Center of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund to discuss innovative strategies for organizing and integrating curricular and co-curricular programming focused on civic engagement and social responsibility (CESR). The meeting is part of Creating Cohesive Paths to Civic Engagement, a three-year project focused on improving approaches to CESR in higher education. Over the last year, teams on each campus collected comprehensive data on all CESR related curricular and co-curricular programs. Prior to the convening, institutions were paired with a Periclean peer to review survey material and discuss findings. Representatives from diverse institutions gathered for discussions about organizing, integrating, and strengthening CESR opportunities on their campuses. Delegates shared advice, best practices, and innovative new approaches, including pathway models and specialized civic scholars programs. Participants spent considerable time working on action plans to improve civic engagement programming on each campus, including enhancing CESR, addressing gaps, ensuring clear learning outcomes, creating effective pathways, and enabling students in all disciplines to incorporate civic engagement into their courses of study. Working in small groups, they provided each other with practical recommendations for the implementation of programs. Colleges and universities participating in the convening are eligible to apply for mini-grants to assist with projects to strengthen curricular and co-curricular programming for CESR. Participants were joined by Lauren McGrail, Executive Director of the Eugene M. Lang Foundation and Loni Bordoloi, Program Officer at The Teagle Foundation, Neil Grabois, Chair of the Project Pericles Board, and Barbara Holland, consultant for Project Pericles. We thank the Eugene M. Lang Foundation and The Teagle Foundation for supporting this work and the Rockefeller Brothers Fund for hosting the convening. Eugene M. Lang Elected Chair Emeritus Our founder, longtime champion, and Chair, Eugene M. Lang was elected Chair Emeritus at the May meeting of the Project Pericles Board of Directors. Mr. Lang's insight, leadership, and determination made Project Pericles a reality. He is truly an innovator, seeing the need for a reinvestment in civic education long before most. Mr. Lang has had a remarkable career in business and as a philanthropist. Recognizing his services to education, President Bush designated him a 'Point of Light' and President Clinton awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom, this country's highest civilian award. In 1981, he created the 'I Have a Dream' Program, which went on to become a nationwide enterprise operating in over 75 cities and providing sustained personalized guidance and support to many thousands of children (identified as 'Dreamers') throughout their K-12 years plus an assured college opportunity. Over the years, he has created a variety of innovative scholarships, academic and social performance incentives, fellowships, and chairs at many colleges. He has supported and endowed numerous internships, researchers, and socially-oriented projects for students and faculty. We thank Mr. Lang for his inspiration and many years of service and look forward to building upon his groundbreaking work in higher education. Neil R. Grabois Elected Board Chair of Project PericlesThe Project Pericles Board of Directors elected Neil R. Grabois as Chair. Neil previously served as Vice-Chair and brings decades of experience in higher education to his new position. As the former President of Colgate University, former Vice President of the Carnegie Corporation of New York, and a longtime advocate of civic engagement, Neil has been a strong board member with a substantive knowledge of the work of Project Pericles. The Board of Directors also elected Richard Ekman as Vice-Chair of Project Pericles and Alison Bernstein as its first Treasurer. Richard Ekman is the President of the Council of Independent Colleges. Alison Bernstein is the former Vice-President of the Ford Foundation and currently the Director of the Institute for Women's Leadership at Rutgers University. We are delighted to have such strong, supportive leadership from our board. Richard Guarasci and Steven G. Poskanzer new Chair and Vice-Chair of Presidents' Council We are pleased to announce that Richard Guarasci, President of Wagner College, is the new Chair of the Project Pericles Presidents' Council and Steven G. Poskanzer, President of Carleton College, is the new Vice-Chair. Please join us in welcoming Richard and Steve to their new positions. We thank Rebecca Chopp, the former President of Swarthmore College, for her many years of service on the Presidents' Council, most recently as Chair. D4D on the Road Workshops - Another Extraordinary Year Ahead Project Pericles is pleased to announce that the 2014-2015 Debating for Democracy (D4D)™ on the Road workshops will be led by Seiji Carpenter and John Gilbert. Both trainers have extensive campaign experience and offer an extraordinary array of practical knowledge and skills. They are excited to share their insights with students, faculty, and community partners attending the 2014-2015 workshops. As in the past, participants to the D4D™ workshops will explore effective approaches and strategies to move causes they support forward. We are currently finalizing the schedule for the 2014-2015 D4D™ workshop calendar. The D4D on the Road™ workshops, hosted at Periclean colleges and universities, provide training in leadership development, media strategy, coalition building, and developing an effective message. Through these day-long workshops, Project Pericles has trained more than 2,300 attendees at Periclean colleges and universities across the United States. Pericleans in the News Letters to an Elected Official The 2014-2015 projects proposed by the six winning teams are in full motion. Teams have submitted exciting and engaging proposals to move forward the issues raised in their letters to elected officials. As the proposals are approved and the teams receive their award, we will be reporting on their progress. Pitzer College's Eli Erlick and Nicholas LaCivita wrote, "A Letter to U.S. Representative Judy Chu (D-CA) in support of the Safe Schools Improvement Act." The act would mandate anti-bullying policies for LGBTQ students at the K-12 level and would be the first of its kind to protect at-risk youth from victimization. As part of their work to raise awareness about the health and safety of LGBTQ students, Eli presented two workshops at The Gender Spectrum Conference, one for gender-expansive teens and the other for parents and professionals working with them. Swarthmore College's Jason Mendoza and Mackenzie Welch wrote "A Letter to Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) concerning Human Rights Considerations and Effectiveness of U.S. Sponsored Coca Fumigation in Colombia." In June, the pair travelled to Washington, D.C. to attend a meeting on Capitol Hill about U.S. drug policy in the Western Hemisphere that featured Congressman Matt Salmon (R-AZ), Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere, and Congressman Eliot Engel (D-NY), the Ranking Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee. The pair also met with scholars in the Drug Policy Program at the Inter-American Dialogue that work in their Drug Policy Program. The pair plan on returning to D.C. for meetings with their elected officials and experts on drug policy. In their letter, Mendoza and Welch argue for a change in U.S. drug eradication policy in Colombia from aerial fumigation to manual eradication. The authors believe that aerial fumigation causes human rights violations, is not cost-efficient, and exacerbates rural displacement in Colombia. Seven Periclean Colleges and Universities Recognized for their Eco-Friendliness College Prowler ranked higher education institutions throughout the country based on factors such as "LEED-certified facilities and sustainability initiatives ... as well as striving for a more eco-friendly future." The highest scoring institution in each state was then ranked amongst others to present the most eco-friendly colleges and institutions across the United States. Project Pericles is proud of its seven member institutions that ranked the highest in their states and were included in College Prowler's list:
Annual Meetings Thank you to The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation for graciously hosting Project Pericles' 2014 Presidents' Council Meeting on November 5th and another thank you to Carleton College for hosting the 2014 Program Directors' Meeting October 1st and 2nd. Both meetings are pivotal in generating new ideas and initiatives, and we appreciate the generosity of The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and Carleton College. The 2015 Debating for Democracy (D4D)™ National Conference will be held March 19thand 20th at The New School. The conference is an opportunity for student leaders from all of our campuses to be joined by college presidents, faculty, and community leaders for panels and advocacy workshops that have a meaningful impact on their own civic engagement trajectories. Finalist teams will present their letters to an elected official in the legislative competition judged by former elected officials. Project Pericles Needs Your Support! Please consider making a generous donation today to Project Pericles so that we can continue our work preparing tomorrow's engaged citizens. Donations can now be made directly through our website www.projectpericles.org by clicking donate in the upper right corner. To subscribe or to submit to submit Periclean-related information for publication, email garret.batten@projectpericles.org. Periclean Colleges & Universities Allegheny College * Bates College * Berea College * Bethune-Cookman University * Carleton College * Chatham University * Dillard University * Drew University * Earlham College * Elon University * Goucher College * Hampshire College * Hendrix College * Macalester College * Morehouse College *New England College * The New School * Occidental College * Pace University * Pitzer College * Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute * Rhodes College * St. Mary's College of Maryland * Spelman College * Swarthmore College * Ursinus College * Wagner College * Widener University * The College of Wooster National Office Executive Director: Jan R. Liss, jan.liss@projectpericles.org Board of Directors Chair Emeritus: Eugene M. Lang Chair: Neil R. Grabois Vice-Chair: Richard Ekman Treasurer: Alison R. Bernstein Presidents' Council Chair: Richard Guarasci, Wagner College Vice-Chair: Steven G. Poskanzer, Carleton College National Board of Advisors Co-Chairs: Sen. Nancy Kassebaum Baker & Hon. Kurt L. Schmoke The title "Project Pericles®" and its embodiment in the Logo are registered service marks of Project Pericles, Inc. All rights are reserved. The Periclean Progress E-Newsletter Volume 10, Winter 2014 To view the Newsletter with Photos: Winter 2014 Newsletter National Office News
Debating for Democracy (D4D)™ on the Road Workshops Fuel Excitement Among Student Advocates By Christine Martin Students working on climate change, LGBT rights, and other social justice issues participated in Debating for Democracy (D4D)™ workshops at Allegheny College and Occidental College on November 16. The messaging portion of the workshop drew rave reviews from workshop participants. Workshop facilitators from Wellstone Action introduced techniques for analyzing and crafting effective messages while also countering opposition claims. Students said they could immediately put these communication techniques to use in their advocacy work and many other situations where clear, concise presentation is critical. Students from The College of Wooster travelled to Allegheny for their workshop and Pitzer College and Pomona College participated in the training at Occidental. Project Pericles will hold D4D on the Road (D4D)™ workshops at eight additional Periclean colleges and universities across the country, including at Macalester College, on January 25. The schedule of workshops is available at www.projectpericles.org. Project Pericles appreciates the generous support of the Eugene M. Lang Foundation, The Henry Luce Foundation, and our Periclean colleges and universities. Pace Launches Periclean Activist-in-Residence Program Bringing Nobel Peace Prize Nominee to Campus By Daniel Botting, Project Pericles Associate Program Director, Pace University Pace University launched a Periclean Activist-in-Residence program that will bring an activist to campus who will work with students, give lectures on campus, and meet with faculty. In December, Project Pericles at Pace University hosted Kathy Kelly as their first Periclean Activist-in-Residence. The three time Nobel Peace Prize nominee and co-coordinator of Voices for Creative Nonviolence, a campaign to end U.S. military and economic warfare, spent her three-day residency meeting with student leaders, conducting skills workshops, and engaging groups of students with stories from her time in Iraq, Afghanistan, and other war-torn communities. Project Pericles Founder and Board Chair Eugene M. Lang and Kathy Kelly were honored at a reception. Lang was honored for his commitment to civic engagement and Project Pericles at Pace. Kelly was recognized for her dedication to a life of active citizenship and peace. Project Pericles to Present at AAC&U Annual Meeting Project Pericles will present a panel discussion on "Creating Cohesive Paths to Civic Engagement: Mapping the Curricular and Co-Curricular Offerings on 26 Campuses" at AAC&U. Panelists Linda DeMeritt, Allegheny College; Chad Berry, Berea College; Paul Schadewald, Macalester College; and Steve Preskill, Wagner College will discuss this groundbreaking study of civic engagement programming on Periclean campuses nationwide. They will highlight their plans to utilize findings from the survey to strengthen and to further integrate the programming on their campuses, as well as to create new pathways for students (including those in humanities and STEM) to incorporate civic engagement into their education. Creating Cohesive Paths to Civic Engagement is made possible through the generous support of the Eugene M. Lang Foundation and The Teagle Foundation. Reception Project Pericles will hold a small gathering of Presidents, Provosts, Deans, Programs Directors, and Faculty at the 2014 AAC&U Annual Meeting on January 23 from 6:45-8:00 PM. Please email Christine Martin (Christine.Martin@projectpericles.org) if you are interested in attending. Goucher Hosts 2013 Program Directors Meeting In November, Project Pericles held its 2013 Program Directors' Meeting at Goucher College. A major theme of the meeting was Creating Cohesive Paths to Civic Engagement, a three-year project to inventory, map, strengthen, and develop more cohesive civic engagement programs on Periclean campuses. Undertaking the project sparked many discussions between departments and divisions as teams comprised of provosts, registrars, department chairs, administrators, and faculty members collaborated on collecting data from across their institutions. Project Pericles thanks President Sandy Unger, Program Directors Emily Perl and Cass Freedland, and the Goucher Community for hosting the Program Directors' Meeting. Project Pericles Presents at the Council of Independent Colleges' 2014 Presidents Institute On January 6, a panel of Periclean presidents and Jan Liss, Executive Director of Project Pericles, discussed insights from Creating Cohesive Paths to Civic Engagement. They highlighted steps presidents can take to increase student awareness of and participation in civic engagement programming. Presidential panelists included: Bobby Fong, Ursinus College; Michele D. Perkins, New England College; and John S. Wilson, Jr., Morehouse College. The New School Hosts Presidents' Council Meeting On November 14, The New School hosted the Presidents' Council Meeting. Project Pericles thanks President David E. Van Zandt and The New School for hosting the meeting. The meeting held in the historic, muraled Orozco Room included a tour by Van Zandt of The New School's almost completed, University Center, designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill. Pericleans in the News Carnegie Corporation of New York Recognizes Spelman President Beverly Daniel Tatum with 2013 Academic Leadership Award Excerpted from the Spelman College Press Release On December 9th, 2013, the Carnegie Corporation of New York announced that Spelman College President Beverly Daniel Tatum was one of four recipients nationally of its 2013 Academic Leadership Award, which recognizes exceptional presidents of U.S. colleges or universities. The award features a $500,000 grant to be used in support of the honoree's academic initiatives. President Tatum is the first president in the State of Georgia, the first from an historically black college or university, and the first Periclean to win the award. "It is a tremendous honor to receive this recognition. I am grateful to work with colleagues who believe in the transformative power of education, and who understand the opportunities we provide are not for our students alone, but for the communities they will influence when they leave our gates. I am thrilled to receive this award and use it in the service of our mission," said President Tatum. Since being named President of Spelman College in 2002, Beverly Daniel Tatum has shown that, with vision and commitment, access and excellence in higher education do not have to be mutually exclusive. The college is known for admitting and graduating a large percentage of low-income, first generation students. During her tenure, the number of students qualifying for federal Pell Grants has risen from some 30% to over 50%. Approximately 87% of all students receive some form of financial aid, and scholarship support has tripled. In making the award, the Carnegie Corporation noted that President Tatum has:
