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November 12, 2003: Undergraduate Conference Focuses on Ethics
and Integrity
Conference
program online
Nearly 100 first-year Carolina students will discuss issues
of honor, ethics, and integrity at a public conference set
for November 12 at 6:30-8:30 p.m. on campus at the James M.
Johnston Center for Undergraduate Excellence in Graham Memorial.
The conference features the work of students enrolled in English
10, 11, and 12 classes.
For many, it will be their first experience to serve as a
presenter on a scholarly panel.
"It will be an opportunity for students to see that
the work they do for a
course makes important contributions to the university's academic
mission," said Dr. Randi Davenport, associate director
of the Johnston Center.
"We thought it was a good time to collaborate with the
Writing Program and provide an opportunity for students to
talk to one another across classroom borders about the issues
that are at the heart of the Chancellor's year-long HonorCarolina
initiative," said Davenport, who also co-chairs the HonorCarolina
committee that is sponsoring a series of events focusing on
honor and integrity on campus and in daily life.
"This conference also has made it possible for Teaching
Fellows to collaborate within the Writing Program curriculum
and develop a program that we hope they will think of again
and again as they move forward in their teaching careers,"
said Davenport.
Teaching Fellows developed assignments that focused on public
issues ranging from questions raised by Summer Reading Program
selections to how expectations of honorable conduct on the
part of students informs current campus issues. Students have
developed presentations and multimedia projects on local integrity,
national integrity, low-wage workers, and health and ethics.
Three films running continuously will explore alcohol use,
academic cheating, and music downloading at Carolina.
Teaching Fellows Stephanie Morgan, Stephanie Snyder, Gena
Diamant, Melissa Graham Meeks, Cynthia Current, and Scott
Halbritter met with Writing Program Director Dr. Jane Danielewicz
and Davenport to refine and focus their assignments and prepare
their students for the conference. Current took on the job
of organizing the students into panels related by content
or emphasis.
"I was keen to involve the Writing Program in this project,"
said Danielewicz, "By investigating and writing about
these issues, students were able to understand in a profound
way how such values are enacted at Carolina. Students will
participate in legitimate public debate when they present
on the night of the forum, exactly the ideal we aim for in
teaching them communication skills in the first place. Also,
it was a perfect chance to connect two programs-the Writing
Program and the Johnston Center-that share the same focus,
to improve undergraduate education. It's been a fruitful and
energizing collaboration."
The conference is free and open to the public. Complete program
information can be found on the Johnston Center web site,
www.johnstoncenter.unc.edu,
the Honor Carolina web site, honorcarolina.unc.edu,
and the Writing Program web site, english.unc.edu/comp/.
A complete listing of all events at the Johnston Center for
Undergraduate Excellence is available at our Event
Calendar.
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