Campus News 

Campus-Wide Global Warming Teach-In at Framingham State College
April 23-April 30 - Includes Dialogue across Humanities and Sciences

            Global warming is at the center of a week-long, campus-wide teach in at Framingham State College, April 23 through April 30. Forty-five professors from 15 disciplines will involve their students in a teach-in that begins with screenings of the Oscar-Winning documentary, An Inconvenient Truth, on Monday, April 23. The teach-in continues all week as individual courses, from Art to Physics, address the topic. The teach-in culminates on Monday, April 30, in a campus-wide town meeting with two climate experts from the Climate Project who will join faculty, students, and community members at 7 p.m. in the new gym in the Framingham State College Athletic Center (adjacent to Dwight Hall).

            An Inconvenient Truth show times on April 23 are at 8:30 a.m.; 10:30 a.m.; 12:30 p.m.; 2:30p.m.; 4:30 p.m.; and 7:30 p.m in the McCarthy College Center Forum. At our 4:30 and 7:30 shows, climate experts will be present to answer questions.

            Tuesday-Friday April 24-27, courses ranging from Ethics to Expository Writing will involve students in an examination of the diverse issues related to global climate change. Students will examine such questions as

            *What is the evidence for global climate change?

            *How do people relate evidence about a global warming to their individual lives?

            *What are the ethics of addressing global climate change? 

            The week-long teach-in ends in a campus-wide town meeting and panel discussion on Monday, April 30, at 7 p.m. in the new gym in the Athletic Center at FSC. FSC community members will convene for an open dialogue about global warming, with seating available for up to 600 people. Students from organizations around campus have been invited to offer their group’s perspective on climate change. In addition, students from participating classes will report on questions that emerged in their group discussions on global warming.

            The town meeting will open with FSC President Tim Flanagan. President Flanagan will introduce our climate experts, Keith Bergman (Climate Project and Provincetown Town Manager) and Donna Kramer Merritt (Climate Project and Body + Soul Magazine Associate Publisher). Mr. Bergman and Ms. Merritt have both trained with Al Gore and the Climate Project on climate change, policy initiatives, and community action. Along with our climate experts, we will also hear from Framingham State College professors Richard Beckwith (Biology), Paul Bruno (Philosophy); Carl Hakansson (Geography); Ira Silver (Sociology); and Brandi Van Roo (Biology). Professor Silver, a co-organizer of the teach-in, will be moderating. The meeting is scheduled to end at 8:30 p.m.

            FSC student groups are already responding to global warming—with more plans in the works. For example, Active Sociologists, a group of students committed to social change and service (who come from all different departments), have planned a light bulb exchange to take place at the Town Meeting. Area businesses have been asked to donate energy efficient bulbs that guests can obtain in exchange for old bulbs.

Unique Program

            No other campus in the United States has used this kind of interdisciplinary format to address a major social issue such as global warming. According to Virginia Rutter, FSC professor of sociology and co-organizer of the teach-in, “FSC is the first college to incorporate global warming in courses across the curriculum and to actually make the classroom itself a venue for addressing global warming. A liberal arts college like FSC,” Professor Rutter explains, “is the perfect place to engage our diverse disciplinary perspectives in order to better understand matters of great importance.” In addition, Professor Rutter says, “Like my colleagues, as a social scientist I understand that knowledge informs effective social action. That’s why we are here.” 

            Event co-organizer Professor Lisa Eck (Department of English) points out that global warming is not a partisan issue, but a scientific one. Professor Eck elaborates, “Having a planet undoubtedly appeals across party lines; admittedly, different solutions will have their own political defenders and detractors. We welcome the dialogue!”

            If any journalists are interested in attending an event or other information regarding the Global Warming Teach-In, please contact Professor Virginia Rutter at vrutter@frc.mass.edu or (508) 626-4863.