On December 2nd, 2013, the Goucher Prisoner Education Partnership (GPEP) was featured in The Washington Post. GPEP allows men and women incarcerated in Maryland to take Goucher College courses for credit. Courses are taught by Goucher faculty. Approximately 60 students are enrolled in the program. GPEP was featured as part of our Program Directors Conference at Goucher. Barbara Sherr Roswell, Founding Director of GPEP, conducted a workshop on the program for conference attendees. Hendrix College Announces Incoming President Excerpted from the Hendrix College Press Release William M. Tsutsui will assume the presidency of Hendrix College in June 2014. Tsutsui comes to Hendrix from Southern Methodist University where he led Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences as Dean and Professor of History. A specialist in modern Japanese business and economic history, his published books examine topics ranging from banking policy to the film icon Godzilla. Project Pericles Needs Your Support! Please consider making a generous donation today to Project Pericles so that we can continue our work preparing tomorrow's engaged citizens. Donations can now be made directly through our website www.projectpericles.org by clicking donate in the upper right corner. To subscribe, email us at garret.batten@projectpericles.org. To submit Periclean-related information for publication, email us at garret.batten@projectpericles.org. Periclean Colleges & Universities Allegheny College * Bates College * Berea College * Bethune-Cookman University * Carleton College * Chatham University * Dillard University * Drew University * Earlham College * Elon University * Goucher College * Hampshire College * Hendrix College * Macalester College * Morehouse College *New England College * The New School * Occidental College * Pace University * Pitzer College * Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute * Rhodes College * St. Mary's College of Maryland * Spelman College * Swarthmore College * Ursinus College Wagner College * Widener University * The College of Wooster National Office Executive Director: Jan R. Liss, jan.liss@projectpericles.org Board of Directors Chair: Eugene M. Lang Vice-Chair: Neil R. Grabois Presidents' Council Chair: Rebecca S. Chopp, Swarthmore College Vice-Chair: Richard Guarasci, Wagner College National Board of Advisors Co-Chairs: Sen. Nancy Kassebaum Baker & Hon. Kurt L. Schmoke The title "Project Pericles®" and its embodiment in the Logo are registered service marks of Project Pericles, Inc. All rights are reserved. The Periclean Progress E-Newsletter Fall 2013, Volume 10 National Office News D4D on the Road Workshop Kicks Off to Rave Reviews On Saturday, October 19, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) hosted the first Debating for Democracy (D4D)™ workshop of the 2013-14 year. Participants gave the workshop facilitator, Naomi Long (Rhodes '02) of Wellstone Action, excellent reviews, with many asking for an additional day. "I love how interactive the activities are and how useful all the information is," wrote one student. "I gained something from each part of the program," said another student. D4D workshops provide participants with skills and strategies to advance issues they are passionate about. This year's workshop focuses on techniques for developing and delivering well-crafted messages based on careful analysis of potential supporters, allies, and opponents. RPI students were joined by students from Castleton State College and Skidmore College. This is the third year that both colleges have sent students to D4D at RPI and we were delighted to welcome them back. Project Pericles will hold D4D on the Road workshops at ten additional Periclean colleges and universities across the country. Please visit www.projectpericles.org for the schedule. Project Pericles appreciates the generous support of the Eugene M. Lang Foundation, The Henry Luce Foundation, and our Periclean colleges and universities. Project Pericles Needs Your Support! Please consider making a generous donation today to Project Pericles so that we can continue our work preparing tomorrow's engaged citizens. Donations can now be made directly through our web site www.projectpericles.org by clicking donate in the upper right corner. AAC&U Selects Project Pericles' Creating Cohesive Paths for Panel Presentation at Annual Conference Project Pericles was selected to present a panel discussion, "Creating Cohesive Paths to Civic Engagement: Mapping the Curricular and Co-Curricular Offerings on 26 Campuses," at the 2014 annual meeting of the Association of American Colleges and Universities. The panel focuses on Project Pericles' groundbreaking three-year project designed to enhance the delivery of Civic Engagement and Social Responsibility (CESR) opportunities to students. With support from the Eugene M. Lang Foundation and The Teagle Foundation, our member colleges and universities are inventorying, mapping, strengthening, and developing more cohesive and integrated civic engagement programs. Creating Cohesive Paths gives us the opportunity to document the depth, breadth, and innovative nature of work on our campuses and to share best practices with the wider higher education community. Work commenced this summer on the project with Project Pericles staff along with a group of Program Directors and our consultant, Barbara Holland, developing survey materials designed to capture the curricular and co-curricular CESR opportunities on our campuses. This fall, teams on each campus started the data collection process. Panelists at the AAC&U conference will discuss preliminary findings from this research project. Participating in the discussion will be Chad Berry, Academic Vice President and Dean of the Faculty, Berea College; Linda C. DeMeritt, Provost and Dean of the College, Allegheny College; Christy Hanson, Dean of the Institute for Global Citizenship, Macalester College; Jan R. Liss, Executive Director, Project Pericles; and Lily D. McNair, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, Wagner College. CIC Invites Project Pericles to Present on Creating Cohesive Paths at Annual Conference The Council of Independent Colleges invited Project Pericles to present on Creating Cohesive Paths to Civic Engagement at their annual conference in January. Periclean Presidents will discuss what role presidents can play to increase student awareness of and participation in opportunities for civic engagement. They will also discuss preliminary insights gained from the recently completed first phase of the Creating Cohesive Paths project and emerging practices for fully integrating civic engagement across the curriculum, campus, and community. Michele D. Perkins, President, New England College; Sanford J. Ungar, President, Goucher College; John S. Wilson, Jr., President, Morehouse College; and Jan R. Liss will participate in the panel. Pericleans in the News Bates D4D Team Uses Award to Continue Fight Against Tar Sands in Maine Jessica Nichols and Kate Paladin are rallying their fellow Bates students against the dangers of transporting Canadian tar sands through Maine using the Portland-Montreal Pipeline. The pair have been recruiting students to work on the issue and recently sent a letter opposing tar sands transport with over 150 signatures to Governor Paul LePage. They are also collaborating with campus environmental groups to bring Phil Aroneanu, co-founder of 350.org, to campus to raise awareness about the issue. Nichols and Paladin were inspired by Aroneanu's presentation at the 2013 Debating for Democracy (D4D) National Conference, where they were finalists in the 2013 Letters to an Elected Official Competition for their work on the subject. Widener's Significant Engagement in Community Recognized by HUD Study Widener University's civic engagement efforts in the city of Chester have been recognized by publications such as Newsweek and Washington Monthly, but now the federal government is using Widener as a case study on the positive impact colleges and universities can have in stabilizing and improving the nation's struggling communities. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Office of University Partnership recently released a report titled Building Resiliency: The Role of Anchor Institutions in Sustaining Community Economic Development. The report is based on a day-long conference of the same title held at Widener last November and sponsored by the university, HUD, and the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia. At the event, participants from the private sector, government, academia, and nonprofits discussed how to create collaborations and partnerships using Widener as a case study. "Our hope is that other colleges and universities and other cities will use this report to establish the types of partnerships that we have been so fortunate to build in the city of Chester," Widener President Jim Harris said. "The most valuable message that this case study offers is that you don't have to have deep pockets or have a huge endowment as an institution to have an impact in your community. You have to be dedicated to improving your community and be willing to create democratic partnerships to find creative solutions to problems." The report chronicles Widener's transformation into one of the nation's leading civic engagement institutions in just ten years. It highlights such initiatives as the Widener Partnership Charter School, the growth of the university's service-learning courses, the university's strong relationship with city government, the university's role as an anchor institution in the Strong Cities, Strong Communities initiative, and the role that faculty - especially in the School of Human Service Professions - have played in promoting civic engagement. The report is available here. Bates Students Learn Community Organizing from Alums and Community Allies By Melinda Plastas This summer as part of the Bates Short Term, politics professor Leslie Hill and women and gender studies professor Melinda Plastas turned their courses into learning labs on civic leadership and social justice. Hill and Plastas brought on board 2006 Bates alums Ali Vander Zanden and Jenna Vendil as Learning Associates. Over five weeks, the Learning Associates led skill-building workshops with students and hosted panels with community organizers from around the state. In addition, students in Plastas' Feminisms of the 1970s and 1980s course and Hills' Global Flows: Work, Sex and Care course were required to participate in a wide range of community organizing work and design a final project related to community engagement and gender. Bates' Harward Center provided key support through a faculty discretionary grant and general guidance. This model of shared pedagogy enriched student learning and advanced their understanding of and contribution to participatory democracy. Vander Zanden and Vendil inspired students by sharing with them the knowledge, wisdom, and skills they had developed as young Maine civic leaders. As Political Director of EqualityMaine, Vander Zanden stewarded the successful landmark 2012 passage of Maine's marriage equality referendum. Vendil was elected a member of the Portland School Board in 2009 and in 2011 was named as one of "Maine's Forty Under Forty Leaders" for her work to advance access to health care, education, and the political process. Students participated in roundtable discussions with Maine leaders from the Immigrant Legal Assistance Program; Maine American Civil Liberties Union; Outright Lewiston/Auburn; Planned Parenthood Federation of America; United Somali Women of Maine; the Maine AFL-CIO; and the Maine People's Alliance. As part of their courses, students were also required to participate in community organizing. Students phone banked on immigration reform and LGBT issues. They helped organize the annual Stand Against Racism forum sponsored by the local YWCA. They travelled to the state house and lobbied representatives. They utilized their new civic engagement skills to raise awareness on campus about a range of issues including sexual health, racial diversity, gender representation in the media, and feminism. By bringing Maine leaders into the classroom and requiring Bates students to participate in community organizing, Hill and Plastas honored the knowledge of community partners while engaging in a form of social justice grounded in reciprocity and alliance building. To subscribe, email us at garret.batten@projectpericles.org. To submit Periclean-related information for publication, email us at garret.batten@projectpericles.org. Periclean Colleges & Universities Allegheny College * Bates College * Berea College * Bethune-Cookman University * Carleton College * Chatham University * Dillard University * Drew University * Earlham College * Elon University * Goucher College * Hampshire College * Hendrix College * Macalester College * Morehouse College *New England College * The New School * Occidental College * Pace University * Pitzer College * Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute * Rhodes College * St. Mary's College of Maryland * Spelman College * Swarthmore College * Ursinus College * Wagner College * Widener University * The College of Wooster National Office Executive Director: Jan R. Liss, jan.liss@projectpericles.org Board of Directors Chair: Eugene M. Lang Vice-Chair: Neil R. Grabois Presidents' Council Chair: Rebecca S. Chopp, Swarthmore College Vice-Chair: Richard Guarasci, Wagner College National Board of Advisors Co-Chairs: Sen. Nancy Kassebaum Baker & Hon. Kurt L. Schmoke The title "Project Pericles®" and its embodiment in the Logo are registered service marks of Project Pericles, Inc. All rights are reserved. The Periclean Progress E-Newsletter Spring 2013, Volume 9 National Office News
The Teagle Foundation Awards Project Pericles Grant for Mapping of Civic Engagement on Campus Project Pericles is delighted to announce its newest initiative, Creating Cohesive Paths to Civic Engagement, a four-part, three-year project to inventory, map, strengthen, and develop more cohesive civic engagement programs on Periclean campuses. This project enables Pericleans to remain at the forefront of educating for civic engagement and social responsibility as they develop clear pathways for civic engagement across the curriculum with shared learning outcomes and sequential components. Jan Liss, Project Pericles Executive Director, said, "We are thrilled to be undertaking this project. It provides us with the opportunity to come together and critically reflect on how our campuses are educating for civic and social responsibility. This project will encourage Pericleans to learn from each other; to collaborate in developing new, innovative approaches to civic engagement and social responsibility; and to advance civic engagement within higher education. By undertaking this work, we can strengthen our own institutions and provide important models for others." In an AAC&U blog post, "Four Steps to Help Students Understand and Describe the Value of a Liberal Education" Madeleine F. Green, Senior Program Consultant, and Annie W. Bezbatchenko, Program Director, both at The Teagle Foundation, cite Project Pericles's work on mapping as one important way of helping students see the connections and shared learning objectives between their courses. They write, "By mapping themes across the curriculum that are relevant to students' lives and the issues in our world such as civic engagement, internationalization, and justice, faculty and advisors can help show students the various emphases and pathways they can intentionally pursue as they move through the curriculum." Following the mapping portion of the project and a convening to discuss findings in the summer of 2014, participating colleges and universities will develop strategic action plans to strengthen existing civic engagement programs on individual campuses and/or to develop new certificates or minors in civic engagement. Project Pericles will also publish a White Paper focused on how to organize and integrate civic engagement programming. This project is made possible through the generous support of the Eugene M. Lang Foundation and The Teagle Foundation. More about The Teagle Foundation: The Teagle Foundation provides leadership for liberal education, mobilizing the intellectual and financial resources that are necessary if today's students are to have access to a challenging and transformative liberal education. The Foundation's commitment to such education includes its grant making to institutions of higher education across the country, its long-established scholarship program for the children of employees of Exxon Mobil, and its work helping economically disadvantaged young people in New York City-where the Foundation is based-gain admission to college and succeed once there. Berea Students Tackle Methamphetamine Abuse While Hendrix Students Promote Sex Education as