The Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) will hold its annual meeting in New Orleans January 17-20, 2007. The meeting, THE REAL TEST: Liberal Education and Democracy's Big Questions is being held in New Orleans because "the society we are creating represents the real test—of our democratic aspirations, our educational effectiveness, and our core commitments." David Brooks noted, "Floods wash away the surface of society. . . . They expose the underlying power structures . . . and the unacknowledged inequalities." The AAC&U Board of Directors issued a statement last fall saying "New Orleans represents a valuable opportunity for the nation—and its colleges and universities—to reflect on the root issues that make many Americans especially vulnerable in times of catastrophe."
Project Pericles' Debating for Democracy initiative will be leading one workshop, titled: Mobilizing Students as Policy Advocates. The workshop will address questions such as, "How can college students contribute to the informed development of policy on local and national levels and reinvigorate participatory democracy?"
As of December 15, 2006 the following people at Periclean institutions will be attending:
Allegheny College
- Linda DeMeritt
Bates College
- Elaine Hansen
- Jake Nudel
- David Scobey
Berea College
- Stephanie Browner
- Steve Gowler
- Steve Pulsford
- Scott Steele
Elon Unversity
- Tom Arcaro
Hampshire College
- Ralph Hexter
- Karen Spear
- Steven Weisler
Hendrix College
- Robert Entzminger
- David Sutherland
Macalester College
- Cheryl Contant
New England College
- John Stevens
Occidental College
- Diana Akiyama
- Kenyon Chan
- Eric M. Frank
- Irene Girton
- Mickey McDonald
Project Pericles
- Jan Liss
Rhodes College
- Robert Strandburg
Spelman College
- Myra Burnett
- Johnnella Butler
Wagner College
- Julia Barchitta
- John Esser
- Richard Guarasci
- Walter Kaelber
- Jeffrey Kraus
- Devorah Lieberman
- Roy Mosher
- Alison Smith
- Jennifer Toth
- Lori Weintrob
Widener University
- Marcine Pickron-Davis
More about the conference is available on AAC&U's website.
