Friday, September 21: It's About More than Film

When I recently read the September 17^th issue of The New Yorker, I was struck by Anthony Lane’s review of David Sington’s documentary about Apollo astronauts, “In the Shadow of the Moon.”

Lane’s final sentence concludes: “. . . [M]aybe, however many movies we see, there’s something about the Apollo experience that should remain indescribable--drifting away from our imagination, as if out of radio contact, on the dark side of the moon.”

What a beautiful sentence--and an interesting starting point for considering the remarkable emphasis on film that’s taking place on our own campus this fall. The Global Film Series launched its season last week, and the Political Science Film Series begins tonight with “All the President’s Men.” We can look ahead in the campus calendar to find a series of Italian films and another of Postmodern Film Screenings.

Three of the four series promote films set in other countries, written in other languages, and directed by artists with imaginations nurtured in other corners of the globe. The Global Film Series, for instance, focuses this semester on African film, featuring works about Senegal, South Africa, Mali, Nigeria, and Mauritania. The languages in these films range from French and English to Wolof, Hassanya, Zulu, Bambara, Ibo and Yoruba. The stories span from re-workings of Biblical and Shakespearian narratives to engagements with the harsh details of 20^th century apartheid or the contemporary lives of ordinary Nigerians.

For most of us, nearly all these languages are “out of radio contact,” and for many of our students, these places might as well be the “dark side of the moon.” Certainly, a film series cannot be expected to illuminate all the complexities of these cultures, but it’s a beginning. The Italian films on tap this semester likewise invite students to explore both a culture and a culture’s perspectives on ideas, issues, and known events: soldiering, World War I, the nature of friendship, the Holocaust. All these places, people, and events are to some extent “indescribable--drifting away from our imagination[s],” yet the language of film and film’s visual economies have a way of anchoring the unfamiliar.

With films from America, Spain, and Mexico--set in such contexts as the far past of Sparta, the modern past of the Spanish Civil War, the recent past of “Father Knows Best,” and the near future of 2027--the Postmodern Film Series suggests that film can translate (indeed, can upend) familiar narrative conventions, leaving us somewhat lost in space and time. Instead of anchoring us, they deliberately set us adrift with our imaginations to chart a course. Since we’re in the business of fostering imaginations, this dislocation and disorientation should be encouraged.

Finally, the Political Science Film Series includes a number of well-known films that explicitly raise questions about politics, policy, and social issues. But these films--all of which challenge students to think about 20^th-century issues such as Watergate, the Cold War, race relations--also challenge another assumption: that the only thing to do on Friday nights is to “party.”

Coordinated by faculty members and involving faculty-led introductions, screenings, and discussions, all these film series model for students the kinds of engaged lives adults can lead--lives where watching movies and talking about them, reading books and discussing them, learning languages and using them, reading newspapers and arguing about them, exploring other cultures and struggling with how they are always still “drifting away from our imaginations” are all part of being an educated person (even on Friday nights). So I thank the faculty members who have put so much energy into this semester’s film offerings: Scott Cohen (Global Film Series), George Piggford, C.S. C. (Postmodern Film Series), Antonio Barbagallo (Italian Film Series), and the Political Science Faculty (Political Science Film Series--with Richard Finnegan, Celeste Lay, and Jim Millikan leading the discussions this semester).

As I mentioned last week, the Martin Institute--in collaboration with the Honors Program--kicked off its programming this year with a film: Eugene Jarecki’s documentary, “Why We Fight.” Jared Green’s erudite introduction to that film set a standard for how faculty can welcome students into critical engagement with such texts.

In spite of the fact that film series such as these are one feature of how we are dramatically increasing the focus on global and political issues and on intercultural understanding in our curriculum and co-curriculum--and in spite of the increasing percentage of our student body who are abroad in short-term, semester-long, and year-long programs--our students report relatively low levels of satisfaction (on surveys of student engagement such as NSSE and the senior Exit Survey) with their own understanding of international issues, their “understanding and appreciating cultural and ethnic differences,” their appreciation for their rights and responsibilities as citizens, and their opportunities to have serious conversations with students and faculty of different religious beliefs, political opinions, personal values, and social, racial or ethnic backgrounds.