Part of Debating for Democracy (D4D) National Conference - 2012 Finalists Below teams of students from Berea College and Hendrix College provide updates on their advocacy work. Each year as part of the Debating for Democracy (D4D) National Conference, over 50 teams of students participate in our "Letters to an Elected Official" competition. The five finalists present their letters to a legislative committee of former government officials at the National Conference and receive a cash award to advance their issue. For an update on the work of the 2012 winning team from Earlham College see the Fall 2012 newsletter. The other finalist teams from Widener University and The College of Wooster will report in a future issue. Berea College By Le'Shae Dickerson and Corey Lewis In March 2012, as finalists representing Berea at the D4D Legislative Hearing Competition, we won $500 to promote our cause of curbing methamphetamine abuse in the state of Kentucky. As part of the competition, we wrote Kentucky State Representative Kevin Bratcher (R) urging him to support KY HB 281, which would have required a prescription for the purchase of medicine containing pseudoephedrine, the main ingredient in methamphetamine. The Kentucky Legislature subsequently passed Senate Bill 3 (a compromise version of HB 281) that restricts over-the-counter purchases to 7.2 grams of pseudoephedrine per month. We used our award to travel to meet with elected officials in Kentucky and Washington, D.C. and to impress upon them our concern about methamphetamine abuse. We met with Representative Bratcher, who represents Le'Shae's neighborhood in Louisville. Bratcher told us why SB 3 is the best answer to curb meth abuse in Kentucky. Now, 95% of citizens will still have the ability to buy over-the-counter medicines for themselves and their families without having to make doctor appointments (which are often timely and costly). SB 3 will remain in place for at least two to three years to evaluate the bill's effectiveness. Overall, we found our government officials are well aware of the effects of meth in Kentucky. It was refreshing to learn that they care just as much as we do and have already started efforts to combat this serious issue. We also learned that while contacting our political figures is an important part of social change, change also begins with us. We all should recognize the problems in our communities and that we can be a part of the solutions. Hendrix College By Maia Yang Hendrix College students Lindsey Wiggin and Maia Yang were finalists at the 2012 Debating for Democracy Legislative Hearing. In their "Letter in Support of a Mandatory Sex Education Curriculum in Arkansas" to State Representative Linda Tyler (D) they urged legislators to institute a mandatory comprehensive sex education program for all public schools in Arkansas. This spring, we used the $500 award to organize events on campus focused on women's sexual health and well-being in conjunction with Hendrix's health awareness week. The first event, "Take Back the Night," was a huge success. We worked with Student Advocating for Gender Equality to raise awareness about sexual violence and promote healing among survivors. In the week leading up to the event, people were encouraged to share their stories of sexual assault/abuse by writing them down and checking a box indicating whether they felt safe having their story read. The stories were read onstage by members in the audience at the event. We then had a portion that was open mic in which students told their own personal stories of sexual assault. At first, breaking the ice for this portion of the event was hard, but after the first speaker got up and relayed their story, we had people lining up to tell their own stories. People were still waiting in line to tell their own stories after an hour of storytelling. On a separate night, we screened the documentary, "Let's Talk about Sex." We had a large turnout and were able to discuss cultural impediments to frank discussions about sex between parents and their children. We were able to relay our own stories of the type of sexual education we received and speak freely about what change we would like to see instituted in schools in Arkansas. Bates D4D Students meet with Mayor Michael Brennan of Portland, ME - 2013 Finalists On April 25, Bates College students who submitted "Letters to an Elected Official" as part of the Project Pericles D4D competition met with Mayor Michael Brennan of Portland, ME. Students asked Mayor Brennan questions about his own political experience, both in the Maine State Legislature and as the Mayor of Portland. After the meeting, students participated in an end-of-year celebratory dinner. In attendance were Legislative Hearing finalists Jessica Nichols and Kate Paladin, conference attendees Dana Cohen-Kaplan and Alexandra Morrow, Kristen Cloutier, Project Pericles Program Coordinator, Harward Center for Community Partnerships and Ellen Alcorn, Assistant Director of Community-Engaged Learning, Harward Center for Community Partnerships. Pericleans in the NewsObama Speaks at Morehouse Graduation President Barack Obama delivered the commencement address at Morehouse College on May 19th. Prior to assuming the presidency at Morehouse in 2013, John Silvanus Wilson, Jr. served as the executive director of the White House Initiative on HBCUs during President Obama's first term. "It was an honor and a privilege to serve the nation, President Obama, and HBCUs. We are honored and privileged to have President Obama deliver the Commencement address at Morehouse this year," said Wilson. "It is fitting that the President visited the alma mater of Martin Luther King, Jr. during the 50th anniversary year of his iconic 'I Have a Dream' speech. President Obama's life story trumpets an ethic that we try to instill in all Morehouse men, namely excellence without apology or compromise," he said. Wagner Professor Takes Page from Project Pericles' Debating for Democracy to Strengthen Course By Stephen Preskill Jason Fitzgerald has been an Assistant Professor of Education at Wagner College for only two years but has already established himself as an excellent teacher, active researcher, engaged scholar, and active participant in Project Pericles. Fitzgerald has developed a variety of ties to Wagner's Port Richmond Partnership and requires most of his students to spend time in Port Richmond, an economically distressed but vibrant and diverse area. These students are providing direct service to Port Richmond, getting to know community partners, collecting data about key initiatives, and conducting community-based research. Fitzgerald arrived at Wagner with a strong background in multicultural education and consequently was asked to teach a graduate course focusing on multicultural issues called ED605 - the Dynamics of Human Relations. At first, he taught this course in a relatively traditional manner, relying on lectures mixed with small and large group discussion. The evaluations of students were positive, but Fitzgerald sought to engage these aspiring teachers still more, while challenging them to see themselves as policy analysts and advocates who have a point of view as well as strategies for getting that point of view heard. Taking a page from Project Pericles and its "Letters to an Elected Official" competition, Fitzgerald recently launched the Access and Equity Policy Letter as a requirement for his ED605 students. The idea is to identify an issue that affects the ability of an underrepresented group to take full advantage of educational and related services that are essential to the growth and well-being of the members of the group. The final step is to send a policy letter to a department of education public official in the city, state, or federal government that explains how some students are being shortchanged and what can be done about it. Fitzgerald divides the students into small groups and together they identify a relevant issue, conduct the extensive background research to support the claims in the letters, and then together compose these letters for final submission to education officials. Examples of letters include requests to: * ensure that adequate educational services are provided to hospital-bound, chronically ill children; * revise social studies curricula so that at least 20% of these materials include content on underrepresented groups; * utilize promising programs to reduce bullying among LGBTQ children; * adopt community-based arts curricula to support the development of special needs children. Fitzgerald has been especially pleased with how engaging the students have found these assignments to be, particularly with respect to the fruitful collaborations that have resulted, the quality of the research that has been produced, and the stimulating conversations that are explicitly linking course topics to the actual content of these letters. Perhaps most interesting of all is how empowered students have become in seeking out educational leaders and public officials to answer their questions and to help the students fill in the gaps in their research. Fitzgerald has exhorted students to get into the community to talk to the people who are responsible for the programs that students feel are lacking and to press these officials for explanations and for possible scenarios for effectively addressing their concerns. As a result, students are changing their image of themselves. They are aspiring teachers, yes. But they are also powerful citizens who are invested in helping to bring about a more equitable and accessible educational system for everyone. Stephen Preskill is the Project Pericles Program Director and Professor of Civic Engagement and Leadership at Wagner College Longtime Rhodes College Project Pericles Program Director Robert Strandburg Receives Distinguished Service Medal Dr. Robert J. Strandburg, received the 2013 Rhodes College Distinguished Service Medal for his many contributions to the college, his mentorship of his students, and his role in making Rhodes a leader in the arts and sciences. Strandburg served as the first Project Pericles Program Director at Rhodes. In his role as associate dean for academic affairs, Strandburg was entrusted with oversight of the college's new Foundations Curriculum implemented in 2007. Strandburg also served as the first director of Rhodes' Center for Academic Research and Education through Service (CARES). Widener Students Take on Harrisburg Seeking Debt Reduction As part of Student Lobby Day, Widener University students met with nine state senators and four representatives to discuss PA Senate Bill 420 "The Middle Income Student Debt Reduction Act." The Association for Independent Colleges and Universities of Pennsylvania (AICUP) in Harrisburg, PA organized the April meetings. Students in the social work and political science majors, among others, represented Widener while meeting with their state legislators. Students presented legislators with their own research on the cost of higher education, as part of a SuperPAC that they created last fall in one of Dr. Wes Leckrone'spolitical science classes. The trip, which was co-sponsored by the Office of Civic Engagement, Center for Social Work Education, Political Engagement Committee, and Student Government Association, was a great way to educate students on how to work with government to enact real change. "Programs like this show that we really are creating democratic citizens who have the ability to structure change," Elizabeth Housholder, assistant dean of civic engagement, said. "The students have become more interested in getting involved in public service and making a change." Andrea Stickley, a sophomore political science major, who was involved in some of the planning efforts, was excited to see her classes' efforts come to fruition. "We put all of our classroom knowledge to use and we were able to present our SuperPAC to legislators," she said. "They thought it was great that we had created one and were being proactive." Periclean Faculty Leader Dr. Marina Barnett's Social Work Policy 342 class participated in the Pennsylvania chapter of the National Association of Social Workers' Annual Student Legislative Advocacy Day. In the fall the students focus on the history of policy, analyzing theories and backgrounds, and during the spring semester they study contemporary advocacy and prepare to lobby on a particular issue during the Legislative Advocacy Day. Hendrix's Alumni Doing Democracy Host Brigadier General Hendrix College hosted alumna Army Reserve Brig. General Leanne Pittman Burch, chief judge of the U.S. Army Legal Services Agency, who spoke at campus as part of the Pericles-sponsored Hendrix Alumni Doing Democracy (HADD). HADD is a program their Pericles committee developed to bring back to campus Hendrix alumni whose work is closely connected with public service. HADD gives current students an opportunity to interact with alumni and learn about careers in public service. Previous guests include a U.S. Congressman, state legislators, and nonprofit leaders. Rhodes College Junior Frankie Dakin Named a 2013 Truman Scholar The Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation recently announced the names of 62 exceptional college juniors out of 629 candidates nominated as 2013 Truman Scholars. Rhodes College political economy major Frankie Dakin is one of them. Dakin recently served as one of Rhodes' student delegates to the 2013 Debating for Democracy National Conference. A native of Millington, Tenn., Dakin is a participant of Rhodes' Bonner Scholarship program for students who have a passion for service and social justice, and he has served as an intern for Memphis-based organization BRIDGES. In 2012, Dakin became the youngest alderman ever elected in the city of Millington. In March, he received the Vanderhaar Student Peace Award given each year to a local college student. The Periclean Progress is issued during the academic year and is posted on the Project Pericles website. To subscribe, email us at garret.batten@projectpericles.org. To submit Periclean-related information for publication, email us at garret.batten@projectpericles.org. Periclean Colleges & Universities Allegheny College * Bates College * Berea College * Bethune-Cookman University * Carleton College * Chatham University * Dillard University * Drew University * Earlham College * Elon University * Goucher College * Hampshire College * Hendrix College * Macalester College * Morehouse College *New England College * The New School * Occidental College * Pace University * Pitzer College * Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute * Rhodes College * St. Mary's College of Maryland * Spelman College * Swarthmore College * Ursinus College * Wagner College * Widener University * The College of Wooster National Office Executive Director: Jan R. Liss, jan.liss@projectpericles.org Board of Directors Chair: Eugene M. Lang Vice-Chair: Neil R. Grabois Presidents' Council Chair: Rebecca S. Chopp, Swarthmore College Vice-Chair: Richard Guarasci, Wagner College National Board of Advisors Co-Chairs: Sen. Nancy Kassebaum Baker & Hon. Kurt L. Schmoke The title "Project Pericles®" and its embodiment in the Logo are registered service marks of Project Pericles, Inc. All rights are reserved. The Periclean Progress E-Newsletter Volume 9, Special D4D Issue, 2013 2013 Debating for Democracy (D4D)™ National Conference I met the greatest, most passionate and intelligent people. - Wagner College Student I truly enjoyed the entire conference and feel that I learned a significant amount about non-profits and issues of policy and advocacy.... - Elon University Student I felt inspired to strive for my dreams.... - Widener University Student Tar sands, gun control, violence against women, and reproductive health rights were some of the many issues discussed by student leaders as they met with public policy experts and activists at this year's Debating for Democracy (D4D) National Conference. The two-day conference, an initiative of Project Pericles, was hosted in New York by Eugene Lang College The New School for Liberal Arts on March 21 and 22. This was our best conference to date. The students were just fantastic - they were thoughtful, asked insightful questions, and were excited to be here. All of our workshop leaders commented on how engaged and enthusiastic the students were. - Garret Batten, Assistant Director, Project Pericles The conference agenda included workshops, breakout sessions, panel discussions, visits to nonprofit organizations, and networking opportunities. Attended by student leaders from Periclean campuses, college presidents, faculty, staff, nonprofit activists, and foundation, government, and community leaders, the conference provided a forum to share ideas and advocate for issues of critical social and political concern - representing the mission of Project Pericles in action. Our thanks to Eugene M. Lang whose vision inspired this conference and to the Eugene M. Lang Foundation for its support of the conference. A Conference Highlight: The D4D Legislative Hearing. Pictured: Eugene M. Lang, Jan R. Liss, judges Thomas J. Downey, Constance Berry Newman, Kurt L. Schmoke, Harris L. Wofford, and hearing participants and their program directors. D4D Legislative Hearing: Five Finalist Teams Present Letters to Elected Officials Five "Letters to an Elected Official" were featured at the conference's Legislative Hearing. They were selected from over 60 letters written by teams of