The Periclean Progress E-Newsletter

Volume 2, Issue 9 -- April 2006

The Periclean Progress is a publication of Project Pericles, Inc., a not-for-profit organization that encourages and facilitates commitments by colleges and universities to include education for social responsibility and participatory citizenship as an essential part of their educational programs, in the classroom, on the campus, and in the community.

Project Pericles ® Announcements

Congratulations: Allegheny College's Center for Political Participation (CPP) has received a $150,000 grant to recruit and train student leaders at 30 community colleges to register 20,000 young voters in Ohio and Pennsylvania. CPP's project is part of a nationwide, nonpartisan effort to register 350,000 voters in 2006, coordinated by Young Voter Strategies and funded by a $3 million grant from The Pew Charitable Trusts. More.

Congratulations to Pace University for receiving the Hall of Fame Corporate Citizenship Award from the Business Council of Westchester in recognition of its numerous programs that extend beyond the classroom and produce public value. In accepting the honor, Dr. David A. Caputo, Pace's president, reaffirmed that the Periclean university's mission is "to be a full and positive member of the community." More.

Periclean Admission: How does a Periclean institution's commitment to civic engagement influence the decisions of prospective students? Swarthmore College Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid Jim Bock stated that social action groups such as Swat Sudan and War News Radio attract the attention of applicants and are frequently mentioned in "Why Swarthmore?" admission essays. Did your college or university's dedication to civic engagement play a role in your decision to apply and enroll there? Share your story with other Pericleans by emailing Heather Ohaneson at heather.ohaneson@projectpericles.org or by posting a message to our Forum.

Periclean Connections

Program Director: Allegheny College has appointed a new Project Pericles Program Director, Dr. Eric Pallant, professor of environmental science and Director of the college's Center for Economic and Environmental Development. He has replaced Dr. Daniel M. Shea in directing the college's Periclean Program. We thank Dr. Shea for his service. To welcome Dr. Pallant, whom many had the opportunity to meet at the Project Pericles Program Directors' Conference at Widener University last October, email him at epallant@allegheny.edu.

Administration: Rhodes College has named Dr. Charlotte G. Borst as its next Provost. Currently the Dean of Arts and Sciences at Union College in Schenectady, New York, Dr. Borst will join Rhodes in July.

Periclean Visits: Project Pericles Executive Director Jan R. Liss visited Wagner College on March 29. Organized by Wagner Project Pericles Program Director Dr. Lori Weintrob and Dean of Learning Communities Julia M. Barchitta, the day included meetings with students, President Richard Guarasci, Provost Devorah Lieberman, Wagner's Project Pericles Faculty Committee, and the multi-constituency Debating for Democracy planning committee. Ms. Liss also had lunch with faculty members, took a tour of the campus, and attended Professor Roberta Gold's civil rights class. The day's agenda highlighted the involvement of many constituencies -- trustees, administrators, staff, faculty, students, alumni, and community members -- in fulfilling Wagner's Periclean commitment to civic engagement on the campus, in the classroom, and in the community.

Advocates in Action

Periclean students at Elon University are using the production and premiere of their film, "Testing Positive," to advocate HIV testing. A collaborative effort of various campus groups and community agencies, the 30-minute film portrays the realities of being tested for HIV infection. The screenplay was adapted from a short story authored by Rebecca Doane, one of twenty-five Periclean Scholars in Elon's class of '06. Doane and the Periclean Scholars Class of 2006 are trying to help eliminate the stigma that is often associated with being tested. Net proceeds from the film's May 5 premiere will be donated to Alamance Cares, a local non-profit organization dedicated to educating, testing, and counseling people dealing with HIV/AIDS. To learn more about the students' advocacy efforts, click here.

Do you have examples of Periclean-initiated actions that address issues of local, national, or international concern? Email Heather Ohaneson at heather.ohaneson@projectpericles.org.

Notable Program Activities: Campus, Classroom, Community

Campus: Pitzer College first-year student Adam Forbes organized a fundraising event for the International Rescue Committee (IRC) that brought spoken word artist and activist Saul Williams to campus on April 8. The show generated over $5,000, all of which was donated to the IRC to support causes ranging from Hurricane Katrina and the Pakistan earthquake to the genocide in Darfur, Sudan. To read a Los Angeles Times article on Forbes' work and community service trends in higher education, click here.

With 150 people in attendance, Chatham College hosted Pennsylvania Governor Edward G. Rendell on April 5 as he and the Pennsylvania Commission for Women debuted "Legendary Ladies: A Guide to Places Women Made History in Pittsburgh." To learn more and to view a map of the Pittsburgh sites, visit the Commission's website.