So, as we work together across the College to address the diversity of the student body and of the faculty and staff, I encourage you to encourage your students to take advantage of these campus opportunities for developing their intercultural understanding, for expanding their capacity as citizens, for participating in frank discussions, and for expressing differences of opinion. At the risk of losing the Apollo metaphor altogether, it’s not “rocket science” that the world of work and further study they will enter expects them to be prepared for, open to, and engaged with such complexities.

Best regards,
Katie

Friday, September 14: A Week that Affirmed Community

As we arrive at Friday, I find myself thinking about two events of the past week that I believe herald the kind of community we continually create together.

The first was the overwhelming response of the entire College community to the Easton gas explosion that seriously affected six of our off-campus students. While behind the scenes we were trying to verify information, so many people stepped in to provide clear and accurate communications and to determine the actions that needed to be taken. We had timely updates posted on the web; creative residence solutions for offering the students on-campus housing; generous donations of College funds for clothing, food, and necessities; relocation of computers to the residences; and a swift gathering of books and materials to prepare the students for as smooth a transition back to the classroom as they can manage. In talking with friends and colleagues from other institutions, I’m discovering that what’s “normal” at Stonehill would not necessarily be the course of action elsewhere.

But I was also struck by the large and small gestures of generosity that came from so many of you. More than one faculty member offered to house students if they needed temporary or longer residence. Calls poured in to inquire about a campus fundraiser for those affected. And late yesterday, I was on the phone with the Residence Director at Notre Dame du Lac to ask if he could open the door for a faculty member who had baked brownies for the students! Thanks to all of you for nurturing and sustaining this kind of community response. It makes me, for one, want to get up and go to work in the morning.

Also inspiring as a community-building occasion was the first event in the “re-founding” year of the Martin Institute for Law and Society. As I mentioned in my letter last week, many college students expect to attend campus events, and many at colleges an universities around the country report that they have not been encouraged to do so. Well, the 300+ students, faculty and others at the screening of Eugene Jarecki’s Why We Fight entered into lively conversation with the director and each other after watching the 90-minute film. This event, which kicked off a year dedicated to the theme of “War” in the Martin Institute, was just one of many examples of the kind of meaningful co-curricular programming Stonehill has become so good at. The Martin Institute has long been a place where such programming occurs, but under the leadership of Prof. Peter Ubertaccio, some new directions will also be pursued.

As many of you will remember, for the last two years, significant attention has been given to the mission and focus of the Martin Institute. Led by former Trustee Paul Kirk, a past Chairman of the Democratic National Committee and current Chairman of the Board of the John F. Kennedy Library, the Martin Institute Task Force (2005-06) and the Martin Institute Steering Committee (2006-07) created a new “Mission and Philosophy” to guide the Institute and to provide a mandate to its director. Emphasizing a dual focus on public policy and social justice, the Martin Institute philosophy states that:

“The Institute advances the mission of Stonehill College by critically exploring the concepts of ‘law’ and ‘society’ through a focus on public policy and social justice. Public policy encompasses local, state, national and international constituencies, and is concerned with all of the engagements people have with public life. It crosses the boundaries of an exclusively disciplinary focus and involves theories and data from every discipline and examines the initiation of policy through its development, execution and evaluation. Social justice takes as its starting point that ‘every citizen…has the responsibility to work to secure justice and human rights through an organized social response…The guaranteeing of basic justice for all is not an optional expression of largesse but an inescapable duty for the whole of society.’ (Economic Justice for All, No. 120) It includes empirical study and applied analysis of political structures, policies and practices, civil society, culture, and events that occur outside of the dominant political and social structure.”

Working with a faculty steering committee, Peter Ubertaccio has developed bold plans for this year that include ongoing co-curricular activities around the “War” theme, student and faculty research grants, the week-long visit of our first Woodrow Wilson Fellow, and two academic conferences (one called “The State of New England: People, Politics, and Policies” and the other “The Music of War: An Interdisciplinary Conference”). I encourage you to visit the Martin Institute website for more information. I’m sure Peter would appreciate any feedback or any ideas for the future.

The Martin Steering Committee will announce its first two-year theme in November, at which point all faculty will be invited into the most ambitious of the goals for the Institute: to develop curriculum that links to the overarching theme: first-year seminars, sophomore learning communities, ideas for interdisciplinary concentrations--these will all be encouraged.

Both retrospectively and prospectively, I want to thank all of you for your ongoing efforts to make this a community that cares about people and cares about ideas--as was so evident in your level of engagement with both these events this week.