students from Pericleans proposing innovative solutions to issues including campaign finance and electoral reform, education, immigration, and the environment. These letters were sent to over 100 elected officials. At the hearing, finalists defended their ideas to a legislative committee that included former government officials: U.S. Congressman (D-NY) Thomas J. Downey; U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Constance Berry Newman; Mayor of Baltimore, MD Kurt L. Schmoke; and U.S. Senator (D-PA) Harris L. Wofford. Each finalist team received a cash award to advance their issue through an advocacy and education campaign. The Swarthmore College team, represented by Amanda Epstein and Alexandra Willingham, took first place and a $3,000 award for their defense of their "Letter to State Senator Edwin B. Erickson (R-PA) Concerning the Parental Notification Section of the Pennsylvania Abortion Control Act." They urged Senator Erickson to repeal the requirement that minors seek parental notification before receiving an abortion. The two argued that the law unduly burdens minors who live in potentially unsafe conditions and that the court system was not able to adequately provide information needed to obtain a judicial bypass as required under the law. Receiving semifinalist awards of $500 were: Bates College for "A Letter to U.S. Representative Michael Michaud (D-ME) Concerning the Tar Sands Transport Through Maine." Jessica Nichols and Kate Paladin urged Representative Michaud to order a review of the Portland-Montreal Pipeline in order to block the potential importation of tar sands from Canada, which they argued possesses serious environmental risks to Maine's waterways and would contribute to climate change. Berea College for "A Letter to State Senator Frank Niceley (R-TN) Concerning TN S.B. 132 and the Reduction of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) in Tennessee." Mira Denton and Nathaniel Stewart argued that assistance should not be tied to the academic performance of minor children. The bill would reduce benefits by 30% for failure to make "satisfactory academic progress." Carleton College for "A Letter to U. S. Representative John Kline (R-MN) in Support of the Reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) of 1994." Gabriela Arteaga and Emily Lamberty argued that the reauthorization of VAWA should include specific protections for Native Americans, immigrants, and members of the LGBTQ community. Prior to their presentation, Congress did reauthorize VAWA with protections for all three groups. Chatham University for "A Letter to State Representative Dan Frankel (D-PA) on the Inclusion of STEM Gender Equity in the Pennsylvania MESA Initiative Act (PA H.B. 110)." Jeannette Schollaert and Nicole Werwie proposed amending the bill "to include the encouragement of female interest in STEM careers." Bates D4D Students meet with Senator Angus King (I-ME) On April 2, the Harward Center at Bates College hosted a lunch for Senator Angus King and Bates students who submitted letters to an elected official as part of the Project Pericles D4D competition. Students discussed the transportation of tar sands through Maine, as well as other policy issues, with Senator King. In attendance were Legislative Hearing finalists Jessica Nichols and Kate Paladin, conference attendees Dana Cohen-Kaplan and Alexandra Morrow, Bates students Theodosia Fehsenfeld and Megan Lubetkin, as well as Darby Ray, Director, Harward Center for Community Partnerships and Project Pericles Program Director and Laura Sewall, Director Bates-Mores Mountain Conservation Area. Engaging with Public Policy Experts and Leading Activists Insights from the presidential election, voter suppression, and demographic shifts in the electorate were all discussed during a panel moderated by The New School President David E. Van Zandt that included Keesha Gaskins, Senior Counsel, Democracy Program, Brennan Center for Justice; David Nir, Political Director, Daily Kos; and Janell Ross, Business Reporter, The Huffington Post. Jan R. Liss, Project Pericles Executive Director, led a panel discussion examining methods of promoting social action at both personal and systemic levels. Commenting on the breakout groups that followed the panel, a Chatham University student stated: I loved the exercises we got to do with storytelling ... because we were made to use the methods and techniques that policy makers actually use in D.C. Rajeev Goyal, author of The Springs of Namje: A Ten-Year Journey from the Villages of Nepal to the Halls of Congress and Peace Corps activist, delivered the keynote address at dinner. Audience members were riveted by Goyal's description of his time in Nepal and in Washington, D.C., where he organized a successful campaign for the largest ever increase in the Peace Corps budget. Capping the evening, Project Pericles Founder Eugene M. Lang presented the organization's highest award, the Periclean Service award, to Senator Harris L. Wofford for his longstanding commitment to Project Pericles. Lang commented on his great admiration for Senator Wofford, his support of civic engagement, and his role in the development of the Peace Corps. Other session topics included the role of nonprofits in our democracy, building effective national and international organizations and movements, and addressing the federal budget deficit. Additional panelists and speakers included: Wesley Adams, AllOut.org; Phil Aroneanu, 350.org; Stephanie P. Browner, Dean, Eugene Lang College The New School for Liberal Arts; Ami Dar, Idealist.org; Catherine Diamond, Director of Health Literacy, "I Have A Dream" Foundation; John Eastman, Global Learning Across Borders; Mo George, Community Voices Heard; Erycka Montoya Pérez, Friends of the High Line; Hilary Cramer Robinson, "I Have A Dream" Foundation; Debjani Roy, Hollaback; Maria Santangelo, College and Community Fellowship; Amy Stein-Milford, Museum at Eldridge Street; and Noam Unger, Global Citizen Year. The Periclean Progress is issued during the academic year and is posted on the Project Pericles website. To subscribe, email us at garret.batten@projectpericles.org. To submit Periclean-related information for publication, email us at garret.batten@projectpericles.org. Periclean Colleges & Universities Allegheny College * Bates College * Berea College * Bethune-Cookman University * Carleton College * Chatham University * Dillard University * Drew University * Earlham College * Elon University * Goucher College * Hampshire College * Hendrix College * Macalester College * Morehouse College *New England College * The New School * Occidental College * Pace University * Pitzer College * Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute * Rhodes College * St. Mary's College of Maryland * Spelman College * Swarthmore College * Ursinus College * Wagner College * Widener University * The College of Wooster National Office Executive Director: Jan R. Liss, jan.liss@projectpericles.org Board of Directors Chair: Eugene M. Lang Vice-Chair: Neil R. Grabois Presidents' Council Chair: Rebecca S. Chopp, Swarthmore College Vice-Chair: Richard Guarasci, Wagner College National Board of Advisors Co-Chairs: Sen. Nancy Kassebaum Baker & Hon. Kurt L. Schmoke The title "Project Pericles®" and its embodiment in the Logo are registered service marks of Project Pericles, Inc. All rights are reserved. The Periclean Progress E-Newsletter Fall 2012, Volume 9 National Office News
Project Pericles White Paper Explores Insights from Periclean Faculty Leadership (PFL) Program™ Project Pericles recently released its latest White Paper, The Periclean Diamond: Linking College, Campuses, Communities, and Colleagues via Social and Civic High Engagement Learning. The White Paper explores insights from the PFL Program, in which 26 faculty leaders received matching grants to create new Civic Engagement Courses (CECs), organize campus-wide civic engagement activities, develop community partnerships, engage in public scholarship, and serve as civic education advocates and leaders both locally and nationally. The PFL program was generously supported by the Eugene M. Lang Foundation and The Teagle Foundation. By extending civic pedagogy to the campus, connecting undergraduate education with community input and engagement, and linking all of these projects with faculty development, professional interchanges, reciprocal peer review, and public scholarship, the PFL Program has developed a promising, replicable, and sustainable model of civic education. These 26 courses in the fine arts, humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences add to more than 100 existing CECs, and build upon the teachings from the Civic Engagement Course (CEC) Program™. The Teagle Foundation is currently featuring the White Paper on its website and it is also available for download from Project Pericles. The White Paper was written by Ben Berger, Associate Professor of Political Science and Periclean Faculty Leader at Swarthmore College, and Jan R. Liss, Executive Director of Project Pericles. Debating for Democracy (D4D)™ Winners Produce Video "Effective Communication with Elected Officials: Tips and Tricks from Those on the Inside" By Garret Batten Earlham College juniors David Schutt and Clara Stuligross recently completed a video on how to communicate effectively with elected officials. Featuring Representative Paul D. Tonko (D-NY) and congressional staffers, the video will be distributed to students at all Periclean colleges and universities, and is also available on the Project Pericles website. Paul D. Tonko (D-NY) in Video - "Effective Communication With Elected Officials" Schutt and Stuligross emphasize that elected officials pay attention to constituents who reach out to them. By engaging with elected officials, individuals and groups can have a significant impact on issues - a view that echoes the underlying philosophy of the D4D Program. In the video, Representative Tonko comments, "Constituent interaction is absolutely critical. It's not only helpful; it's essential." Congressional staffers also share effective tactics for meetings with elected officials, including having specific requests and using personal stories. They emphasize the effectiveness of letters to elected officials and letters to the editor in newspapers, including student newspapers. At the 2012 Debating for Democracy National Conference, Schutt and Stuligross took first place in the Legislative Hearing for their defense of their "Letter in Support of the Budget Control Act" - written to U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY). They urged Senator Gillibrand to continue supporting the Budget Control Act and, specifically, the sequestration provision reducing the Pentagon's budget by a trillion dollars. The authors recommended reallocating these funds to educational programs. The pair spent the summer in Washington, D.C. as interns - Schutt in Congress and Stuligross at the Environmental Protection Agency. While in D.C., they used part of their $3,000 award from the Legislative Hearing to produce the video. National Office Announcements Project Pericles thanks the Ford Foundation for hosting our Presidents' Council meeting on November 5. This was Swarthmore President Rebecca Chopp's first meeting as Chair of the Presidents' Council. We thank Macalester President Brian Rosenberg for his many years of service as Chair. We thank Ursinus President Bobby Fong, Project Pericles Program Director Christian Rice, and the Ursinus College faculty, staff, and students for hosting our Program Directors meeting from November 27 to 29. Featured Article: My Path to Pericles By Domenick Scudera My path to becoming Ursinus College's 2011 Periclean Faculty Leader was a circuitous one. My heart, rather than my head, led me to Project Pericles and to the development of my course, Community-Based Theater and Civic Engagement. My story begins in 2008 when I was granted a sabbatical. Although this is meant to be a time to focus on research, all I really wanted to do was ... nothing. I was exhausted. I had helped found Ursinus' Theater and Dance department, and my work schedule had been hectic for some time. For the first two weeks of my sabbatical, I allowed myself plenty of leisure time. As my thinking cleared, I realized that I had been working too hard. It was not healthy. I needed to find time for myself again. I decided that I would offset my research agenda by spending my free hours doing something rejuvenating and far removed from academe and the performing arts. My plan was to train one of my dogs to be a therapy dog. A local kennel offered a course and, since I love being with my dogs, the training would keep me active doing something fun and worthwhile. I trusted that my dog Festus, a three-legged amputee, would be a good inspiration to patients in hospitals. We trained diligently and, after six weeks, we were a certified pet therapy team visiting patients in hospitals several mornings a week. When I started my teaching schedule again the next semester, I carved out time to continue our visits. The positive responses I received from patients and hospital staff members were immediate and constant: "If he can do it, I can do it," I heard, or, "I will work harder on my exercises now that I have met him." Volunteering with Festus allowed me to put aside my problems and stresses, and to be mindful of the present moment. I could focus on others' needs, plus give myself a much-needed boost every few days. My newfound, fulfilling work as a volunteer began to shape more than my personal life. The first, and most immediate, shift occurred in the project that I had planned for my sabbatical. I wanted to share what I was learning about service and dogs, so I developed a solo performance, "Festus the Three-Legged Wonder Dog," focused on themes of difference, disability, and community. I workshopped the evolving piece in several places, eventually premiering it in the Philadelphia Fringe Festival in 2008 to positive press reviews and sold-out houses. Since then, I have been invited to perform the show at a variety of venues, some theatrical and some academic. At the same time I was volunteering and performing my show, I saw the call for applications to Project Pericles for the development of civic engagement courses. Since I had been so steeped in service, the prospect of investigating theater created for the purpose of community building and/or healing was attractive. I applied and was accepted. It was thrilling. Project Pericles would allow me to join my passion for theater with my newly gained appreciation for community service. In doing research for my Community-Based Theater course, my eyes were opened to others who were crafting stage work with and for specific communities. Some artists had charitable purposes, some therapeutic, others political. Whole new ways of making theater opened up to me, including documentary and verbatim theaters, Boal's Theater of the Oppressed, Playback Theater, and so on. I was fascinated and invigorated to bring this type of theater to my students. The course I developed became a mix of lecture and practical studio work. For each unit of the course, I introduced the history, theories, and artists of a particular community-based theater practice. Students were required to delve into models of successful artists/practitioners in the field and to emulate those artists by creating their own works. For instance, after studying documentary theater and following the example of Anna Deavere Smith, students identified communities in need in our area, interviewed members of those communities, and distilled those interviews into scripts. Using the communities' own voices, and building upon what they had learned, the students crafted plays that shared their insight into the lives of others. One group of students, for example, interviewed residents at a local nursing home and developed a script that stressed commonalities between the elderly residents and Ursinus students. They rehearsed and eventually performed their scripts. The process introduced new ways of engaging with people who lacked voices in our town and brought those communities' stories to light. One student, in an evaluation, wrote, "I learned much about the societal and social power that theater can have to enact change, to unite communities, to enact catharsis." Another student commented, "This course is really great for ... opening students to becoming more conscious about their community and instilling the want to help others with the gifts they have." For me, the rewards of this course continue to present themselves. I was invited to be on a panel of Periclean professors at the 2011 Association of American Colleges and Universities where, for the first time, I spoke with academics outside my discipline about pedagogy. I added a civic engagement component to my Introduction to Theater class and it has quickly become many students' favorite section of the course. The activity I chose to take me away from my work has become a central part of my work and life. My path to Project Pericles may be unusual, but the rewards have rejuvenated my research, inspired my teaching, and have instilled new understandings about the power of theater in my students. This piece first appeared as part of a longer article, "The True Value of a Sabbatical" in The Chronicle of Higher Education (October 3, 2012). http://chronicle.com/article/The-True-Value-of-a-Sabbatical/134792/ Domenick Scudera, M.F.A., is a Professor of