CANCELLED - Faculty Discussion/Luncheon with Professor Thomas Kasulis - CancelledFebruary 21, 2011 at noon to 1:30 p.m.

Faculty are invited for a discussion lunch with Professor Thomas Kasulis on the meaning of the liberal arts from a global perspective.

Synopsis: "Part of our responsibility as participants in the liberal arts tradition is to periodically reflect on the assumptions behind what we are doing as educators. Once they become established, all Institutions tend to have their own momentum and we fall into giving fixed responses to what were once open questions. In any human enterprise, assumptions are necessary, but we do a disservice to ourselves and our students if we let those assumptions become blind assumptions.

In my own work, I find that looking at other cultural traditions helps bring to light premises functioning in the shadowy background of my own cultural and professional contexts. Once those hidden assumptions are out in the open, I can better evaluate them and then either reaffirm or change them. In either case, I think it makes me better at what I do.

In our lunch meeting, I encourage us to reflect on some passages from Asian texts that deal with education, learning, and the teacher-student relation. I hope we can then have an open discussion about our reactions to these different approaches and assumptions, suggesting ways to each other about how they might or might not be relevant to our roles as educators in the liberal arts today."

Join us at 12:00 if possible. Lunch begins at 12:30.

(Reservations required--Contact: Janine Genelin (janine@gustavus.edu, x7548))