As part of the inaugural series celebrating the launch of Macalester College's Institute for Global Citizenship, the Secretary-General of the United Nations and Macalester alumnus Kofi Annan '61 spoke on April 22. Other Institute activities will include an annual spring conference focusing on students' work in civic engagement, visiting scholars, new courses, and new opportunities for students to partner with community organizations. To learn more about the Institute, which promotes a combination of rigorous learning, innovative scholarship, and meaningful service that prepares students for lives as effective and ethical "global citizen-leaders," visit their website.

Project Pericles at Pace University is hosting its 2006 Global Citizenship Series in April and May. Events include the Sacred Lands Indigenous Film Series, a discussion with visiting French students on the recent riots in Paris, a panel on genetically modified foods, a panel on reproductive rights, and a weekend of lobbying and rallying as part of the Power to Protect: D.C. to Darfur weekend in Washington, D.C. to call attention to the genocide in Darfur.

The New School's first annual National Undergraduate Ethnicity and Race Conference was a success, drawing undergraduate participants from across the country, including a delegation from Macalester College. At the March 30 - April 1 conference held in conjunction with Columbia University, students presented their own academic research, took part in roundtable discussions, and interacted with noted plenary speakers, senior faculty members, local New York City activists, and other professionals working in community development. To be added to the mailing list for next year's conference, email Dr. Ferentz LaFargue, the New School professor who helped organize the event, at ethnicityrace@gmail.

Elon University welcomed its fifth Periclean-in-Residence to campus this month. Matjiua Kauapira, a third year student at the University of Namibia and a delegate to the Future Leaders Summit on HIV/AIDS in January, was brought to campus to share her expertise on issues surrounding HIV/AIDS in Namibia. On April 11, Kauapira met with North Carolina Congressional Representative Howard Coble to present the recommendations she and other delegates drew up at the Summit. Other Pericleans-in-Residence have included AIDS activists Dr. Lucy Steinitz and Philippe Talavera. To learn more about this program, contact Elon Project Pericles Program Director, Dr. Tom Arcaro at arcaro@elon.edu.

Classroom: Twenty-three courses developed under the Project Pericles Civic Engagement Course (CEC) Grant were taught during the 2004-2005 academic year. The CEC Grant was developed to encourage faculty members in all academic disciplines to create or revise courses that help students recognize the linkages of disciplines and course content to civic issues, provoke consideration of civic and social concerns, encourage constructive understanding of our democratic processes, and illuminate the opportunities these processes offer to address social problems and improve the condition of society. Reports of the courses (as required under the Grant) have been received, and a brief synopsis of each course has been posted on the Project Pericles website.

Twelve students from New England College are spending twelve weeks this semester in New Orleans for a study program designed to explore the rich history of the region, understand its current challenges, and provide assistance as the city rebuilds. Plans for the study semester, which were well underway when the hurricane struck, were made by Dr. Dennis Kalob, associate professor of sociology. To find out more, including information on NEC's partners in New Orleans, the Hope House and the Twomey Center for Peace Through Justice at Loyola University, contact Dr. Kalob at dkalob@nec.edu.

Widener University professors Dr. Marina Barnett (Center for Social Work Education), Dr. Barbara Ryan (Women))s Studies), and Ms. Sandy Miller (School of Business) -- and their students -- shared lessons from their experiences integrating political engagement in their coursework in an April 19 event sponsored by Widener's Project Pericles Political Engagement Committee and the Office for Community Engagement. The Service-Learning Faculty Fellows modeled the Periclean values of reflection and analytical thinking as they discussed creating and teaching courses that enhance students knowledge of citizenship and civic responsibility.

Community: Chatham College Project Pericles Program Director Dr. Allyson Lowe spoke on a panel that is part of a new initiative of the Pittsburgh Symphony to bring together music lovers and public affairs devotees. A four part series, "I am Woman" featured discussions before concerts on topics of importance to women in Pittsburgh. Dr. Lowe discussed the history and current status of women in the political life of Pittsburgh with City Councilwoman Twanda Carlisle on April 8.

Widener University professor Arlene Dowshen and Widener Project Pericles Program Director Dr. Marcine Pickron-Davis presented their paper "Academic Service-Learning Faculty Development Program: A New Endeavor at Widener University" at the Philadelphia Higher Education Network for Neighborhood Development Conference on February 25. Their presentation addressed the meaningful work Widener faculty members are doing in Chester, Pennsylvania. For more information, contact Dr. Pickron-Davis at mcpickron-davis@mail.widener.edu.

