Convocation Celebrates the Spirit of Civic Education
University Communications
University Reporter
By
Kim Burke
Hosting the first presidential debate brought more than an international
media spotlight to UMass Boston. The University used the opportunity to
extend the buzz surrounding October 3rd into a learning experience that
would involve students, faculty, and staff. Chancellor Sherry Penney and
Provost Charles Cnudde collaborated to decide upon this year's convocation
theme, "Civic Education for Civic Responsibility." The convocation
effort provided a wide range of activities that brought attention to the
importance of civic involvement.
The convocation series, which totaled sixteen events from September 13 through October 17, had tremendous support from faculty members. All of the events were faculty developed and sponsored. Everything from special topics woven into the regular classroom curriculum to interactive forums and workshops was included in the schedule of events. Vice Provost Theresa Mortimer, who helped to plan some of the activities, was excited that "other learning opportunities for students" could draw upon and add to the campus-wide excitement over the debate.
Students were not only attendees. They also were active in planning some events as well, such as the "Healthy People 2010" discussion that took place in the small science auditorium on September 20. Graduate nursing students joined Commissioner of Public Health Howard Koh to issue an analysis of the health policy positions of the presidential candidates. Koh and the students looked at access to insurance, keeping medicare solvent, prescription drug availability for low income seniors, and patients' rights protection.
Examining another key issue concerning the community, UMass Boston sponsored the forum "Closing the Digital Divide: What is the Problem and How Can It Be Fixed" at the Federal Reserve Bank in Boston on September 26. Panelists from MIT, the Museum of Science, the Children's Museum, and City Hall discussed ways to bridge the digital divide in schools and communities. In her remarks to the assemblage, Chancellor Penney said, "As a society, we cannot afford to leave people behind."
One of the final convocation events was a gathering in Snowden Auditorium on October 13 on "Long-Term Care: A Neglected Issue." Moderated by Los Angeles Times White House Correspondent Robert Rosenblatt, Gerontology Institute faculty and health care experts led an enlightening discourse on an overlooked subject. Joanne Handy, president of the Visiting Nurse Association of Boston, impressed sociology student Dianne Cleary, who said that Handy "gave a viewpoint from the nurses' perspective, which is usually never heard."