2008 Woodie Awards
Learning outside the box
Incorporating social responsibility with education makes more considerate students, Musil says
By: Steve Kunkler
Issue date: 4/3/08 Section: Campus
There's a world beyond textbooks.
That was the main point of Caryn McTighe Musil's lecture in Olscamp yesterday titled, "Educating for Responsibility."
Musil, senior vice president in the Office of Diversity, Equity and Global Initiatives for the Association of American Colleges and Universities, gave a presentation saying that institutions of higher education need to focus more on teaching their students to move beyond the superficial trappings of the classroom and become responsible members of the world community.
Musil started off her speech by discussing the issue of global poverty. She took the time to display the distribution of the world's wealth, which showed the richest 20 percent of the world possessing 82.7 percent of the world's income.
From there, Musil launched into the two different ways knowledge can be applied to address problems such
as these.
The first way knowledge is applied, according to Musil, is with the idea of knowledge being neutral. That means knowledge stands alone and has no relationship to society and institutions.
But the second idea of knowledge goes against the first. Musil said the second formation of knowledge is deeply situated in history and imbued with values, which are the two competing components.
This formulation states students learn best when they are engaged in real world questions, which is the school of thought which Musil supports.
Musil added after the speech that there is room for a very interesting conversation between new and older college students because of this philosophical difference.
"I think campus professionals underestimate student interest and commitment to developing personal and social responsibility; it's time for a conversation about that," Musil said.
Audience members agreed with what Musil had to say, drawing parallels to everyday life.
According to Ellen Gorsevski, assistant professor in the school of communication studies, day to day jobs can give people tunnel vision.
"Today people have more material possessions than ever before, but people say they feel worse off than their parents and grandparents when they are actually better off materially," Gorsevski said.
Other audience members reflected on what can be done differently in their everyday situation.
Bettina Shuford, assistant vice president for student affairs and the director of the Center for Multicultural and Academic Initiatives, said she enjoyed hearing about what people can do to look at situations differently.
"It's looking at what we can do in terms of the curriculum and Co-curricular activities in how we can incorporate social responsibility," Shuford said.
That was the main point of Caryn McTighe Musil's lecture in Olscamp yesterday titled, "Educating for Responsibility."
Musil, senior vice president in the Office of Diversity, Equity and Global Initiatives for the Association of American Colleges and Universities, gave a presentation saying that institutions of higher education need to focus more on teaching their students to move beyond the superficial trappings of the classroom and become responsible members of the world community.
Musil started off her speech by discussing the issue of global poverty. She took the time to display the distribution of the world's wealth, which showed the richest 20 percent of the world possessing 82.7 percent of the world's income.
From there, Musil launched into the two different ways knowledge can be applied to address problems such
as these.
The first way knowledge is applied, according to Musil, is with the idea of knowledge being neutral. That means knowledge stands alone and has no relationship to society and institutions.
But the second idea of knowledge goes against the first. Musil said the second formation of knowledge is deeply situated in history and imbued with values, which are the two competing components.
This formulation states students learn best when they are engaged in real world questions, which is the school of thought which Musil supports.
Musil added after the speech that there is room for a very interesting conversation between new and older college students because of this philosophical difference.
"I think campus professionals underestimate student interest and commitment to developing personal and social responsibility; it's time for a conversation about that," Musil said.
Audience members agreed with what Musil had to say, drawing parallels to everyday life.
According to Ellen Gorsevski, assistant professor in the school of communication studies, day to day jobs can give people tunnel vision.
"Today people have more material possessions than ever before, but people say they feel worse off than their parents and grandparents when they are actually better off materially," Gorsevski said.
Other audience members reflected on what can be done differently in their everyday situation.
Bettina Shuford, assistant vice president for student affairs and the director of the Center for Multicultural and Academic Initiatives, said she enjoyed hearing about what people can do to look at situations differently.
"It's looking at what we can do in terms of the curriculum and Co-curricular activities in how we can incorporate social responsibility," Shuford said.
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