Panel Discusses Social Engagement

Continuing efforts to address the issue of student engagement outside of class, the Education in Action office (EIA) hosted a panel discussion on the role of social engagement within a liberal arts curriculum on March 18. The panel was made up of Professor of Economics John Isham, Associate Professor of Political Science Sarah Stroup and EIA Community Engagement Coordinator Ashley Calkins.

EIA aims to provide students with opportunities outside of the classroom, be it through continuing education or employment after graduation. The office mainly serves as a conduit between students, the College’s alumni network and the local Middlebury community.

The first topic addressed by the panel was whether a liberal arts education requires social engagement. Professor of Economics John Isham argued that one does not necessarily require the other.

“A liberal arts education is about a discovery of self. If a student does not believe they need to engage outside the classroom, then it should not be required,” Isham said.

He went on to argue that a student’s four years at the College should not be dictated by arbitrary guidelines, but rather should encourage each graduate to “reflect on a life well-lived,” with or without work experience.

After the panel, however, Isham did note that opportunities for civic engagement outside the classroom should be offered at every institution of higher learning, noting that “people would not apply to all these colleges in the first place if they did not offer these opportunities.”

This past winter term, Stroup taught a course on the ethics and procedures of philanthropic donations, in which students spent the month deciding how best to divide up a large donation from the Once Upon A Time Foundation.

“The class fostered a sense of interdisciplinary awareness, which was valuable because it still felt like a classroom environment,” Stroup said. She went on to support the idea that social engagement within the classroom is just as beneficial as social engagement outside of the classroom.

Calkins, the final panel member to speak, stressed the importance of off-campus initiatives promoted by EIA. Citing a recent example in which college students traveled to the Dominican Republic for a community service trip, Calkins illustrated how experiences outside of the college environment can be both unique and valuable.

“In the Dominican Republic, [women’s and gender studies] students were able to discuss … gender roles with local teenage girls, which is a real-world learning experience that they would not have had otherwise,” she said.

Audience members expressed an interest in increased opportunities for social engagement, such as more hands-on, experiential learning programs during winter term.