"Our Program in Public Discourse will be designed to assist students in the study, understanding and practice of communication in various contexts," said college president Eugene M. Tobin, "Such an emphasis reinforces our belief that a truly educated person must be able to demonstrate a variety of communication skills and abilities. Independent of a student's major course of study, we believe communication is the cornerstone of a liberal arts education."
"I am as pleased about the source of the funding for this new program as I am about the program itself," Tobin added. "The Hewlett Foundation is one of America's most distinguished philanthropic organizations. Their support of this initiative validates the program's quality and innovation."
Tobin said the PPD is a strategic curricular initiative that will embed the purposes and skills of communication into the overall educational experiences of Hamilton's students and into the teaching practices of the faculty. The Hewlett grant provides for the appointment of a half-time director and funding for faculty development, including opportunities for faculty members to redesign courses and explore new teaching strategies.
Susan Mason, who has taught at Hamilton since 1991 and who served most recently as director of the college's Program in Teacher Education, will direct the new Program in Public Discourse. She holds advanced degrees in communication and has substantial experience in corporate and academic consulting, training and teaching. Mason will work closely with an advisory board in designing the new program.
The ultimate goal of the program, according to Tobin, is to provide students and faculty with opportunities to study and practice communication skills, including listening, negotiating, conflict resolution, and cross–cultural and cross-generational exchange by placing them in real-world contexts. To that end, students will work directly with business executives, doctors, lawyers, public service agents, educators and others who can lend their expertise in communication.
The new program builds on groundwork laid by a $660,000 grant Hamilton received in 1996 from The Fred L. Emerson Foundation to support curricular review efforts aimed at writing and speaking. It also complements many of the ideas faculty members have championed as part of the new curriculum that is under final development."The Hewlett grant, like the Emerson grant before it, provides evidence that Hamilton's emphasis on developing students' communication skills is valued strongly in the larger academic community," Tobin said. "When the Program in Public Discourse is fully implemented and the new curriculum completely in place, I believe Hamilton will be able to demonstrate approaches to liberal learning that are distinctive and enduring."
