Liberal Education Institute Information

Dear Colleague:
 
The General Education Program is very pleased to invite you to participate in its fifth annual Liberal Education Institute. This year's Institute theme will be: “Liberal Education and Civic Engagement.” As in the past, the Institute sessions will be held on three consecutive Fridays. Each session lasts two hours, followed by a one-hour lunch. Please note the different starting and ending times for the first session. The sessions are designed to be interactive, engaging, and thought provoking. Institute participants are asked to read an article or two prior to each session. The first two sessions will begin with a featured speaker who will facilitate discussion. The third session will be led and facilitated by JMU faculty. Below you will find the details for each session.

Session I, May 9th: “Civic Engagement in Higher Education: Theory vs. Practice”
10:30-12:30, The Hiner Room, Memorial Hall 2110
Speaker: Dr. Barbara Jacoby.  
Barbara Jacoby is Senior Scholar for the Adele H. Stamp Student Union – Center for Campus Life at the University of Maryland, College Park. In this role, she facilitates initiatives involving academic partnerships, research, scholarship, and learning. Dr. Jacoby is also Chair of the University’s Coalition for Civic Engagement and Leadership. She is the author of Civic Engagement in Higher Education (forthcoming, Jossey-Bass), among other works.

Session II, May 16th: “Civic Engagement and the Liberal Arts Tradition”
10-12, The Hiner Room, Memorial Hall 2110
Speaker: Dr. Suzanne Morse.
Dr. Morse is President of the Pew Partnership for Civic Change in Charlottesville, Virginia. She is a frequent speaker on the topic of civic engagement and higher education and has been published widely in both trade and academic publications. Her latest book is Smart Communities: How Citizens and Local Leaders Can Build a Brighter Future. Before founding the Pew Partnership, she was at the Charles F. Kettering Foundation, and, before that, spent 10 years in higher education administration at several public and private institutions.
 
Session III, May 23rd: “Civic Engagement in the Classroom”
10-12 The Hiner Room, Memorial Hall 2110
Speakers: JMU Faculty Members
This session will be facilitated by a panel of JMU faculty members who have integrated a civic engagement dimension into their classes. They will briefly present their approaches to civic engagement, talk about what worked and what did not, and reflect on the lessons they have learned so far when it comes to civically engaging students. After the panel presentation, there will be a question-and-answer/discussion session.

Each LEI session is an independent, discrete meeting so we hope you will feel free to attend one, two, or all three as your schedule allows. There is no registration fee, but space is limited. To request a reservation for the session/s you plan to attend, please use the form (WORD) and send it to Lori Smilowitz by Friday April 25, via email at gened@jmu.edu or via campus mail c/o University Studies, MSC 1104.

Download Civic Engagement Resources [PDF]

We hope to see you there!