Liberal Arts Voices

Read the perspectives of our current students

Dialogue on the Freeh Report

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313/365: Old Main by cplong11
313/365: Old Main, a photo by cplong11 on Flickr.

LAUSDeanLong: It is a real honor, Kasey, to continue our tradition of dialogues between the LAUS Dean and the President of the LAUC with you today. The dialogues are intended to open a space of mature and honest communication with students in which we can address issues of central concern to the College and the University. There is, of course, no more pressing issue of concern today than the recent release of the Freeh Report. 

The report outlines the failures of senior leaders in the university to act on behalf of the safety and welfare of child victims of a sexual predator, and of a university culture of deference to authority that prevented reports of crimes to flow to proper authorities (14, 127ff). It designates the transformation of this culture as the most challenging task facing the Penn State community (18). 
As a member of the faculty, an administrator, a husband and a father, I want very much to contribute to the transformation that we need to accomplish together, but I must admit, I feel tremendously saddened, disappointed and even disheartened as I read through this report. I wonder about the students; how are you feeling? 
KaseyOKeefe: I would say the vast majority of students share that disappointment and sadness you mentioned, Dean Long. We came to Penn State trusting those in power, and expecting them to live up to the upstanding reputation that we were proud to become a part of. We felt let down in November, when it felt like the rug was being pulled out from under us, and I believe that feeling returned today, reading a summary of everything that went wrong over the course of many years. Further, as young adults and simply as human beings, it is extremely upsetting to see people we respected put children’s lives in jeopardy for the sake of careers and reputations.  
Along with these uneasy feelings, however, comes a strong sense of unity and promise of hope for the future of Penn State. Many students have been tweeting or posting on Facebook all day the reasons why they are proud to be Penn Staters, and they have been urging others not to blame the whole University for the actions of few. Additionally, as you mentioned, the report calls for a transformation, and students are also looking forward to being involved in that process. A group of student leaders released a statement this morning, which assured us that they “will do the best [they] can to ensure that our institution diligently reviews and considers the recommendations laid out in the Freeh report.” I believe we students ultimately expect to see these changes made by our administration, want to continue placing the victims and their well-being as a priority, and look forward to carrying ourselves in ways that will restore and reinforce Penn State’s good name. 
LAUSDeanLong: Throughout this process, Kasey, I have been impressed by the thoughtful manner in which most Penn State students, and particularly our students in the College of the Liberal Arts, have responded to the crisis. We will need your best talents as students of ethics and psychology, of political science and sociology, of history and communication, to navigate a way to the “values- and ethics-centered community” of which the Freeh report speaks (129). Can we think together here, and perhaps ask students to think with us in the comments below, about what we can do in concrete terms to create a culture of accountability and ethical decision making? 
KaseyOKeefe: I think the main way that we can help create this culture is ongoing communication and discussion among all members of the Penn State community. Since November, Penn State students, faculty, and alumni have begun asking more questions and actively seeking out information of our decision making bodies. I believe the way we encourage accountability and ethical decision making is to continue these actions, such as following the Board of Trustees meetings and not letting them slip to the back of our minds again. We should also continue to push for student voices to be heard among administrators, allowing these meetings to have a mix of perspectives and opinions. Finally, we can promote open and constructive discussions among students and faculty. For example, these LAUS blog posts can provide a platform for non-threatening dialogue between students, faculty and administrators in the College of the Liberal Arts. I would like to encourage anyone to comment below and add to this discussion with your thoughts and suggestions about the topic. 
LAUSDeanLong: The voices of students will be critical to our ability to move toward a more open and self-critical community. In that spirit, let’s open our discussion to others and invite comments and reflections below about how we can best cultivate a renewed culture of accountability at Penn State.

Dialogue on Penn State Crisis

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vigil_9113 by pennstatelive
vigil_9113, a photo by pennstatelive on Flickr.

LAUSDeanLong: Lauren, we have been talking in person over the last week or so about how to respond to the crisis at Penn State in the wake of the grand jury indictments in the Sandusky case. I have admired your leadership with students in trying to keep the focus on the more important elements of this experience: first, the abused children, then the question of an institutional culture and character that seems to have allowed abuse to continue. How are students processing all of this?

Lauren Perrotti (Liberal Arts Undergraduate Council President): Thank you for your compliment. After the news broke (and continued to break daily) about the Sandusky case, students have been facing a multitude of emotions. It is difficult to process all the major issues surrounding the case. First and foremost, it is the case itself, the horrific allegations, and the sadness we feel for the victims. Then there is the firing of a beloved figure, the responses of the administration, the swift acts of the Board of Trustees, the incessant media presence, and the lack of communication from the University to the students. As students, we are trying to comprehend everything, but it is difficult.