Hendrix College's first discussion in the Hendrix Forum, its weekly lunchtime series for campus and community members on current events facilitated by faculty experts, drew 75 people. English professor Dr. Alex Vernon led the March 23 conversation on the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq. Subsequent forums have included "The Border Battle: Are Immigrants an Economic and Cultural Threat or an Economic Necessity to the U.S.?," facilitated by assistant professor of anthropology Dr. Anne Goldberg, and "The Iranian Nuclear Program: Should We Be Concerned and How Should the US Respond?" led by Dr. Ian King, professor of politics. For more information on this program that exemplifies public scholarship and cultivates strong town/gown relations, email Hendrix Project Pericles Program Director Dr. Jay Barth at barth@hendrix.edu.

Pericleans from Dillard and Pace Universities connected in February when Dr. Alan Colon, a Dillard professor of education and African American studies, spoke about race, poverty, and urban development in his address "New Orleans in the Aftermath of Katrina" at Pace. Dr. Colon addressed Pace students and staff again in March as part of the school's alternative spring break in New Orleans. Rima Abdelkader, one of the students on the trip, published an article on the group's experience in The Southwest News Herald. To read the article, click here.

Innovative Initiatives

St. Mary's College of Maryland's Center for the Study of Democracy is developing the "Patuxent Summer Institute: The Future Roles of the U.S. Navy," a meeting of academics, military officers, government employees, and contractors to be held June 5-7. A joint initiative with the Patuxent Partnership (a network of industry, government, and academia), the Institute will delve into topics ranging from capabilities and missions to military procurement and organizational design. For more information on this new collaboration, visit the Patuxent Partnership's website, or contact St. Mary's College of Maryland's Project Pericles Co-Program Director Dr. Zach P. Messitte at zpmessitte@smcm.edu.

Grants and Resources

Scholarship Opportunities: Students may apply to be on the State Farm Youth Advisory Board to help to design and implement a $5 million/year service-learning initiative. Board members will receive a $5,000 scholarship. Applicants must be younger than 20. Deadline: April 28. More.

Educators may apply for continued education funding from the Horace Mann Educators Corporation. The 36 awards (ranging from $500 - $5,000) are open to college and university professors, among others. Deadline: May 16. More.

Grant Opportunities: Do Something will award grants to nine young social entrepreneurs who have taken action to strengthen their local communities in the areas of community building, health, or the environment. The three winners in the "19 to 25" category will receive $10,000 community grants. This is an award for social entrepreneurs, not activists or fundraisers. Deadline: October 25. More.

Non-profit organizations and schools are invited to apply for $1,000 - $3,000 grants from Target to support reading, art, and family violence prevention programs. Deadline: May 31. More.

Articles: Having undergone radical changes, the Carnegie Classifications now includes a voluntary category for institutions with strong "community engagement," which the Carnegie Foundation describes as "collaboration between institutions of higher education and their larger communities (local, regional/state, national, global) for the mutually beneficial exchange of knowledge and resources in a context of partnership and reciprocity." To read an article on the new category, click here.

Two recently released reports address how foundations can evaluate their impact on policy advocacy. The California Endowment's report, "The Challenge of Assessing Advocacy," and "The Path to Policy Change: Practical Steps and Lessons from Health Funders," released by Grantmakers in Health, are available here.

Twenty-two scholars have produced a report organized by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and CIRCLE that explores the civic effects of attending college and the benefits of various approaches to civic learning in higher education. Profound changes in the civic mission of universities since 1900 and obstacles to civic education are among the topics addressed by the report, which is available on CIRCLE's website.

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To submit Periclean-related information for publication, email Heather Ohaneson at heather.ohaneson@projectpericles.org.

"CLAIMING THE LEGACY OF PERICLES"®

Periclean Colleges & Universities
Allegheny College * Bates College * Berea College * Bethune-Cookman College *
Chatham College * Dillard University * Elon University * Hampshire College *
Hendrix College * Macalester College * New England College * The New School *
Occidental College * Pace University * Pitzer College * Rhodes College *
St. Mary's College of Maryland * Spelman College * Swarthmore College *
Ursinus College * Wagner College * Widener University

National Office
Executive Director: Jan R. Liss,
jan.liss@projectpericles.org

Board of Directors
Chair: Eugene M. Lang

Presidents' Council
Chair: David A. Caputo, Pace University

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 reserved.