The eighth and final session of the “Campus Conversations” series focused on the place of language and cultural studies at Dartmouth, and series organizers said they are seeking comments on launching another round of “Conversations” for the fall term.
Lynn Higgins, associate dean of faculty for international and interdisciplinary studies, and Lindsay Whaley, interim vice provost and associate provost for international initiatives, co-hosted the two campus meetings on “Global Learning Experiences,” held at noon in the Hood Museum of the Art auditorium and at 6:30 p.m. in the Fahey Hall ground floor lounge.
Higgins invited attendees to consider the role international experience plays in a Dartmouth education and how language and cultural studies might be integrated into the curriculum of students across a range of disciplines, and not just the course work of language majors or minors.
Whaley said the current language requirement is based on classroom competency. The question, he said, is whether Dartmouth should think about language, cultural studies, and study abroad as “experiential learning opportunities” that have intrinsic value as part of a liberal arts curriculum. This approach goes beyond “checking the box” for foreign language classes, he said.
Read More:
In addition, the College announced two new Foreign Study Programs, based in Ghana and South Africa.
The noontime session was live-streamed over the Dartmouth YouTube Channel and has been archived on the Office of the President web page, along with all the other discussions in the series.
Under the banner of “Moving Dartmouth Forward,” “Campus Conversations” was a series of public meetings designed to give community members an opportunity to discuss and contribute to the initiatives President Phil Hanlon ’77 announced last fall. The meetings were sponsored by the Office of the President and open to all students, faculty, staff, and alumni.
The series was initiated by President Hanlon in February, and among the topics discussed over the spring term were “The D Plan,” “Digital Learning,” “Addressing Sexual Assault,” and “Arts and Innovation.” A complete list of topics as well as web videos of each event is available on the Office of the President website. Community members have also continued the conversations through the Improve Dartmouth website.
Nariah Broadus, director of outreach and project development in the Office of the President, said organizers are inviting the Dartmouth community to share ideas on how to improve the format of the series, and for thoughts on a new round of discussions in the fall term as part of the “Moving Dartmouth Forward” initiative.