Best regards,
Katie

Friday, September 7: Reflections on Another Great Week

Last week I wrote to thank all of you for a great start to the academic year.

I’d like to continue my reflections on some of the collaborative work that is contributing to an enhanced first-year experience for our newest students and an enriched overall experience for our college community.

For years, we have talked as a community about how to respond to long-standing research showing that students develop their college work patterns in the first few weeks of their academic careers. More recent research shows an even more challenging picture: that first-year students at colleges and universities of all types come to college with higher expectations for challenge than are met by their experience.

A recent analysis of the results of the NSSE (National Survey of Student Engagement)--correlated with results from the newer BCSSE (Beginning College Survey of Student Engagement)--reveals that “three fifths [of American college students] expected to spend more than fifteen hours a week studying, but only two fifths did so” (Peer Review, Winter 2007).

Other areas of concern: 32% of entering students spent no time in co-curricular activities. Four fifths “expected their institution to emphasize academics to a substantial degree and expected to attend campus events and interact with students from different backgrounds” but these expectations were not fulfilled. If you are interested in learning more about student expectations and experiences, the full text of this sobering article, based on substantial data, can be found at: http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa4115/is_200701/ai_n19198110

As many of you know, this year we undertook several new initiatives, recommended by our own First-Year Experience Task Force, to improve the experience of new students. Early reports from students, while anecdotal, suggest that they are more than just satisfied with Stonehill’s focus on their transition. They describe excellent meetings with faculty advisors and the importance of making a connection with that advisor in the early days of their experience. Students also recount how the extended first-year orientation has resulted in tight bonds of friendship that are sustaining many of them in this new environment.

In addition, we know that early interventions by faculty advisors--or the upper-division student mentors assigned to advising groups--have helped students with difficult social adjustments. So I want to recognize and thank the 60+ members of the faculty and administration who have spent so much time in these early weeks of the semester ensuring that our first-year students make a successful adjustment and that they maintain high expectations for their learning; I have listed their names at the end of this post.

I also can’t overemphasize the importance of the peer mentors to the success of these new endeavors. We know that an essential part of building an intellectual culture on campus involves not just faculty work, but students inspiring each other. This year we eliminated the “Cultural Encounters” course that attempted--with mixed success--to involve students in co-curricular activities and to introduce them to an array of college resources. The student mentors have stepped in to assist new students with finding these resources--and they have even taken on other important roles, such as gathering their advising groups to conduct discussions of the first-year summer reading assignment.

I think we send a great message to incoming students when they see that older students at Stonehill expect to discuss books, ideas, and issues outside the classroom environment. I know the first-year faculty advisors will thank these students for the leadership they have shown in these and other areas.

I would be remiss if I did not take this opportunity to mention the event that dominated this past week: Ishmael Beah’s compelling talk on Wednesday evening. Just seeing 1200 people stream into the Sports Complex was enough to make my heart leap up. But I was not prepared for rapt attention and the overwhelming reaction of everyone present to this 26-year-old man’s reflections on his experiences and on the value of a liberal education.

He reminded students that they have the privilege of attending the kind of college that offers faculty-student interactions that are powerful and sustaining. He reminded them that they have a responsibility to use that education to engage in greater global understanding and to create social change. He told them never to think that they are too young to have ideas or plans that are truly significant.

Our students asked insightful and sensitive questions, and not one of them was a “plant.” After two standing ovations, at least half the crowd lined up to have Beah sign books--and the last in line waited an hour and a half to meet the author. The whole atmosphere was charged: many students were overheard talking about how exciting it was to have the author of a book--a book they read and loved--speak directly to them. Many thanks to Lori Hagerty and Joe Favazza and to Jen Hodgdon of the Advancement Division for making arrangements that were gracious, warm, and welcoming.

These and other campus initiatives to enhance student experience are ultimately enriching for all of us. Thank you for your role in this enrichment and for the seriousness of purpose with which you approach our common work. I look forward to working with you as we continue these efforts.

