Here is a recent announcement at Cal State Chico:
Conversations on Diversity – Spring 2012
As you begin preparing your coursework for Spring, please consider incorporating Conversations on Diversity into your syllabus and encouraging your students to attend. The Conversations on Diversity series (COD) focuses on the complexities of group and individual identities and how they influence one another. The gatherings provide a safe space for members of the campus community to consider the often sensitive issues surrounding identity. COD has been the committee’s attempt to expose and treat the various ills we see reflected on our campus and in our community–xenophobia, homophobia, racism, sexism, classism, ignorance, apathy, etc., as well as celebrate our differences.
The series will be held from 12:00 – 1:00 pm in BMU 210 on 2/22,3/7,3/28,4/11,4/25 (COD Awards). Themes and topics will be announced soon.
NAS takes an interest in the internal messages communicated on campus. One message we’ve noticed is a push to get students and employees to make small changes in their daily habits: to give up basic things like cafeteria trays, water pressure in showers, and soft toilet paper.
Today we have a fresh illustration of this. Among the campus announcements for California State University at Chico yesterday was this one:
Sustainability Tip: Say no to Plastic Straws, Easily Save Resources
Say no to plastic straws out at restaurants, at the coffee shop, and at the bars. Next time you order a drink with a takeout order, just say, “No straw please.” Or leave a wrapped straw on the counter when it’s given to you. Those little plastic things aren’t necessary to enjoy your beverage, are only used on average for fifteen minutes, but are then in the landfills for hundreds of years. Plus plastics have been found to leach harmful toxins into foods and beverages. Requesting “no straw” can be tough to remember at first, but it’s a worthwhile habit to develop.
Remember, being a good person means being a green person.
The editorial staff of the Orion, the student newspaper at Chico State University, have written an article entitled “Academic Freedom Not a License to Say, Do Anything.”
They write:
Professors should have the freedom to push the envelope to get students thinking instead of letting them fall asleep and drool on the desks during class. But there are some teachers who overstep their bounds. [...] Students are here to learn, but they shouldn’t come to class worrying about being verbally attacked or harassed by their instructor.
I disagree with their next statement which asserts that students are customers. They may pay a fee for a service, but students are students, not customers. But overall, bravo Chico student writers. It’s good to know that students are understanding the true meaning of academic freedom.
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