Colloquy

colloquy

Liberal Education and Social Responsibility in a Global Community

The Rollins College Colloquy presented a variety of perspectives on liberal education and social responsibility in a global society. President Lewis Duncan launched these conversations for the Rollins community as a continuation of the College's tradition of curricular exploration, beginning with Hamilton Holt's 1931 conference, "The Curriculum for the Liberal Arts College," chaired by John Dewey, and sustained by Rita Bornstein's 1997 Rollins Colloquy, "Toward a Pragmatic Liberal Education: The Curriculum of the 21st Century," which featured leading higher-education theorists.

The 2007 gathering included keynotes by Maya Angelou, Francis Fukuyama, and Salman Rushdie, along with panels of other notable thought leaders. The Colloquy's goal was to engage participants in meaningful conversations about the key questions flowing from a consideration of the role of liberal education in the 21st century, leading to new directions for Rollins' curriculum. To assure productive interactions between our guests and the Rollins community, a faculty team was developed for each presenter.

Message From President Duncan

As we explore the components of a curriculum that will prepare our students to lead meaningful, responsible, and productive lives in the 21st century, we believe it is critically important to first think about the 21st century, and the fundamental societal issues, challenges, and opportunities that our graduates will encounter.

To assist us in this exercise, we have invited thought leaders from a diversity of disciplines to share with us their vision of the future and the appropriate role of liberal education in that world. Guided initially by a committee of Rollins faculty holding endowed chairs, and then by faculty teams dedicated to each of our special guests, we have developed a program of shared conversations structured around a series of questions we believe will contribute valuable insights to our consideration of curricular revision at Rollins.

I encourage every member of the Rollins community—faculty, students, and staff—to take part in this conversation, which will help to set the College’s course in this new millennium.

Lewis M. Duncan
President