The
Presidential Colloquium
Since the 2002-2003 academic year, the Robert J. Rutland Center for Ethics has organized the university's annual Presidential Colloquium. Please visit the Rutland Center's website for more information about recent Presidential Colloquia.
The aim of the Presidential Colloquium is to provide opportunities for Clemson University students and faculty, as well as members of the community to come together to explore important issues. The colloquium comprises various events spread over the academic year, e.g., speakers, theatrical performances, panel discussions, and films. In every case the event is linked to the colloquium theme, which is selected with an eye to its integration “across the curriculum.”
From
the beginning, the theme of the colloquium has been a
central focus in English Composition classes. However,
the link to course work is not confined to English classes.
Faculty across campus are encouraged to make the most
of it in preparing syllabi for the upcoming academic year.
In 2001, for example, the theme was “Science and
Values: New Frontiers, Perennial Questions.” The
subject of human cloning, which was addressed by one of
the major speakers, was explored in many classes in the
life sciences, humanities, and social sciences. Students
who participated in the First Annual J.T. Barton Jr.,
Ethics Essay Scholarship Competition also explored [this
theme] (The competition is sponsored by the Rutland Center
for Ethics). Linking the colloquium and the ethics essay
competition turned out to be a very good thing. Accordingly,
we continue to link them.
[For
the 2004-05 academic year], Clemson initiated a summer
reading program for incoming freshmen. This program is
linked to the Presidential Colloquium. As a result of
this linkage, the first event of the colloquium is a talk
by the author of the book the freshmen have read over
the summer. Students [then] participate in small group
discussions after the talk. Volunteer faculty and staff
facilitate the discussions. Students submit the writing
assignment they completed over the summer in these small
group sessions. The talk and the discussion sessions take
place the day before classes begin.
--(From
the website
of Dan Wueste, Director, Robert J. Rutland Center
for Ethics, and one of the Colloquium Coordinators)
