I thought this was an interesting e-mail. Maybe our youth here in the South can lead the way in defining what real moral issues are. I do know that the instructors at this college gave thier students extra class credits if they voted Nov. 2nd and brought their "I VOTED" sticker back to class. Good motivation.
Here is the short version (below) of our invitation to take part in what I hope will become a campus-wide and community-wide discussion on issues of morality and ethics in America. The students in the College Democrats thought this would be a good idea for starting a dialogue on issues that affect them and on issues that are touched on in almost every class we teach (in one way or another). I have spoken with some other faculty and staff and we think that this can be a thread that we weave throughout course material and programs during the spring semester. Dr. xxxxxx and I are hoping to have a speaker for Earth Day that will discuss the moral and ethical obligations we face with environmental issues. Patsy xxxxxx has recommended a speaker on moral and ethical issues in health care.
Some faculty members have suggested a program on the ethics of an honesty policy and the need to discuss that with students. The list could go on, but I think you all can see how this offers us a broad range of issues to tie into for programs, classroom discussions, and workshops. If you are interested in working on this across-the-board program, let me know. If you have ideas for future programs and discussions, let me know. We are hoping to bring in some nationally recognized speakers in the spring to talk about this topic. Thanks.
The Invitation:
After the November 2 election, exit polling showed that 22 percent of voters said moral values was an issue that affected how they voted. That one issue has been in the news since the polls closed on Election Day. Now the question is how Americans define moral values. To begin a public dialogue on the topic, Dyersburg State Community College is hosting a panel discussion on Tuesday, November 30 at 7 p.m. on: "Defining Morality in America." The program will be held in the E.H. Lannom Jr. Gymnasium. The public is invited to attend and take part in this first of a series of panel discussions, public forums, and lectures on discussing moral values in our society. This first panel discussion is sponsored by the Dyersburg State Community College Democrats, a student organization. Members of the panel include Dr. Cynthia Hobson, professor of journalism at the University of Memphis, Bob Lhota, Dean of the DSCC Learning Resource Center, Bob Miller, Pastor of Tucker Street Church and Chief Chaplain of the Dyersburg Police Department, Reverend Jack Rogers, Rector of St. Mary's Episcopal Church in Dyersburg, and Tennessee State Representative Craig Fitzhugh,(D). Students and faculty at DSCC have compiled questions on the topic of morality which the panelists will discuss. Future programs on the schedule for Spring Semester 2005 will focus on issues of ethics and morality in health care, the environment, and the media.