College Dean’s Prize: Improving the Educational Experience

Renowned children’s advocate Marian Wright Edelman considered the purpose of education to be “for improving the lives of others and for leaving your community and world better than you found it.” Every year the University of Southern California calls on its students to submit suggestions for enhancing their academic experience. Students are encouraged to think seriously about learning, be creative, daring and inspiring. The student whose proposal shows the most potential for enriching the academic life at the institution is awarded the College Dean’s Prize. For this reason today's post will lay out my proposition for advancement of undergraduate life here at USC. As stated in the undergraduate admissions page, “USC is committed to excellence in undergraduate education. Top-ranked programs in virtually every field offer an experience that combines breadth with depth." This institution encourages broad academic interests and advocates double majors and/or minors. According to the 2004 Strategic Plan “Since societal problems rarely fall within the domain of a single discipline or school, collaboration that brings together different perspectives and skills may be the best means of addressing such problems.” Keeping this in mind and in concert with the main focus of this blog, I would like the university to seriously consider offering a minor in human rights.

Consistent with USC’s encouragement of interdisciplinary collaboration and exploration, the curricula for this minor would be comprised of courses across all disciplines relevant to human rights. For example, a history course that provides an overview of international human rights or Japanese Americans and World War II, a philosophy class such as ethics, and even a writing class with topics in human rights issues would be appropriate. Relevant courses already offered at USC in political science, economics, health and psychology would also be fitting. The University of Connecticut currently provides such a minor. In addition to coursework, students are able to make a difference in the real world by completing a required internship in humanitarian organizations such as Amnesty International, Global Exchange, Human Rights First and the United Nations Development Programme. I am inclined to believe that a human rights minor would enhance USC, which has received well deserved national acclaim for its innovative community outreach programs, and would advance two of the goals stated in the 2004 strategic plan: to bring forward “knowledge and at the same time addresses issues critical to our community, the nation, and the world” and to “create a significant global presence that will increase international visibility, reach, and impact of our research, scholarship, art, education, and service.” A minor in human rights would be an excellent complement to almost any major. Currently the University of California Berkeley offers a course that focuses on the relationship between human rights and health through its School of Public Health. This class provides an overview of the role of health professionals and other health promoters in “documenting the health consequences of human rights violations, treating survivors of state-sponsored abuse, identifying the impact of health policy on human rights, and participating in human rights education and advocacy.”

In order for USC to adhere to its central mission which is dedicated to “the development of human beings and society as a whole through the cultivation and enrichment of the human mind and spirit,” it must continue to teach students “how to add value to their lives and the lives of everyone around them,” as President Steven B. Sample stated. As a psychology student, I strongly believe that a minor in human rights would enrich anyone’s academic experience. Psychology emphasizes an individual level of functioning but a minor in human rights would allow implementing of that knowledge to affect change on a collective level.

Honorary Degree: Albert Arnold “Al” Gore Jr.

It is early April and spring commencement at the University of Southern California (USC) and at other institutions across the country is approaching. Every year at least one deserving individual is granted an honorary degree and is asked to deliver the commencement speech to the graduating class. I thought it would be appropriate to use this week’s post to share with readers my nominee for this year’s award. As stated on USC’s web site, degrees are given to “honor individuals who have distinguished themselves through extraordinary achievements in scholarship, the professions, or other creative activities.” Therefore, in accordance with the above criteria, I propose that a Doctor of Humane Letters degree, which recognizes exemplary citizens, be granted to former Vice President of the United States, Albert Arnold “Al” Gore Jr. (seen in the picture above). He is a man whose accomplishments have made a remarkable contribution to society and whose character embodies all the qualities that we, at USC, hold highly.

Through his many years of public service, Al Gore has exemplified all of the attributes that are inscribed on the Tommy Trojan statue: (picture to the left) faithful, scholarly, skillful, courageous, and ambitious. He has served in the House of Representatives, the Senate and as Vice President with great leadership and initiative. He has contributed to the world of business as the cofounder of Generation Investment Firm, an eco-friendly investment company. He also has been instrumental in the advancement of technology by writing the High Performance Computing Act , which funded research that contributed to the development of the internet. In addition, he co-founded Current TV, a youth oriented cable network that is focused on the free expression of its viewers. Finally, he has set a fine example through his involvement in promoting environmental awareness since the early years of his career and has now become the voice of global warming. According to a recent article in The Concord Monitor, "Gore was one of the first politicians to grasp the seriousness of climate change and to call for a reduction in emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouses gases. He held the first congressional hearings on the subject in the late 1970s.”

While his accomplishments and contributions are many, Al Gore has probably acquired the most regard for his work as an advocate of environmental awareness and proactive engagement. In recent years he has toured the world with a crucially important and engaging presentation on global warming that later became the basis for his Academy Award winning documentary An Inconvenient Truth. He has written three books on this important issue, one of which includes a children’s version of An Inconvenient Truth called The Crisis of Global Warming, which adapts the message for a generation that will have to confront the problem. As Gore stated, "There is no doubt that young people today are more aware of environmental problems than my generation ever was. As this new generation comes of age, it faces the enormous challenge of solving global warming. I have faith that young people have both the ability and the enthusiasm to put a stop to global warming." This year, Al Gore was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. “A prerequisite for winning the Nobel Peace Prize is making a difference, and Al Gore has made a difference,” said a member of the Norwegian Parliament, Boerge Brende.

There has been a great deal of criticism by skeptics who question Gore’s personal commitment to reducing energy usage and the science behind his film. For example, according to the Tennessee Center for Policy Research (TCPR), “Gore’s mansion, located in the posh Belle Meade area of Nashville, consumes more electricity every month than the average American household uses in an entire year.” However, coverage by several media outlets of the Gore’s energy bills has ignored all the steps that he has taken to reduce his home’s energy usage. Media Matters for America reported that the Gore home includes the primary offices of both Al and Tipper Gore, as well as the necessary special security systems, given that he is the former Vice President of the US. In addition, some media reports also failed to note that the Gore family uses energy saving technology such as solar panels and has signed up for one hundred percent green power through Green Power Switch which actually increases their energy costs. So far the Gore criticisms have been nothing but smear tactics to distract people from the real issues at hand.

James Freedman, president emeritus of the University of Iowa and Dartmouth College, articulates “In bestowing an honorary degree, a university makes an explicit statement to its students and the world about the qualities of character and attainment it admires most.” With that in mind, I am most certain that Al Gore is the most fitting and deserving recipient of an honorary degree from the University of Southern California