Theater and the Periclean Faculty Leader at Ursinus College and a frequent blogger for The Huffington Post. Pericleans in the News When joining Project Pericles, colleges and universities pledge to incorporate civic engagement and social responsibility across the curriculum, campus, and community. This section of the newsletter documents these commitments. Bates College Periclean Faculty Leader Publishes Article on her Periclean Work During her term as Periclean Faculty Leader, Emily Kane's work culminated in a campus-community conversation about the politics of knowledge in community-based research. The event was conducted as part of the Public Works in Progress series, sponsored by the college's Harward Center for Community Partnerships. The conversation offered an opportunity for both campus and community members to comment on Kane's research into how students view the role of academic partners and community partners in the knowledge-making process. After further refinement based on that feedback, Kane published the resulting article, "Student Perceptions of Community-Based Research Partners and the Politics of Knowledge," in the November 2012 issue of The Michigan Journal of Community Service Learning. Reporting on her analysis of data collected from students in an advanced seminar on "Public Sociology," Kane notes in the piece: "Student perceptions that frame community partners as the recipients of academic expertise are differentiated from those that validate partner expertise as essential to the co-creation of knowledge. Evidence is presented indicating that appropriately structured courses, especially those supported by robust institutional infrastructure for community-engaged learning, can (and should) encourage students to recognize community partners as valuable sources of knowledge." Pitzer Awarded Fulbright-Hays Group Project Abroad Grant Pitzer College has been awarded a Fulbright-Hays Group Project Abroad grant to take seven local school teachers and three Pitzer students on a five-week study-tour of Nepal next summer. The grant will fund the Pitzer College Educators in Nepal initiative, a program designed to help improve middle and high school education by immersing teachers in the language and culture of a developing country with a long and rich history. The project was initiated by three members of the Pitzer College community who will also lead the trip: Nigel Boyle, director of the Institute for Global/Local Action and Study (IGLAS), Mike Donahue, Director of Pitzer Programs and Intercultural Education, and Michelle Dymerski, director of the Claremont International Studies Education Project, a regional K-12 teacher development program. Participants will stay with Nepali families for at five weeks while studying the Nepali language, Hinduism, Buddhism, medieval history, and the process of development. The project includes a pre-departure teacher institute and post-trip follow up for curriculum development. "They'll get hands-on experience that is very different than reading a book," said Donahue, who is fluent in Nepali and helped create the Pitzer in Nepal program in the 1970s. "They'll live with non-English speaking host families whose lives are heavily informed by Hindu values and beliefs while interacting with some of the best scholars in the country and collaborating on curriculum development projects with Nepali counterparts from local schools." Boyle describes Educators in Nepal as a quintessential "global-local" initiative, linking California standards coursework taught in Inland Empire classrooms to villages in the Kathmandu Valley. "This is how the world creeps into a Southern California classroom," Boyle said. Questioning Everything: Reforming Student Government at Hampshire College For the past several years, Hampshire College has been reforming its student government in innovative ways. At the request of President Jonathan Lash, Assistant Dean of Students Josiah Litant led a strategic planning process exploring new options in student government. After reviewing national and existing student government models and holding open brainstorming sessions designed by students, the committee released its report, Purpose, Values, and Scope, which provides a framework for creating the new student government. In the report, the committee clarified areas where the new student government has decision-making power - something that had been unclear previously and discouraged student involvement. The Board of Trustees approved the report and it is currently going through a 'structure' phase. As Josiah Litant states, "We're questioning everything," in an effort to overcome hurdles that national research shows most student governments have not been able to solve in the past. Wagner College Science Students Work with Local Middle School For the fourth year in a row, Donald Stearns, Professor of Biology at Wagner College, is collaborating with a colleague to implement the highly successful "Teaching Project" in their freshman learning community. Drawing on work from two linked courses - Microbiology and Biostatistics and Experimental Design - Dr. Stearns and his colleague have placed their first-year students in three elementary/middle schools to give them an opportunity to teach what they are learning about microbiology, generally to 7th graders. Carefully planned so that the Wagner instructors and students and the school principals and teachers share a clear understanding of the goals of the project, the Wagner students lead the middle schoolers through a series of demonstrations and laboratory experiments to help them gain a deeper understanding of the scientific method and how it can be used to better understand the microbes around us. This "Learning by Teaching" project not only motivates the Wagner students to master the microbiology content they are learning; it also gives them a chance to act as role models to the students and to encourage them to aspire to college. Just as important, this project helps the Wagner students to develop collaborative and organizational skills, and, in many cases, to discover a calling to teach. Additionally, through the "Teaching Project," students learn how to use their expertise to contribute to the needs of the community. The experience tends to be highly satisfying for the Wagner students and gives them an incentive to continue to engage with the community, a goal that both Wagner and Project Pericles prize. Cristina Page of The Huffington Post Presents at Widener's Constitution Day Celebration At Widener University, Constitution Day 2012 featured author and activist Cristina Page, who writes for The Huffington Post about the politics of women's reproductive health. Sponsored by the Political Engagement Committee, Cristina shared excerpts from her book: How the Pro-Choice Movement Saved America: Freedom, Politics, and the War on Sex. Following her talk, Cristina facilitated a small group discussion with faculty and students. In addition, to prepare students for the Presidential Election the event also included a series of Issues Forums sponsored by the Office for Civic Engagement, Multicultural Student Affairs, Interfaith Center, and the Office for Community Engagement and Diversity Initiatives. "Immigration Reform" was led by Widener Professor of Law, Jill Family, who talked about the complexities of immigration law and the divergent views between the presidential candidates. "The Role of Religion in the Presidential Election" featured a panel discussion with faith-based leaders who offered diverse perspectives about the influence of religion in politics. The Politics of Lobbying and Advocacy provided an opportunity to introduce students to a lobbyist who shared his experience and engaged students in conversations about the presidential candidates' platforms on higher education. Drew University's Civic Scholars Collect Six Tons of Food By Steven Ketchem Of all the things to do with your Saturday, going around town dropping off flyers on strangers' doorsteps is probably not the first thing that comes to mind. But that's just what Drew's Civic Scholars were up to this fall as they did their part to help with the local food drive. The Civic Scholars helped collect over six tons of food, which was donated to The Community Food Bank of New Jersey. To show a little Drew pride, they also coordinated a campus wide food collection that coincided with the town-wide drive. Besides collecting many items for the Food Bank, sophomore Kate Fischer says this project was "to bring together the four years of Civic Scholars to learn and network with each other for future projects". First year, sophomore, junior, and senior civic scholars came together to accomplish their goal. Steven Ketchem is a Drew University Civic Scholar (Class of 2014) To subscribe, email us at garret.batten@projectpericles.org. To submit Periclean-related information for publication, email us at garret.batten@projectpericles.org. Periclean Colleges & Universities Allegheny College * Bates College * Berea College * Bethune-Cookman University * Carleton College * Chatham University * Dillard University * Drew University * Earlham College * Elon University * Goucher College * Hampshire College * Hendrix College * Macalester College * Morehouse College *New England College * The New School * Occidental College * Pace University * Pitzer College * Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute * Rhodes College * St. Mary's College of Maryland * Spelman College * Swarthmore College * Ursinus College * Wagner College * Widener University * The College of Wooster National Office Executive Director: Jan R. Liss, jan.liss@projectpericles.org Board of Directors Chair: Eugene M. Lang Vice-Chair: Neil R. Grabois Presidents' Council Chair: Rebecca S. Chopp, Swarthmore College Vice-Chair: Richard Guarasci, Wagner College National Board of Advisors Co-Chairs: Sen. Nancy Kassebaum Baker & Hon. Kurt L. Schmoke The title "Project Pericles®" and its embodiment in the Logo are registered service marks of Project Pericles, Inc. All rights are reserved. The Periclean Progress E-Newsletter Volume 8, Spring 2012 National Office News
Periclean Faculty Leaders Create 26 New Civic Engagement Courses - White Paper To Be Published This Summer By Garret Batten In 2010, with generous support from The Teagle Foundation and the Eugene M. Lang Foundation, Project Pericles launched the Periclean Faculty Leadership (PFL) Program™. Over the course of the 18 month program, competitively selected faculty leaders created 26 new Civic Engagement Courses (CECs) in 19 different disciplines. Faculty leaders also promoted civic engagement through lectures, town hall meetings, and public rallies and advanced public scholarship through publications and conference presentations. A White Paper detailing the PFL Program will be published this summer. The PFL Program involved faculty leaders from a wide range of disciplines including art history, biology, economics, environmental students, sociology, and theater. Courses developed included: "Instrumental Analysis of Oil and the Gulf of Mexico Environment," "Exploring Community in Our Towns: The New Hampshire Town Meeting," "Death, Burial and the Afterlife: Historic Engagement in Urban Cemeteries," and "Community-Based Theater and Civic Engagement." The PFL program successfully created CECs across the curriculum with courses in the humanities, natural sciences, social sciences, and pre-professional departments such as education and social work. Topics addressed in other courses included food insecurity, colonialism and cultural survival, local government, community health, and women's rights and health. Many courses incorporated community based learning projects. Randy Larsen's (St. Mary's College) chemistry class travelled to the Gulf of Mexico to research the impact of the 2010 Deep Horizon Oil Spill. In addition to gathering samples for study in the lab, students interviewed local residents to better understand the impact of the spill. T.J. Eatmon's (Allegheny College) "Environmental Education" course utilized an Aquaponics system that produces both fish and lettuces through a closed loop system housed in a community market. Allegheny students used the Aquaponics project to teach local middle school students about ecosystems, sustainable agriculture, and healthy eating habits. In his "Community-Based Theater and Civic Engagement" course, Domenick Scudera's students at Ursinus College interviewed community partners, including local nursing home residents, to assess their needs. Students then developed theater projects, open to the public, to amplify community groups' perspectives. The CECs increased students' ability to understand issues of social concern from multiple perspectives, to articulate an informed opinion, and to relate academic material to real world situations. In addition, students expressed an increased motivation and capacity to utilize these skills to take action. A student in Scudera's theater class commented that the experience "opened students to becoming more conscious about their community and instilled a desire to help others with the gifts they have." Carleton College students participating in community health research noted a newfound sense of obligation to use their skills for the betterment of the community. Carleton Biology Professor Debby Walser-Kuntz wrote, "Students began to see themselves as 'citizen scientists' recognizing that they have a responsibility as scientists to learn to communicate effectively with multiple constituencies and that they can effect change." Periclean Faculty Leaders also served as champions of civic engagement on and off campus. Through conference presentations and publications, they educated colleagues about pedagogical methods to incorporate civic engagement in the classroom. At the 2012 AAC&U conference, Periclean Faculty Leaders discussed the innovative features of the PFL program and their own work on a panel titled, "Developing Innovative Curricula to Prepare Students for Successful Lives of Global Civic Engagement." Faculty leaders spoke about their curricular programs, described the intercampus peer review process, and shared best practices and lessons learned. Jan R. Liss, Executive Director of Project Pericles, moderated and discussed the assessment of student learning outcomes. Periclean Faculty Leader and Associate Professor of Political Science at Swarthmore College, Ben Berger, and Jan R. Liss are completing a White Paper on the PFL Program that will be published over the summer. Garret Batten is the Assistant Director at Project Pericles. Periclean Students Organize High Schoolers for Education Reform By Adrienne Falcon Carleton College students Anna Fure-Slocum and Nick Welna are organizing with local youth from Northfield, Minnesota to advocate for student-centered education reform. Fure-Slocum and Welna won the Project Pericles 2011 Debating for Democracy (D4D) Legislative Hearing for their letter proposing greater student input and influence in the classroom as part of the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education (ESEA) Act. Using their $3,000 award, Fure-Slocum and Welna connected with Northfield students to make their voices heard in local school politics. In March, the Carleton seniors hosted a community organizing training for students from local high schools. Participants developed action plans to combat high-stakes testing, strengthen school support for youth activism, and improve students' relationships with the community. These youth are now pursuing their plans with support from the Carleton Office of Academic Civic Engagement. D4D represents the spirit of Project Pericles in action. It provides student leaders and activists with the skills and support necessary to develop and run educational and advocacy campaigns on issues of critical social concern. Adrienne Falcon is the Director of Academic Civic Engagement and Project Pericles Program Director at Carleton College. Periclean Faculty Leader wins North American Society for Social Philosophy's 2011 Book Award Swarthmore's Ben Berger (Associate Professor of Political Science) recently won the North American Society for Social Philosophy's (NASSP) 2011 book award for his work, Attention Deficit Democracy:The Paradox of Civic Engagement (Princeton University Press, 2011). Berger joins the company of illustrious past winners including Seyla Benhabib, Will Kymlicka, and Amartya Sen. "By providing a realistic account of the value of political engagement and practical strategies for improving it [engagement], while avoiding proposals we can never hope to achieve, Attention Deficit Democracy makes a persuasive case for a public philosophy that much of the public can actually endorse (from the publisher)." Berger completed the book while serving as Swarthmore's Periclean Faculty Leader. Pericleans in the News Periclean institutions are committed to integrating social responsibility and participatory citizenship into the core of their educational mission. The three brief articles below highlight activities that Chatham University, Allegheny College, and Widener University are undertaking to advance civic engagement in the classroom, on campus, and in the community. Chatham's Project Pericles Program Director Spearheads Program to Increase Number of Women in Public Office By Dana Brown From Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to former Alaska governor Sarah Palin, women running for office around the country have made headlines. But these high-profile women obscure a sad truth: the percentage of American women holding public office remains dismally low with women holding 24% of state legislative offices; 21% of the statewide offices; 17% of US Senate seats; 17% of the seats in the US House of Representatives and 12% of governorships. In order to call attention to the paucity of women in politics and to inspire women to take a seat at the table, the Pennsylvania Center for Women and Politics (PCWP) has partnered with the national, non-partisan, 2012 Project - a campaign to increase the number of women in Congress and state legislatures by taking advantage of the once-in-a-decade opportunities of 2012. Following the 2010 census, congressional and state legislative districts in the country are being redrawn, creating new and open seats. The goals of The Pennsylvania 2012 Project are three-fold:
