The Periclean Progress E-Newsletter

Volume 3, Issue 4 – December 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.

Director's Welcome

Seasons Greetings!

As 2006 comes to a close, Project Pericles reflects on the tremendous accomplishments that have occurred in the past year including the hiring of a new National Office staff, the addition of two new schools - Bates College and Spelman College, our redesigned website, our first National Board of Advisors Meeting, and the launch of a new Project Pericles signature program, Debating for Democracy.

One of the exciting initiatives that we will be focusing on in 2007 is the development of a new Civic Engagement Course (CEC) program which will help facilitate the development of Civic Engagement courses on Periclean Campuses. The first CEC program, which ran from 2003-2005, resulted in the development of over 40 courses in a wide variety of disciplines.

Reflecting on the many accomplishments of 2006, I eagerly await 2007 as Project Pericles continues to deepen its mission.

Jan R. Liss, Executive Director

National Office Announcements

Upcoming Meetings:

The 2007 Council of Independent Colleges Presidents Institute: The Periclean Presidents' Council will be attending this year's meeting titled, "The Anticipatory Presidency and the 21st Century Campus" which will be held in Tucson, Arizona on January 4 - 7. Several Periclean Presidents will be among the presenters who will address a range of topics important to presidents as they anticipate the future of their institutions including strategic vision, fundraising, board relations, enrollment management, institutional planning, and educational programs. To help facilitate collaboration among the presidents,
Project Pericles will host a breakfast meeting for Periclean Presidents on January 6. We are pleased to announce that Eugene M. Lang will be the recipient of The 2006 Allen P. Splete Award for Outstanding Service and will be honored at the awards ceremony. The award, given to an individual, publication, or organization for significant contributions to independent higher education, recognizes national leadership through ideas and commitment, on behalf of private colleges and universities. For the complete program click here. For a list of Periclean Presidents attending, please visit our website.

Annual Meeting of The Association of American Colleges and Universities: This meeting titled, THE REAL TEST: Liberal Education and Democracy's Big Questions, will be held January 17-20, 2007 in New Orleans, Louisiana and will address the Katrina disaster in terms of how to effectively prepare students to be responsible citizens and leaders in times both of crisis and relative tranquility. Project Pericles' Debating for Democracy will present a session titled "Mobilizing Students as Policy Advocates" to address how college students can contribute to the informed development of policy on local and national levels and reinvigorate participatory democracy. For further information on the meeting, please visit their website.
For a current list of Periclean attendees click here.

Periclean Schools in Action

More from Student Choices Student Voices...

Elon University students create a forum for discussing political issues: Elon students Ian Hull '07 and Garrett Kachellek '07 established an online polling community to help facilitate the discussion of provocative issues, help individuals learn how to research and discuss election issues, and to get the campus involved in debating national issues. For more information or to participate in the polling process, visit Elon's
website.

Hendrix College honors World AIDS Day: Daniel Whelan, Assistant Professor of Politics at Hendrix College, led a Hendrix Forum discussion on AIDS and HIV testing on the eve of World AIDS Day, December 1. This year marked the 25th anniversary of the AIDS pandemic's visible presence in the United States. The Forum, sponsored by Hendrix College as part of their Project Pericles activities, introduces a new topic every week and provides an opportunity for students and the community to discuss significant issues of the day. The Forum was designed to encourage thoughtful and passionate, yet civil, discussion.

Swarthmore students work to promote Arab-Israeli dialogue on campus: Nate Allen '08 and Phillip Issa '09 established Speak for Peace, a student- run discussion group in an effort to promote dialogue on Swarthmore's campus about the Arab-Israeli conflict. The group, which holds weekly meetings, is working towards making people feel more comfortable with controversial dialogue through activities that encourage students to reflect upon their opinions. They recently sponsored two events, "Breaking the Silence," a lecture by a former Israeli Defense Forces sniper, and a lecture by an Israeli conscientious objector titled, "The Arab-Israeli Conflict: Building Bridges Between the Youth." The group has moved from merely discussing differing viewpoints to analyzing policy, and how their views are aligned with policy ideals. Louis Rosenberg '09 commented, "[After the meetings] I understood the perspectives of others and how they were informed. We've all developed mutual understandings, and we're becoming friends."