The recent email from you reached out to students, yet treated us as adults. Do you foresee more communication between administration and students as this long process continues?

LAUSDeanLong: When I wrote that email, I tried to think about what I would want to hear as a student … then I checked with you. Thank you for looking it over.

Students have a lot of resources to bring to bear on this situation, and administrators and faculty have much to learn from how you are processing the diversity of emotions on the multiple levels you mention. Perhaps the sort of public, honest, mature and open exchange we are having here, and have had in the past, can be a model for ongoing student/administrative communication.

We have both tried to think about what a just and ethical response to all of this might look like. Certainly, it will require us not to lose sight of the crimes at the root of it, nor to forget the victims of those crimes who continue to suffer. But it will also require that we take up the question of institutional ethics in earnest, and not in name only.

What sorts of responses to this would you consider just and ethical?

LaurenPerrotti: I think that the best way to frame a just and ethical response is by promoting truth and respect. Over the course of the past week, we’ve felt in the dark and unclear about what is going on. I think that as you mentioned, these types of transparent dialogues are necessary. It is not us and them, but rather We Are all part of a community coming together as one.

It is important to treat this situation with the complexity it deserves. Thoughtful responses to the current situation include the Friday’s vigil on Old Main lawn, the response of everyone at Beaver Stadium on Saturday, and the choice of the THON 2012 logo. Even the Liberal Arts Undergraduate Council (LAUC) called a meeting on Thursday to openly discuss the events surrounding Penn State and to reflect on how we are feeling.

The more we communicate and deliberate together, the more we can reach just and ethical conclusions. How are other students, faculty and staff within the Liberal Arts and Penn State community responding to this crisis? What just and ethical responses would promote truth and respect?

Crisis in the Liberal Arts: Focusing on the Benefits

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By now you have deduced that this series of posts tackles the welfare of the liberal arts from many different perspectives. Rob Turchick introduced the conversation discussing the worthiness of the liberal arts – indeed, all of higher education – in today’s society. Sam Loewner followed by broaching the subject of value associated with education. Today, I continue down our tendentious path of discussion, focusing on the great benefit the liberal arts adds to every sector of the professional marketplace. I hope to provoke some thought on how liberal arts advocates can enhance their promotion of the skills graduates acquire in the liberal arts. Ambitious, I know.

Liberal arts graduates are certainly not feckless. Admittedly biased, I genuinely believe the skills liberal arts students acquire in earning their degrees make them some of the sharpest, efficacious employees. As Sam so correctly pointed out, people do understand the value of a liberal arts student – great writer; strong ability to think critically; broad depth of knowledge; all-in-all a very well rounded package – but, they fail to understand how seamlessly said skills (and numerous others) fit into almost every area of the professional marketplace. From geology to banking and engineering to teaching, the skills acquired through liberal arts courses, majors, degrees, etc, are not just pertinent – they are unmistakably necessary.

For example, a banker in Pennsylvania serving on the Pennsylvania Bankers Association needs to have the ability to articulate the pros and cons of potential financial legislation winding its way through the PA Senate to colleagues and shareholders alike. Humanitarian engineers working in Northern Africa need to be able to understand the geo-political ramifications of current freedom movements and how those movements may impact the viability of building a medical clinic, while teaming with entrepreneurs to introduce mobile diagnostic applications on cellular phones. In short, the skills that students master in a liberal arts education are as salient today as they were when farmer and inventor Thomas Jefferson sat down and penned the Declaration of Independence.

I’m unabashedly proud of what the liberal arts can give students; however, I am not naive. The liberal arts as a wide ranging curriculum faces unprecedented challenge in today’s world. Obstinately plugging away and sharing the message with folks who already believe in the liberal arts does little to solve our current problem. What mechanisms exist for liberal arts faculty, students, graduates, and believers to promote the utility of the liberal arts? Is there an efficacious way to concertedly promote the skills mastered in the liberal arts? I invite your thoughts on my thoughts and the questions I have posed.

The Liberal Arts in a Time of Crisis: Valuing an Education

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Rob Turchick wrote recently about how some Americans are beginning to question the worthiness of a college experience. When he originally pointed out a TIME article on the topic to me, I tried to think of a way to put a value on an education. I sought a way to prove that college is worth it and that those people are just thinking about it in the wrong sense.