Allegheny Professors Publish Article on Community Engagement and Service Learning Minor By Amara Geffen Allegheny College professors Stephanie Martin, Economics, and Eleanor Weisman, Dance and Movement Studies, recently co-authored "Aligning Civic Engagement with the Strategic Goals of an Institution: Focus on Allegheny College" for a special issue of the Journal of College and Character. The article describes how Allegheny's interdisciplinary minor, Values, Ethics, and Social Action (VESA), a community engagement and service learning program, fulfills the College's strategic plan by preparing students to act responsibly as citizens in quickly changing local and global communities. Through real work in the Meadville community, and through the theoretical study of the impact of one's political, philosophical, and economic actions on the world, VESA students embody the educational objectives of the college. The VESA program provides a potent model of the power of higher education in the lives of young adults in the twenty-first century. In the article, Martin and Weisman describe how VESA can serve as a model for similar paths of inquiry at other higher education institutions through a curriculum that links a strong curricular foundation with specific interdisciplinary building blocks that are designed to support student growth. The VESA curriculum consists of six courses, plus an internship or service leadership experience taken with a reflection seminar. The VESA foundations course provides an introduction to the theories and ethics of social action, with a focus on community service. Attention is paid to the ways in which class, race, and gender shape the processes and outcomes of social action. In subsequent courses, students apply competencies and gain deeper levels of understanding. The VESA program also provides several opportunities for application of course concepts through community engagement projects. The service leadership requirement gives students experience organizing projects that meet community goals, while also teaching students to connect their co-curricular work to their curricular work through a reflection seminar. The minor culminates in a capstone course that engages students in public scholarship related to a local advocacy project. VESA capstone projects have led to a program that made it possible for low-income residents of Meadville to use their access cards to purchase locally grown food at Meadville's Market House, and development of promotional materials used by the Center for Family Services (CFS), which were rewritten to accommodate the reading levels of those in CFS's target service audience. As the national emphasis on civic engagement in higher education grows, discourse on strategies to improve the quality of student participation in local communities becomes increasingly important. In their article, Martin and Weisman demonstrate how community engagement programs that fulfill the mission of higher education must intentionally link the curricular and the co-curricular as an essential part of education for civic engagement and social change. Amara Geffen is Professor of Art and the Director of the Center for Economic and Environmental Development at Allegheny College and the Project Pericles Program Director. Widener Students Show High Levels of Civic Engagement Preliminary Data Reveals In fall 2009, Widener University implemented a campus-wide assessment of civic engagement initiatives designed to determine projects that yield the best community outcomes. A rigorous method to assess institutional service-learning was subsequently implemented. The campus assessment tools provide data to examine Widener's role in the community, to explore strengths and areas for improvement, and to enhance neighborhood sustainability. Preliminary data from the civic engagement impact study reveal that 48% of students at the main campus are involved in civic engagement activities - almost 20% above the national average. Through service-learning and/or civic engagement projects, nearly every department and student organization is involved with the metropolitan community. The Periclean Progress is issued during the academic year and is posted on the Project Pericles website. To subscribe, email us at garret.batten@projectpericles.org. To submit Periclean-related information for publication, email us at garret.batten@projectpericles.org. Periclean Colleges & Universities Allegheny College * Bates College * Berea College * Bethune-Cookman University * Carleton College * Chatham University * Dillard University * Drew University * Earlham College * Elon University * Goucher College * Hampshire College * Hendrix College * Macalester College * Morehouse College *New England College * The New School * Occidental College * Pace University * Pitzer College * Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute * Rhodes College * St. Mary's College of Maryland * Spelman College * Swarthmore College * Ursinus College * Wagner College * Widener University * The College of Wooster National Office Executive Director: Jan R. Liss, jan.liss@projectpericles.org Board of Directors Chair: Eugene M. Lang Vice-Chair: Neil R. Grabois Presidents' Council Chair: Rebecca S. Chopp, Swarthmore College Vice-Chair: Richard Guarasci, Wagner College National Board of Advisors Co-Chairs: Sen. Nancy Kassebaum Baker & Hon. Kurt L. Schmoke The title "Project Pericles®" and its embodiment in the Logo are registered service marks of Project Pericles, Inc. All rights are reserved. The Periclean Progress E-Newsletter Volume 8, Special D4D Issue, 2012 2012 Debating for Democracy (D4D)™ National Conference
"It was an amazing experience that I will never forget!" - Hendrix College Student Hydrofracking, electoral reform, and human trafficking were some of the many issues discussed by student leaders as they met with public policy experts and activists at this year's Debating for Democracy (D4D) conference. The two-day conference, an initiative of Project Pericles, was hosted in New York by Eugene Lang College The New School for Liberal Arts. The conference agenda included workshops, breakout sessions, panel discussions, site visits, and networking opportunities. Attended by student leaders from all 29 Periclean campuses, college presidents, faculty, staff, nonprofit activists, and foundation, government, and community leaders, the conference provided a forum to share ideas and advocate for issues of critical social and political concern - representing the mission of Project Pericles in action. "My session with Ami Dar [Founder of Idealist.org] made the conference tremendously meaningful, informative, and purposeful. It was very empowering to sit in a room amongst a small group of activists and academics." - Carleton College Student A Conference Highlight: The D4D Legislative Hearing. Pictured: Eugene M. Lang; judges Constance Berry Newman, former U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs; Kurt L. Schmoke, former Mayor of Baltimore; and Senator Harris L. Wofford (D-PA); Jan. R. Liss; and hearing participants. D4D Legislative Hearing: Five Finalist Teams Present Letters to Elected Officials Five "Letters to an Elected Official" were featured at the conference's Legislative Hearing. They were selected from 54 letters proposing innovative solutions to issues including bullying, human trafficking, and Native American education. These letters were sent to over 100 elected officials. At the hearing, finalists defended their ideas to a legislative committee that included former government officials: U.S. Senator Harris L. Wofford; U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Constance Berry Newman; and Mayor of Baltimore, Maryland Kurt L. Schmoke. Each finalist team received a cash award to advance their issue through an advocacy and education campaign. The Earlham College team, represented by David Schutt and Clara Stuligross, took first place and a $3,000 award for their defense of their "Letter in Support of the Budget Control Act" - written to U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY). They urged Senator Gillibrand to continue supporting the Budget Control Act and, specifically, the sequestration provision reducing the Pentagon's budget by a trillion dollars. The authors recommended reallocating these funds to educational programs to enhance national security. Receiving semifinalist awards of $500 were: Berea College for "A Letter Concerning the Controlling Access to Meth Chemicals Bill (KY HB 281)" to State Representative Kevin Bratcher (R-KY). Students Le'Shae Dickerson and Corey Lewis advocated for Kentucky HB 281, a bill to control Kentucky's surging methamphetamine problem by requiring a prescription to purchase over-the-counter medication that contains pseudoephedrine, the main ingredient in meth. Hendrix College for "A Letter in Support of a Mandatory Sex Education Curriculum in Arkansas" to State Representative Linda Tyler (D-AR). Students Lindsey Wiggin and Maia Yang urged legislators to institute a mandatory comprehensive sex education program for all public schools in Arkansas. They noted that similar programs lowered teen pregnancy rates and stated that Arkansas would benefit economically and socially from this requirement. Widener University for "A Letter in Support of the Fracturing Responsibility and Awareness of Chemicals (FRAC) Act" to U.S. Senator Patrick Toomey (R-PA). Students Leelabati Biswas and Katrina Kelly supported the FRAC Act, which would impose disclosure requirements for the use of potentially harmful chemicals for hydrofracking and would remove loopholes exempting companies from EPA regulations. The College of Wooster for "A Letter in Support of the Fair Elections Now Act" to U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH). Students Daniel Cohen and Andrea Patton supported the passage of the Fair Elections Now Act and a Constitutional Amendment to overturn the 2010 Citizens United Supreme Court decision, arguing that a system of publicly funded elections and limitations on the role of corporations in campaign fundraising would allow the most qualified candidates, instead of the most well-funded, to run for office. Engaging with Public Policy Experts and Leading Activists The Arab Spring, Occupy Wall Street, and the influence of social media on activism were hotly debated during a panel moderated by David E. Van Zandt, President of The New School. Jan R. Liss, Project Pericles Executive Director, led a panel discussion examining methods of promoting social action at both personal and systemic levels. Commenting on the breakout groups that followed the panel, one participant said: "Engaging with people who are directly ... [working for] change was the most valuable part across the board, from the social action breakout groups to debating with the legislative hearing panel to visiting non-profit agencies." - Earlham College Student Other session topics included career development with a social action or nonprofit focus; the impact of the financial crisis on the federal budget; and the implications of the Citizens United verdict for campaign finance reform and civic participation. Featured panelists and speakers included, among many others, Craig Calhoun, President of the Social Science Research Council (SSRC); Jeffrey Clements, author of Corporations Are Not People and a leading activist working to overturn Citizens United; Jeremy Heimans, Co-Founder and CEO of Purpose and, recently, named a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum; Danielle Moss Lee, President and CEO of Harlem Educational Activities Fund; and Ana Polanco, Managing Director of Organizing at Amnesty International USA. At dinner, keynote speaker Carol Browner delivered an impassioned speech arguing that individual action can have a meaningful impact on policy decisions and urging students to make a personal commitment to public service. Ms. Browner served as Former Director of the White House Office of Energy and Climate Change Policy in the Obama Administration and former Administrator of the EPA in the Clinton Administration. She was introduced by her sister, Stephanie Browner, Dean of Eugene Lang College The New School for Liberal Arts. Capping the evening, Project Pericles Founder Eugene M. Lang presented the organization's highest award, the Periclean Service Award, to Richard Ekman, President of the Council of Independent Colleges, for his longstanding commitment to Project Pericles and civic engagement and his many valuable contributions to higher education. 2011 D4D Conference: Follow Up Winning teams from the 2011 D4D Legislative Hearing competition were Allegheny College, Carleton College, Hendrix College, Macalester College, and Swarthmore College. These teams are currently using their award to move their issues forward. Swarthmore's team is meeting with their congressional representatives and developing a program to improve financial literacy among lower income residents in neighboring communities. Carleton, last year's winning team, is working with local high school students to promote student centered school reform and other leadership development programs. "Because of the Carleton D4D award, my students, who have many experiences in youth programs and plans to become teachers, have begun to expand their horizons and to challenge educational policy at a systemic level. It's very exciting to see and be a part of this." - Adrienne Falcon, Carleton College's Project Pericles Program Director. Conference Conclusion On the last day students debated solutions to the federal budget deficit. Economist Jennifer C. Olmsted, Periclean Faculty Leader at Drew University, provided an overview of recent federal budget trends. Using a simulation developed by David Leonhardt of the New York Times, students formed breakout groups to solve the budget crisis. Garret Batten, Project Pericles Assistant Director, then led the groups in a discussion of the various approaches and solutions. The conference concluded with student participants visiting nonprofit organizations to learn about their work and possible careers in the nonprofit sector. Organizations visited included College and Community Fellowship, Community Voices Heard, Democracy Prep Public Schools, Harlem Educational Activities Fund, "I Have A Dream" Foundation - NY Metro Area, and Museum at Eldridge Street. "The trip to the nonprofit turned out to be the most valuable because I learned about issues and policy ideas that I had never thought of before." - Drew University Student Our thanks to the Eugene M. Lang Foundation and to our Periclean colleges and universities for funding this conference. To subscribe, email us at garret.batten@projectpericles.org. To submit Periclean-related information for publication, email us at garret.batten@projectpericles.org. Periclean Colleges & Universities Allegheny College * Bates College * Berea College * Bethune-Cookman University * Carleton College * Chatham University * Dillard University * Drew University * Earlham College * Elon University * Goucher College * Hampshire College * Hendrix College * Macalester College * Morehouse College *New England College * The New School * Occidental College * Pace University * Pitzer College * Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute * Rhodes College * St. Mary's College of Maryland * Spelman College * Swarthmore College * Ursinus College * Wagner College * Widener University * The College of Wooster National Office Executive Director: Jan R. Liss, jan.liss@projectpericles.org Board of Directors Chair: Eugene M. Lang Vice-Chair: Neil R. Grabois Presidents' Council Chair: Rebecca S. Chopp, Swarthmore College Vice-Chair: Richard Guarasci, Wagner College National Board of Advisors Co-Chairs: Sen. Nancy Kassebaum Baker & Hon. Kurt L. Schmoke The title "Project Pericles®" and its embodiment in the Logo are registered service marks of Project Pericles, Inc. All rights are reserved. The Periclean Progress E-Newsletter Fall 2011, Volume 8 Issue 1 National Office News:
Project Pericles at the American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) Project Pericles will present at the AAC&U Annual Meeting in Washington, DC. Our panel of Periclean Faculty Leaders will discuss "Developing Innovative Curricula to Prepare Students for Successful Lives of Global Civic Engagement." Panelists will focus on innovative pedagogical techniques and speak about the intercampus peer review process in which faculty share best practices and evaluate each other's work. Jan Liss, Executive Director, Project Pericles, will moderate and provide an overview of the Periclean Faculty Leadership (PFL) Program™.