Wagner College sponsors Citizenship Workshop: "How to Become a Better Citizen:" In November, Beta Phi Beta and Project Pericles on Wagner's campus co-sponsored a workshop to help students become informed citizens. The students distributed pocket constitutions, registered people to vote, held a mock citizenship test and signed students up to participate in an online game called "fantasy congress." Similar to fantasy football, players join a league and choose 12 Congressmen and 4 Senators. Points are awarded to players depending on whether or not their league passes legislation. For more information on fantasy congress, please click here.

Wagner College co-sponsors a forum with the Staten Island Immigrants Council on immigration reform: In November, the Immigration Forum was held to explore issues surrounding immigration and policy. The Forum featured speaker Tamar Jacoby, a leading national expert on immigration policy and senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research. Ms. Jacoby focused on the contributions immigrants make to the United States, taking the position that immigrants work at jobs that many Americans do not want. She commented that many businesses depend on immigrants and that "immigrants create more jobs because without [immigrant labor in America] to fill lower-level positions, there would be no manager, chef, or maitre'd." Other speakers included Wagner College Project Pericles Program Director, Lori Weintrob, and a number of undocumented or formerly undocumented Polish and Mexican workers and youth.

Periclean Recognition

Eight Periclean Schools are selected for The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching's new Community Engagement Classification: Congratulations to Allegheny College, Bates College, Elon University, Pace University, Pitzer College, Rhodes College, Spelman College, and Widener University, for this outstanding recognition. Colleges and universities elected to participate in this process by submitting extensive documentation describing the nature and extent of their engagement with the community. This approach enabled the Foundation to analyze elements of institutional mission and uniqueness that are otherwise not represented in national data on colleges and universities. According to Alexander McCormick, who directs the Carnegie Classifications of Institutions of Higher Education project, "the Community Engagement Classification is an exciting move in Carnegie's work to extend and refine the classification of colleges and universities. It represents a significant affirmation of the importance of community engagement in the agenda of higher education." For a list of all the schools selected, visit their website.

Pitzer College's involvement in an education nonprofit organization helps it reach national recognition: Jumpstart, a national early education nonprofit organization, is among the 43 winners of the 2007 Fast Company/Monitor Group Social Capitalist Awards who are entrepreneurs who "change the world." Jumpstart has a very strong presence on Pitzer's campus and Karen Magoon, Jumpstart Program Site Manager, feels very fortunate to have had them as a resource since 2000. Ms. Magoon further commented, "the commitment of Pitzer's students to making a significant, lasting impact in their community has allowed the program to grow into new sites and has allowed Jumpstart to utilize a diverse student body." Jumpstart currently engages 3,100 college students at 64 sites in 19 states, reaching nearly 12,000 children.

Resources and Publications

Lumina Foundation for Education and the Association for the Study of Higher Education Announce Fellowship Program: The key objective of this initiative is to promote innovative scholarship by creating an intergenerational community of scholars who will examine social, institutional, and policy barriers to opportunity and student success. The grant will fund eight to ten dissertation fellowships a year for a three-year period. The deadline for applications is May 10, 2007. For more information, please click here.

Nominations are being accepted for the John W. Gardner Leadership Award: Presented by Independent Sector, the John W. Gardner Leadership Award is awarded each year to an individual working in the voluntary sector who has advanced the common good by building, mobilizing, and unifying people, institutions, or causes. The deadline for applications is January 31, 2007. For further information, visit their website.

Nonprofit Sector Research Fund Invites Applications for William Randolph Hearst Endowed Fellowship for Minority Students: The fellowship, offered three times annually, is open to both undergraduate and graduate students who are members of minority groups. The Hearst Fellow serves as an intern with the Nonprofit Sector Research Fund. Through this program, the fund seeks to introduce a diverse group of students to issues relating to philanthropy, volunteerism, and nonprofit organizations. The Summer 2007 internship deadline is March 15, 2007. For requirements and application information please click here.

 

The Periclean Progress is issued each month during the academic year and is posted on the Project Pericles website.
To subscribe or submit Periclean-related information for publication, email projectpericles@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

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.