I attempted to characterize an education as a tool. In a vacuum, it doesn’t mean much (a hammer just sitting on the table doesn’t do anyone much good). In the hands of someone who wants to use it, though, it can be very powerful. When I proposed this idea to Rob, he responded (rightly, I think) that education has an intrinsic value. Being contemplative, being able (even if you do not do so all the time) to think critically, being exposed to a community of scholarship – these are valuable things, regardless of how a person uses them.

After considering those points, I have reached the conclusion that it’s very difficult – perhaps impossible – to place a value on “an education.” Colleges and Universities make an effort to, but they only measure their costs: a student pays enough money to make sure the sidewalks stay paved, the dorms stay heated, and the faculty are paid for their teaching and research. Schools charge students in that manner because it’s impossible – in my opinion – to gauge the value of what a student will end up doing with the knowledge and understanding of the world that she accumulates while sitting in Economics or English classes.

Some people attempt to compare the starting salaries that graduates of a certain degree make. For example, we have information that will tell us what the average sociology major spends to receive a degree. We can also guess what his starting salary will be. Although this information may be useful, it does nothing to tell us how a student changed because he took a Sociology class and now understands more about the intrinsic divisions within his home city. And that understanding – broadly termed as “the liberal arts” – is what will allow him to infer and comprehend more things about different cities and populations throughout the world.

I anticipate that you will soon see a subsequent post from a colleague and friend of mine, fellow former LAUC President Geoff Halberstadt. Until then, though, I know that there are a wide variety of views on the value of an education (or how we can value it, if we must), so I will stop here and invite debate in the comments: do you feel that we can state a value for an education? How would you value your education? Would you consider tuition and fees an appropriate numerical representation of the knowledge you acquire while pursuing your degree?

The Liberal Arts in a Time of Crisis: Opening Discussion

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Sparks Building
Originally uploaded by LAUSatPSU

My name is Rob Turchick, a rising senior studying English and Vice President of the Liberal Arts Undergraduate Council. I write today what will be the first blog in a series of posts focused on the importance of higher education; more specifically, a liberal arts education. Recent budget cuts and (what seemed like a flurry of) disbanded majors, such as Religious Studies, have many questioning the value of the liberal arts, as well as the direction that higher education is taking. Through this series of posts, we will hear what members of Penn State’s liberal arts community have to say.

At the close of the 2011 spring semester, Penn State’s College of the Liberal Arts hosted a conference that served to highlight a crisis in the liberal arts, and to identify potential solutions. Personally, I think our outgoing LAUC President Geoff Halberstadt summed up the problem in question best in a blog post titled “Crisis in the Liberal Arts: Cynical Faculty”:

“The problem I see lies in the turning away from a liberal arts education, and, to me at the very least, a repudiation of the values that education offers its students.”

A liberal arts education instills in all of its students leadership, understanding, and ethics, and has been the foundation of higher education since its inception. It is becoming more apparent, especially now with constricting monetary limitations, that these qualities are being devalued by politicians and the public alike. A recent PEW study, “Is College Worth It?”, reported that 57% of Americans believe that the higher education system in the U.S. fails to give students good value for the money that they dish out for college. Furthermore, the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices will have you believe that “preparing a state’s work force for 21st-century jobs” will require the governors to wean colleges and universities from their “emphasis on broad liberal-arts education” (see Carol Schneider’s article “Degrees for What Jobs?’ Wrong Question, Wrong Answers” for more information). It seems to me that higher education as a whole is being criticized, and the liberal arts are sure to receive the heaviest critical blow.

This should be alarming to the entire nation, not just liberal arts students, teachers, or administrators. Liberal arts students consistently perform astronomically better than students in other areas of study in reading, writing, and analytical thinking. For some reason, these skills are being kicked to the curb in exchange for extremely narrow fields of study which have short term pay offs, but give students no real room to grow. The liberal arts provide the best avenue for personal growth and a better understanding of the world we live in, giving its students a foundation for success in any field of work. When did we begin thinking of education in terms of dollar signs and pay offs? A few other questions must be addressed, as well. How do the liberal arts contribute to society? Why does higher education have a bad name with the majority of the American public? How can we reverse these beliefs?

We are very fortunate to also be hearing from former LAUC President Sam Loewner in the very near future, who will offer his own insight into how we might measure the value of education. I implore everyone to follow along in a series of posts that will hopefully validate my belief that a liberal arts education is something to be celebrated and encourage.

I now invite everyone in the Penn State community to take part in this discussion. Please feel free to support or refute any ideas that I have put forth in the comments.