The Periclean Faculty Leadership Program™ is funded by the Eugene M. Lang Foundation and The Teagle Foundation. Project Pericles to Host Reception at AAC&U The national office will host a reception for Pericleans on Thursday, January 26 from 5:45-7:00 PM. Please RSVP to Garret Batten (garret.batten@projectpericles.org) by January 17 if you are able to join us for this informal discussion about Project Pericles activities on our campuses. Periclean Presidents Convene at the Ford Foundation The Ford Foundation hosted the Presidents' Council's annual meeting on November 9, 2011. Jeannie Oakes, Director of the Foundation's Educational Opportunity and Scholarship Unit, welcomed the presidents and spoke about the need for systemic policy reforms designed to promote greater access and success in higher education for students from marginalized groups. Program Officer Douglas Wood joined the presidents for a luncheon discussion of the recent work of the Civic Learning and Democratic Engagement National Task Force. How to promote greater collaboration between Periclean institutions also received considerable attention. Program Directors Visit Hendrix College and Little Rock On November 2-4, Hendrix College hosted the Program Directors' annual meeting. The Program Directors expressed great interest in exploring new ways to increase partnerships and to sustain dialogue with each other between meetings. They elected to form committees for technology, assessment, and the D4D National Conference in order to continue the momentum generated by the meeting. After three days of discussion with their colleagues, participants reported leaving with new ideas and renewed energy for pursuing civic engagement work on their campuses. Featured Articles Swarthmore and Local Community Discuss Machine Politics in Delaware County By Ben Berger Sunday, October 30 marked the capstone event of my Periclean faculty leader tenure at Swarthmore College: a community-wide lecture and discussion about local political history, current political dilemmas, and possible political strategies. John Morrison McLarnon, Associate Professor of History at Millersville University (Lancaster County, PA) spoke about his book Ruling Suburbia: John J. McLure and the Republican Machine in Delaware County, PA. The event drew 120 people, overflowing the normal seating capacity of capacious Kohlberg Hall with one of the most diverse crowds I have seen on campus. Residents from many local communities, representing an extremely wide age range, joined Swarthmore students, faculty and staff for a fascinating lecture, discussion and testimonials. The crowd kept McLarnon long past his two hour commitment, and would have kept him late into the evening if not for his long drive home. For several years I have used McLarnon's research in my community-based learning course "Political Science 19: Democratic Theory and Practice." In that class students read normative theories about what democracy ought to entail and empirical scholarship about what contemporary American democracy actually does entail. We also engage with the local communities of Swarthmore and Chester, two neighboring towns with widely divergent fortunes, to understand more fully the ways in which economic and educational resources can affect citizens' experience of democracy. We read extensively about local history, we meet with the mayors and tour each community with local residents, and we undertake a variety of grass-roots projects that enable us to see how democracy works (or doesn't work) on the ground. Recent projects have included volunteer service with local political campaigns of the students' choosing, non-partisan voter registration drives, educational reform activism with local parents, internships with local government, and a Youth Court program in Chester high schools developed by local activist Gregg Volz. In my recent book Attention Deficit Democracy: the paradox of civic engagement, I discuss the role that higher education can play in promoting long-term habits of political engagement. If educators care about the ideals of fair and equitable political voice, we should partner with local communities fairly and equitably, with an emphasis on "doing with" rather than "doing for." When students work alongside local residents, as they do in my and many other Periclean community-based learning courses, they not only gain insights about social and political life, but also learn to listen to their fellow citizens and to practice the democratic virtue of cooperation. Educational and political ideals prosper together. Project Pericles and its member institutions espouse those same ideals. However, ideals require resources for enactment, and Project Pericles and its members have put their money where their mouths are. They have provided funds that Periclean faculty leaders can employ to develop pedagogical innovations and worthwhile campus-community collaborations. For two years, I have appreciated that investment and my students have reaped the benefits. On October 30, a packed room of concerned citizens from inside and outside Swarthmore College had reason to express their thanks as well. Ben Berger is Associate Professor of Political Science at Swarthmore College, Periclean Faculty Leader, and director of Swarthmore's Engaging Democracy Project. He recently published Attention Deficit Democracy: the paradox of civic engagement (Princeton University Press, 2011) and is co-authoring with Executive Director Jan R. Liss a White Paper on the Periclean Faculty Leadership Program™. Thoughts on my Periclean Faculty Leader Course By Seong-Jae Min If my Periclean course taught me one thing, it was that, given the proper tools, every student can become actively engaged in civic life. Teaching the course, "Thinking Through Democracy: Citizen Journalism and Deliberation," renewed my commitment to my students and to the democratic process. I designed the course to incorporate "citizen journalism," a new movement in which the public plays a much more active role in reporting the news. This combined with the active deliberation of public issues formed an important tool for empowering my students to think through the choices they face as citizens. Each student in the class took three key roles: citizen journalist, forum moderator, and discussant. Throughout the semester, the students reported on key issues in their school and communities. They then shared their news reports with each other by posting them on a citizen journalism website developed for the course. In addition, each student journalist presided over a class forum on his or her issue. For example, one student wrote a series of articles on campus safety and then presided over a deliberation forum on how we could work together to improve campus safety. The issues the students chose to cover were diverse and included social networking, gay rights, the education crisis, and mandatory community service. Reporting on campus and community issues that the students selected themselves generated a great deal of interest. As a result, the students enjoyed both gathering news and writing. They also appreciated the opportunity to express and share their opinions. Their newly acquired knowledge led to an increased interest in civic engagement with some students returning to volunteer in the communities they had reported on. During deliberations in the class, students engaged in dialogue to work through the difficulties inherent in any public issue. I asked students to take a community perspective on divisive issues and to think from other viewpoints. I was very pleased to hear the students' community-spirited comments about sharing the same future despite the differences among them. I was pleased by the degree of openness students displayed during the deliberations. The issues included controversial and emotional subjects such as abortion, domestic violence, hate crimes, racial prejudice, and religious freedom. As the semester progressed and their interpersonal relationships grew, even the shy students opened up. They were not afraid to talk about their inner feelings and even discussed their personal experiences, which required a great amount of courage and candidness. The process was not an easy one, but it was very rewarding. My primary goal for this course was to teach students that democracy is not just an abstract concept. Given the tenor of current political discourse, many young people are alienated from public life. The students in my Periclean course had the opportunity to participate in genuine deliberation about real issues. It is my hope that their new experiences and skills will help them become civically engaged leaders in their own communities. Seong-Jae Min is Assistant Professor of Communication Studies and Periclean Faculty Leader at Pace University. Debating for Democracy (D4D) on the Road™ Paves the Way to Social Activism at the College of Wooster By Libby Fackler, College of Wooster '13 Becoming effective political activists with the skills to bring about meaningful change in society was the focus of the recent D4D on the Road™ workshop hosted by The College of Wooster and its Center for Diversity and Global Engagement. Project Pericles sponsored the workshop, which was led by Mandara Meyers of The Center for Progressive Leadership. "The interaction among the participants was exciting," said Tom Tierney, the Program Director for Project Pericles at Wooster . "They maintained their enthusiasm throughout the day, and their evaluations of the program were overwhelmingly positive. They indicated that they learned how to effectively frame social and political issues in a manner that fosters democratic engagement among individuals of diverse backgrounds." Periclean students from Earlham College, along with graduate students from the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center and members of the Wooster community, joined undergraduates from The College of Wooster for the daylong event. In his opening remarks, Grant Cornwell, Wooster's President, said that it is part of the college's mission to develop leaders of character and influence in an interdependent global community. "In a democracy", he said, "influence is achieved through language - through talking and listening, through writing and reading." He urged participants to think of the workshop as a way to develop the tools for influence in a democracy, and added that these types of endeavors are at the heart of the College's commitment to "civic and social responsibility." In the session on effective communication, Meyers discussed the importance of storytelling. She made the point that it takes more than just feeding people information to get them to act. Instead, she emphasized that persuasive communication comes from an emotional level rather than an intellectual one. Other sessions focused on values-based leadership, meant to help students "distinguish between values and issues," and methods and tactics for making change. In the final session, participants addressed ways to set realistic goals and developed action plans to accomplish them. This article is excerpted from a piece that originally appeared on the College of Wooster website. Debating for Democracy (D4D)™ on the Road Workshops will be held on 12 Periclean campuses through February 2012. Please visit projectpericles.org to attend one in your area. These workshops are made possible by the generous support of The Henry Luce Foundation. Pericleans in the News New Book on Civic Engagement Features Widener Widener University's President James T. Harris, III, Co-Program Director Marcine Pickron-Davis, and other members of the Widener community contributed to a new book entitled: Civic Engagement and Service Learning in a Metropolitan University: Multiple Approaches and Perspectives, which examines the involvement of Widener faculty and students through service learning courses, internships, and other academic programs. The chapters include initiatives such as the Widener Partnership Charter School, Social Work Counseling Services, the Chester Community Physical Therapy Clinic, and the Widener Center for Violence Prevention to illustrate the university's role as an anchor institution in the city of Chester. The book serves as a case study of Widener's adoption, implementation, and assessment of its civic engagement efforts and its collaboration with Chester. Bates Students Take on Oral History Project Bates students enrolled in Dr. Mara Tieken's "Race, Cultural Pluralism, and Equality in American Education" are turning to oral history to better understand their town's current educational system. The students are partnering with Museum L/A to collect the oral histories of ten alumni of Lewiston's Catholic parish schools, first generation French Canadian or Irish immigrants. After interviewing the alumni, students will share these stories and honor the participants through a reception at the Museum. The oral histories, the first effort to collect narratives focused on Lewiston's schools, will play a critical role in helping Bates students understand Lewiston's political dynamics and its current educational system. Students will also have the opportunity to draw parallels between the experiences of these French Canadian and Irish immigrants and those of Lewiston's most recent immigrants-Somali and Somali Bantu families. Bethune-Cookman Students Contemplate Meaning of Democracy On November 23, 1939, Mary McLeod Bethune joined a panel of four speakers on the public affairs national radio program America's Town Meeting of the Air. Her speech answered the question, "What Does American Democracy Mean to Me?" This fall, Bethune-Cookman University Freshmen Seminar students will commemorate the 72nd anniversary of the important speech. The Leadership Communication students will participate in a discussion of civic engagement, the importance of voting, and the 2012 election process. Students will also write reflection pieces on Dr. Bethune's democracy speech and the meaning of democracy for them. Dr. Bethune's speech can be found at:www.americanradioworks.publicradio.org. Project Pericles Meetings and Workshops Debating for Democracy (D4D)™ National Conference March 22-23, 2012 Eugene Lang College The New School for Liberal Arts New York, New York The Debating for Democracy (D4D)™ National Conference will bring together student leaders from Periclean campuses for a series of workshops, keynote addresses, and panel discussions with leading figures in civic engagement. We will be joined by college presidents, faculty, and foundation, government, and community leaders. Project Pericles thanks The New School for hosting this conference. Upcoming 2011-2012 D4D on the Road™ Workshops Saturday, December 3 Bates College (with New England College) Lewiston, ME Saturday, January 21 Rhodes College (with Hendrix College) Memphis, TN Saturday, January 21 Widener University (with St. Mary's College of Maryland and Swarthmore College) Chester, PA Saturday, January 28 Macalester College (with Carleton College) St. Paul, MN Saturday, February 4 Occidental College (with Pitzer College) Los Angeles, CA Saturday, February 4 Spelman College (with Morehouse College) Atlanta, GA The Periclean Progress is issued during the academic year and is posted on the Project Pericles website. To subscribe, email us at garret.batten@projectpericles.org. To submit Periclean-related information for publication, email us atgarret.batten@projectpericles.org. Periclean Colleges & Universities Allegheny College * Bates College * Berea College * Bethune-Cookman University * Carleton College * Chatham University * Dillard University * Drew University * Earlham College * Elon University * Goucher College * Hampshire College * Hendrix College * Macalester College * Morehouse College *New England College * The New School * Occidental College * Pace University * Pitzer College * Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute * Rhodes College * St. Mary's College of Maryland * Spelman College * Swarthmore College * Ursinus College * Wagner College * Widener University * The College of Wooster National Office Executive Director: Jan R. Liss, jan.liss@projectpericles.org Board of Directors Chair: Eugene M. Lang Vice-Chair: Neil R. Grabois Presidents' Council Chair: Rebecca S. Chopp, Swarthmore College Vice-Chair: Richard Guarasci, Wagner College National Board of Advisors Co-Chairs: Sen. Nancy Kassebaum Baker & Hon. Kurt L. Schmoke The title "Project Pericles®" and its embodiment in the Logo are registered service marks of Project Pericles, Inc. All rights are reserved. The Periclean Progress E-Newsletter June 2011, Volume 7 Issue 5 National Office News