Best regards,
Katie

Stonehill College First Year Advisors 2007-2008: Craig Almeida, Karen Anderson, Rick Anderson, Sheila Barry, Peter Beisheim, George Branigan, Rob Carver, Jim Chichetto, CSC, Scott Cohen, Maria Curtin, Roger Denome, Richard Dufault, Bob Dugan, Joe Favazza, Richard Gariepy, John Golden, Sarah Gracombe, Dick Grant, Marilena Hall, Glen Ilaqua, Chris Ives, Keri Iyall-Smith, Kathleen Joint, Bonnie Klentz, John Lanci, Geoff Lantos, Shelley Leahy, Jim Lee, Mary Joan Leith, Louis Liotta, Greg Maniero, Jose-Luis Martinez, Anne Mattina, George McCabe, Kathy McNamara, Sue Mooney, Akira Motomura, Cristina Muise, Jane Nash, Bob Peabody, Magda Pederson, George Piggford, Steve Pinzari , Chris Poirier, Virginia Polanski, Sharon Ramos-Goyette, Debbie Salvucci, Shane Savage-Rumbaugh, Erika Schluntz, Cheryl Schnitzer, Allyson Sheckler, Karen Talentino, Leon Tilley, Mike Tirrell, Erica Tucker, Marie Turner, Maura Tyrrell, Peter Ubertaccio, Gerrit Van Nederpelt, Ed Vaughn, Joe Velasquez, Alex Vesey, Peter Wallace, Tom Whelan

photo credit: Nicki Pardo

Friday, August 31: Opening Week

As we end this first week of the academic year, we want to take a moment to thank all of you for starting this academic year with such energy and enthusiasm! This week--which involved new meetings with students and colleagues on Monday and Tuesday--revealed how your spirit of engagement and collaboration communicates volumes to students about Stonehill’s expectations for academic challenge.

The week included some real highlights. First, the new Orientation program has garnered much positive feedback from students and faculty members. Everyone seems to agree that taking time to meet with first year advisees and as a department with majors had many benefits. First-year students met their faculty advisor and had an introduction to a possible major or to the choices open to undeclared students. Returning students have indicated that it was motivating to talk about plans for the year with their major department. We are certain that the program can improve for next year, but the practice of taking time before classes begin for planning with our students for the challenges of the academic year seems to have landed. Special kudos to Dick Grant and the Academic Services Office and John Pestana and the Registrar’s Office, for all their work to pull this off.

Many of you also know that we moved the annual Senior Transitions Conference from January to August. The turn-out was splendid, and Heather Heerman deserves special commendations for planning and executing this event. Seniors heard from the President, a Young Alumni Panel, and from speakers who focused on the job search or on graduate school application.

Perhaps most important was that you set a clear tone and expectation of academic rigor and intellectual curiosity. Given the academic profile of our incoming (and returning) students, it is important that our courses challenge our students. As first-year advisors can attest, new students have indicated on their “First-Year Advising Surveys” that they expect college to stretch them in new ways, and they anticipate a rigorous workload. So we encourage faculty to take one last look at their syllabi and to reflect on what they are asking of students.

You may also want to take a little time to review the “Strengthen the Impact” Co-curricular Calendar. Once again we have an impressive array of lectures, film series and other programs that truly augment the curriculum. We have attached the latest draft of the co-curricular calendar. Highlights include:

• Ishmael Beah, author of A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier (September 5^th);
• Suzan-Lori Parks, Pulitzer-prize-winning playwright and novelist (and 2007 guest in the Chet Raymo Literary Series (October 1^st);
• Eugene Jarecki, award-winning director of "Why We Fight" (September 10^th);
• Eric Foner, Distinguished Professor of History at Columbia University (October 25th);
• Robert Art, Distinguished Professor of International Relations at Brandeis University (October 25^th).

In response to past feedback from faculty, the Mass of the Holy Spirit and Convocation took place the day before classes started. Attendance at the Mass was disappointing, and we want to encourage better participation in the future. But it was impressive to see the large number of faculty members at Academic Convocation. Together we sent a clear message to students--and to each other--that we are community of scholars committed to the academic mission of the College. Approximately 95% of the first year class and 90% of the senior class were present.

Finally, we have a large number of new full-time faculty members this semester, and we encourage you to introduce yourself to them, and to offer your support for their transition at Stonehill. Next week, the Office of Media Relations will be sending out an announcement with new faculty bios, complete with photographs, so please be on the lookout for that!

Again, we simply want to end the week with a message of gratitude for all the good work that has made for a wonderful start to 2007-08. Thank you again.

Best regards,
Katie