Dialogue on Drinking: What We Owe One Another

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Drink
Originally uploaded by yanivba

LAUSDeanLong: Since our last online Dialogue on Drinking post, I attended a Dialogue on Drinking event facilitated by the World In Conversation Project, which brought students, faculty and administrators together to have a candid discussion about drinking. The details of the discussion are confidential, but I learned a lot during the 90-minute session. It has prompted me to think a lot about questions of freedom and responsibility.

My sense is that students often frame their decisions in terms of personal freedom rather than communal responsibility. This statement, which I admit is already a massive generalization, probably applies to Americans in general, and not just students. But I am thinking right now about students as they make decisions regarding drinking. I have heard many students say something like: if I want to drink to excess, that is my business and the University or the Borough or the police should not involve themselves in what is an issue of personal freedom. Is this a fair characterization of how many, not all, students frame the issue of drinking?

Geoff Halberstadt: I think the background for your question is pretty indicative of how many students feel; however, we both know that students’ reasons for drinking vary greatly: work hard…party hard, trying something new, personal stresses, and personal freedom to name just a few. But let’s focus on your question: yes – this is a fair characterization of how some students frame this issue. The majority of students understand that there is a balance between personal freedom and communal responsibility. I can see this because the vast majority of students never cause problems or put an undue burden on the community because of their behavior. When that line gets blurred, we see the massive problems that dangerous drinking can cause. If we assume that students see this problem through the lens of personal freedom, how do we address this conflict between personal freedom and the personal responsibility one should feel toward one’s community?

LAUSDeanLong: Perhaps we should ask: what responsibilities do you–student, staff, faculty, Borough resident–feel toward the community in which you live? Notice, of course, that in asking this, I have identified different groups of people each of which will likely have commitments to different kinds of communities. So, in asking this, let’s limit it to the Penn State University Park community as situated in the Borough of State College. What does it mean to be a member of this Penn State community and what do we owe one another as members of it?

Geoff Halberstadt: I believe we, as students, owe other members (specifically, non-students) of the community two basic things. First we owe them respect as residents, members, and contributors to the same community to which we belong. Secondly, we owe them understanding. What do I mean by that? I believe we owe the other members of the community an understanding of where they come from. This includes understanding why a young family is appalled when students throw beer cans through their windows. Or why a mother is furious when a drunk student breaks into a home in which her children are asleep. Or why a property owner doesn’t want garbage tossed in their garden. A basic understanding of other people’s positions or situations can lead to mutual respect. A certain amount of respect goes a long way in combating problems that would otherwise arise when students aren’t thoughtful of the community in which we live.

Visit the “Dialogue on Drinking” category of our blog to follow the conversation between Dean Long and Geoff Halberstadt from the beginning.

Dialogue on Drinking: Toward a Fulfilling Life

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One Last Drink
Originally uploaded by erix!

Geoff Halberstadt: The comments for our previous blog post were definitely heartening to see. I’m glad that this conversation has some traction, hopefully that focus can continue as we go forward.

LAUSDeanLong: Yes, I was very impressed by the responses to our first post and hope it provides a good starting point. One concern I have, though, is the degree to which the framework and the comments remain focused largely on the experience of students. This is understandable given that students made up the majority of respondents.

But I know that you attended the Presidential Leadership Academy’s presentation to the Borough Council last month. It seems to me that some discussion of that presentation might turn our attention toward the impact of the drinking culture on the wider community. What were your impressions of the event?

Geoff Halberstadt: On Wednesday, November 10, I went to the Presidential Leadership Academy’s presentation to the Borough Council. The panelists listening represented the Borough, Penn State, and students – T.J. Bard and Christian Ragland were representing UPUA.

LAUSDeanLong: Can you give us some context about how that meeting came about?

Geoff Halberstadt: Last semester, Spring ’10, the PLA researched dangerous drinking in our community and presented their findings in the HUB. The presentation last Wednesday was summary of some elements of their research. The presentation focused on the the phenomenon of pre-gaming, Alumni behavior, Town and Gown relations, and alternative activities to drinking.

I’ll be honest, I was disappointed in the conversation I heard. The point that was continuously made was that we must change the culture of drinking here. At one point the assertion was made that, “culture can change in 4 years.” This theme of changing the culture of drinking is exactly why Penn State and the Borough will fail with whatever policies and initiatives they implement.

LAUSDeanLong: OK, that is a bold claim. Tell me more about what leads you to this position.

