Angela Huffman
University Advancement
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IUS TimesCommon Experience program seeks to build dialogueThis month, IU Southeast launches a new program known as Common Experience (CE). This program is designed to stimulate a "common intellectual conversation" both on and off campus. Dean Cliff Staten (School of Social Sciences) says he hopes for strong participation in the CE program and that the selected theme for this year, "Citizens Making a Difference in America," sparks plenty of meaningful dialogue. Staten has been the point person for CE since the idea first emerged almost a year ago. He is chairing a large committee (see box accompanying this story) comprised of faculty members who are working together to launch the program. The centerpiece for IU Southeast's CE is Anne Moody's memoir, Coming of Age in Mississippi. Faculty, students, and staff are encouraged to read the book (which can be purchased in the bookstore at discounted prices) and participate in discussions. There will be three on-campus discussions about the book. The first will be a student led discussion on October 24. A second discussion will be held November 1 and led by history professor James Beeby, and the third discussion takes place on February 27, 2007, and will be led by student members of the Alpha Chi National Honor Society. In addition to these discussions, there are many other CE events-24 in all-centered on the CE theme. Remnant Trust was seedbed The seedbed for the CE program at IU Southeast campus was sown when faculty and administrators learned that IU Southeast would have an opportunity to display selected pieces from the Remnant Trust, a unique collection of historical documents. Staten says, "We started asking, 'How can we gain momentum and generate discussion from this amazing collection?'" From that point, ideas started to flow and before long, the infrastructure for the CE program emerged. The Remnant Trust will be a major part of the CE program during late January and early February. 2007. The Remnant Trust collection includes 850 rare books and manuscripts. Among the collection is a 1350 edition of the Magna Carta, a page of the Bible dating to 1250, one of three known copies of a 1776 printing of the Declaration of Independence, a 1798 edition of The Federalist Papers, and the first British Edition of Lewis and Clark's Travels to the Source of the Missouri River. IU Southeast will not exhibit all of these items. The permanent home for the Remnant Trust will be the Carnegie Library in Jeffersonville, which is now under renovation and slated to open in late October, 2006. Staten says it is rare for non-residential campuses such as IU Southeast to host a CE program. However, the program directly complements two of the University's strategic goals. It supports Goal #1 (Educational Excellence) as well as Goal #6 (Stronger Community Relations). Even so, the truest measure of success in any program is participation and full engagement in the process. "Ultimately, I would love to have the experience of walking by a group of students and overhear them talking about the book (Coming of Age in Mississippi)--talking about real issues," said Staten. "That's how we would know the program is a success." Common Experience Program/Organizational Committee
Common Experience committee
CE Events for September and October To see events for the entire year, visit the newly launched CE website at http://www.ius.edu/commonexperience/
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