Each issue of the 2010-2011 Periclean Progress E-Newsletter features articles written by Periclean Faculty Leaders. In this issue, three Periclean Faculty Leaders (Marina Barnett from Widener University, Emily Kane from Bates College, and Maura MacNeil from New England College) provide brief updates on their work. The Periclean Faculty Leadership (PFL) Program ™ is supported by The Teagle Foundation and the Eugene M. Lang Foundation. Bates' Periclean Faculty Leader Organizes Community Talk: As part of its Harward Center for Community Partnerships' "Public Works in Progress" series, Bates College Periclean Faculty Leader Emily W. Kane recently organized a campus and community discussion on student perceptions of community-based research partners and the politics of knowledge. The presentation drew on an analysis of student journals from two seminars Dr. Kane teaches on "Public Sociology." Each seminar introduces students to competing perspectives on public sociology. Students engage in community-based research projects on social inequality in Lewiston, Maine. Dr. Kane explored the politics of knowledge in community-based research, asking how the students in her seminar viewed academic partners and community partners in the knowledge-making process. She addressed the extent to which students viewed knowledge as an academic "product" applied to or for community partners. This contrast was investigated in the context of readings and discussions that emphasized power in knowledge-making and ways in which the structures of higher education privilege formal scholarship. Dr. Kane said, "Where we choose to recognize opportunity and knowledge is not a statement of where opportunity and knowledge actually exist, but a reflection of more dominant and hegemonic values of society. I think that this is something that I have definitely taken away from this seminar... I realize (better) the difference that I can make in my own back yard alongside community partners through social change that depends precisely on the different types of knowledge that both community partners and I bring to the table due to our different experiences." Maura MacNeil and Inez McDermott at the Town Hall in Henniker, NH New England College Students Explore Town Meetings:Over the past year, ten students from New England Collegehave been exploring New Hampshire's signature form of local government, the town meeting, in a unique multi-disciplinary course titled, "Exploring Community in Our Towns: The New Hampshire Town Meeting." The course is taught by Maura MacNeil, Associate Professor of Writing and the Periclean Faculty Leader at New England College, and Inez McDermott, Associate Professor of Art History. The ten students presented their creative responses to their study of participatory democracy in an exhibition at the New England College Art Gallery on May 9. Work on view included photographs, drawings, paintings, manuscripts, plays, installations, and other mixed media works. Throughout the course, students have had an opportunity to interact with New Hampshire citizens on the concept of the town meeting, including Paul Wainwright, whose book of photographs, "A Space for Faith," explores New England Colonial meetinghouses, and Howard Mansfield, an author whose work examines New England traditions. Widener's Periclean Faculty Leader Delivers 2011 President's Lecture on Civic Engagement: Dr. Marina Barnett, the Periclean Faculty Leader at Widener University and Associate Professor in Widener's Center for Social Work Education, delivered the 2011 President's Lecture on April 11 titled "Taking it to the Street: Service Learning, Civic Engagement, and Community Based Participatory Research." Dr. Barnett borrowed the famous phrase "Takin' it to the Streets" from the Doobie Brothers as it aptly summarizes her incorporation of service learning into the curriculum. Her ability to engage students in research and projects beyond the limits of Widener's campus is what earned her the 2010 Fitz Dixon Award for Innovative Teaching and subsequently a spot at the President's Lecture podium. Dr. Barnett stressed that her students "work" to create a balanced assessment of a community: "We walk blocks in Chester to collect data. We walk the city to learn the city." She said that this type of research is what gets the students engaged with the community. "I want them to come back one day and comment on a new stadium or ask if Phatso's Bakery is still around." In her research, Dr. Barnettidentified that Chester, a city with more than 38,000 residents, has no supermarkets and only three places to buy fresh fruit and vegetables. With the help of Dr. Chad Freed, associate professor of environmental science, and his students, Dr. Barnett's class mapped the data they collected. Dr. Barnett hopes to continue this research endeavor with future classes to help bring the issue to light and hopefully initiate change in the city. Periclean News Periclean Colleges Name New Presidents: Bates College: Nancy J. Cable was recently named the Interim President of Bates College effective July 1, 2011 through June 30, 2012, after which she will return to her position as Vice President and Dean of Enrollment and External Affairs. Earlham College: John David Dawson is the new President of Earlham College. Dr. Dawson was most recently The Constance and Robert MacCrate Professor in Social Responsibility and Professor of Religion at Haverford College. Hampshire College: Jonathan Lash is the new President of Hampshire College. Mr. Lash has served since 1993 as president of World Resources Institute, an environmental think tank in Washington, D.C.. Ursinus College: Dr. Bobby Fong is the new President of Ursinus College. Prior to joining Ursinus, Dr. Fong, was the President of Butler University. Allegheny Students Lauded for Keen Business Sense: Allegheny College students showed off their business acumen at the Annual Gator Innovation Challenge held on the Meadville, PA campus on April 2. Eleven Allegheny teams competed for prizes totaling $1,750 submitting innovative business plans that included an aquaponics farm, a company that designs power strips, and a wellness center. Students Jordan El-Sabeh, Dan Johnson, and Elyse Schmitt won first place in the Gator Innovation Challenge for their plan for Unsoiled Agriculture, an aquaponics farm for growing lettuce and tilapia. The Gator Innovation Challenge is part of Alleghney's Managerial Economics Program, and was organized by economics faculty Chris Allison and John Golden. The panel of judges included three professors and two local businessmen. Swarthmore Students Travel to Washington, D.C. to Advocate for Pell Grants: Ten members of the Swarthmore College Democrats traveled to Washington, D.C.on May 2 to speak with Members of Congress and their staffs about the issue of federal funding for Pell Grants. " [The trip to D.C.] is something we've done in the past," Peter Gross '13, president of Swarthmore College Dems, said. "It's a great way to get experience in the political sector." In 2009-2010, almost eight million students nationwide received Pell Grants. Congress has voted to support the program through 2011. The Swarthmore College Dems want Congress to support the system in 2012 and many years into the future.The Dems chose to focus on this issue because it is relevant to many students at Swarthmore. Currently, about ten percent of Swarthmore students receive Pell Grants. The students met with Representative Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), a Swarthmore alumnus, and staff from Senator Carl Levin's (D-MI) office, also a Swarthmore alumnus, and Representative Rush Holt's office. Representative Holt was a Physics professor at Swarthmore. To prepare for the trip, the group researched the statistics behind Pell grants and developed a statement outlining how they believe Pell Grants are beneficial for the United States. Nick Allred '12, a Lang Scholar who attended the 2011 Debating for Democracy (D4D) National Conference, said, "We had been preparing for a month and it certainly helped: we knew what to say and our teams ran like well-oiled machines-except when derailed by gregarious staffers." This was the Dems' second trip to D.C. in three years to advocate an issue of importance to the Swarthmore community. This story was excerpted from a story that appeared in the Swarthmore Phoenix. Innovative Community-Based Learning Class at Drew: Drew University Political Science professor Patrick McGuinn has transformed his Public Policy and Administration course into a community-based learning class, joining colleagues in disciplines ranging from Chemistry to Theater in the largest single-semester offering of community-based learning classes in Drew's history. Dr. McGuinn's class introduces students to public policymaking and administration in America. It covers ideologies, values, and theories in public policy; the policymaking process; and public administration and bureaucracy. The students partnered with United Way of Northern New Jersey, researching and writing policy briefs on issues identified by that organization. Students gained an enhanced understanding of the policy challenges around housing, education, and anti-poverty issues as experienced by an organization attempting to address these needs in its community. Teams of students were assigned to each of the United Way's major issue areas: Income, Health, and Education. Each team wrote a report covering the background and political context of the issue; current policy landscape at the county, state, and federal levels; an organizational scan of public and private groups working on the issue; diagnosis of the policy problem; and possible policy alternatives. Students at Hendrix Survey Citizens on Freedom of Expression: Hendrix College students in Dr. Jay Barth's "Issues in Politics" course recently surveyed Arkansans on freedom of expression issues they discussed throughout the semester. Dr. Barth, M.E. and Ima Graves Peace Distinguished Professor of Politics and Chair of the Department of Politics and International Relations, is the Project Pericles Program Director at Hendrix College. "In addition to examining the theme through the lens of the major subfields of our discipline (e.g. comparative politics, American politics, International Relations, political theory, etc.), the course also has as a common element an introduction to the research methodology of our discipline through a couple of small research assignments," said Dr. Barth. Connor Thompson, a freshman from Little Rock, is a student in the class and worked on the polling process. "We spend much of our time in class addressing these issues in the context of Supreme Court cases, which means we tend to grapple with the ideas of an extremely select (yet incredibly influential) group of people," he said. "Working on this poll has allowed us to see how a variety of people around the state feel about controversial topics related to free expression ... Having a poll such as this gives us the opportunity to examine the opinions of a much broader spectrum of individuals." This story originally appeared on the Hendrix College website. Upcoming Conferences November 2-4, 2011 Hendrix College Conway, Arkansas Project Pericles Program Directors' Conference This conference is an opportunity for Periclean colleges and universities to share information about program development and activities, network with fellow Pericleans, discuss current and future opportunities for collaborations, and inject new insights and ideas for future initiatives. November 9, 2011 New York City, New York Project Pericles Presidents' Council Meeting At this annual meeting, Periclean Presidents will share their perspectives on the development, implementation, and support of Project Pericles on their campuses. The Presidents' Council Meeting will be hosted by the Ford Foundation. The Periclean Progress is issued during the academic year and is posted on the Project Pericles website. To subscribe, email us at projectpericles@projectpericles.org. To submit Periclean-related information for publication, email us atprojectpericles@projectpericles.org. Periclean Colleges & Universities Allegheny College * Bates College * Berea College * Bethune-Cookman University * Carleton College * Chatham University * Dillard University * Drew University * Earlham College * Elon University * Goucher College * Hampshire College * Hendrix College * Macalester College * Morehouse College *New England College * The New School * Occidental College * Pace University * Pitzer College * Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute * Rhodes College * St. Mary's College of Maryland * Spelman College * Swarthmore College * Ursinus College * Wagner College * Widener University * The College of Wooster National Office Executive Director: Jan R. Liss, jan.liss@projectpericles.org Board of Directors Chair: Eugene M. Lang Vice-Chair: Neil R. Grabois Presidents' Council Chair: Rebecca S. Chopp, Swarthmore College Vice-Chair: Richard Guarasci, Wagner College National Board of Advisors Co-Chairs: Sen. Nancy Kassebaum Baker & Hon. Kurt L. Schmoke The title "Project Pericles®" and its embodiment in the Logo are registered service marks of Project Pericles, Inc. All rights are reserved. |
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