Geoff Halberstadt: Lets take a step back and really look at this position – it is untenable. Policy can not bring about real change when it is facing an entrenched culture like this. Any plan that begins with the premise that the University or the Borough can change the culture is doomed to failure and subsequent head scratching. We must work from the premise that we can alleviate the drinking problem, rather than eradicating it. Once the University and Borough agree to that premise then they can identify policies and initiatives tailored towards achieving that goal.

LAUSDeanLong: I agree that cultural changes are best effected from within the culture itself rather than as imposed from outside. I wonder, though, what it would mean to “alleviate the drinking problem”? If we agree that drinking will not be eradicated, then what does responsible drinking look like? What would it mean to have a community of mature student, parent, faculty, staff and resident drinkers? Perhaps we can shift the discussion by changing the vocabulary from one that emphasizes the “problem to be alleviated or solved” to one that asked “what does it mean to live a healthy, fulfilling life?”

Geoff Halberstadt: You raise an excellent question in pondering what alleviating the excessive drinking problem looks like. To me, alleviating the drinking problem requires an emphasis on reducing excessive drinking, providing relevant, appealing alternatives to high risk drinking (increased intramural sports, concerts, performances), and sound policies that educate students of the dangers in excessive drinking. Those are just a few of many plausible solutions that should be simultaneously enacted. I believe that alleviating the excessive drinking problem is a step towards achieving a “healthy, fulfilling life.” I don’t feel qualified to determine what a healthy fulfilling life is for everyone. How is that determined? What are the factors included in the determination? 

However, I do think that one can look at the benefits of a changed dynamic regarding excessive drinking and say what will lead to a more fulfilling community based on respect and responsible behavior. Certainly, reducing excessive drinking can contribute to students leading a more fulfilling life as members of the Penn State / State College community. I’d really like to hear what members of our community think it means to live a “healthy, fulfilling life?”

Opening a Dialogue on Drinking

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In the wake of a series of issues that have arisen over the past few years regarding the culture of student drinking here at Penn State, LAUC President, Geoff Halberstadt, and I began a conversation about how we as a community could best respond. We both recognize that there are productive roles for students and administrators to play in addressing the issue. But we also felt that these roles can only emerge from a genuine and open dialogue between students and administrators.

So, what began as a face to face conversation, grew through social media as we tweeted ideas and links to one another. We hope the conversation will begin to blossom here on the LAUS blog as we invite others to participate.  So please join us in a Dialogue on Drinking over the next few months.

LAUS Dean Long: I really appreciate the manner in which you responded to my tweet in September about alcohol education on campus. It reminded me of the conversation your predecessor as LAUC President, Sam Loewner and I had last spring in the wake of the State Patty’s Day controversy. That discussion and your responses to my questions about alcohol awareness remind me of how insightful students are about the drinking culture on campus.

Geoff Halberstadt: Thanks for giving me the opportunity to become part of the conversation. It certainly was an interesting way for you and I to fall into this topic, but I’m grateful that we have. I recall the conversation that you and Sam generated last spring and I enjoyed following it. All too often, I feel like the conversation is dominated by the extremes, and student insight is overlooked.

Dean Long: I agree. My experience with students both in as a Philosophy professor and as Associate Dean tells me that there are many thoughtful, responsible and creative students at Penn State who have a lot to contribute about how to address the drinking culture here. Haven’t leaders from the UPUA and other organizations been included in thinking through solutions?

Geoff: Yes, student leaders from University Park Undergraduate Association, Interfraternity Council, and others are brought into the conversation, but I am left feeling like many students do not enter into the conversation. For this reason, I’m thankful for the conversation you and I had, and the idea that we developed from that meeting. I believe that starting an online discussion is an excellent way for us to broach this topic with a large audience, especially students. I hope that the conversation we cultivate focuses on the issues and the community impacts. I don’t want it to become banal. Hopefully, the discussion we had via Twitter can grow and be entered into by other people.

Dean Long: Me too. So, what are the issues, exactly? Maybe we can identify a number here and address them individually in posts to come. I really hope others will join this dialogue on drinking here on the blog and on twitter under the hashtag: #psuDD. What are the main issues concerning the drinking culture at Penn State that we should discuss?

Here are some possibilities Geoff and I thought of:

  • How should we, as a community, respond to dangerous drinking habits? Examples: Four Loko or a student who was found sleeping on State College resident’s couch.
  • The new Penn State initiative to address the Drinking Culture – what is working, what are its limitations? 
  • What are the responsibilities of students, faculty, administrators?
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