tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9132657781219607153.post8206375702818910030..comments2024-03-27T08:17:22.445-04:00Comments on Chancellor's Blog: Yes we can. Yes we must.Pennsylvania's State System of Higher Educationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07400532400819969260noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9132657781219607153.post-13155996353307097752019-10-08T17:17:28.939-04:002019-10-08T17:17:28.939-04:00Dear Chancellor Greenstein,
Thank you for coming ...Dear Chancellor Greenstein,<br /><br />Thank you for coming to Clarion University today! Your energy, passion and commitment to bring positive change is refreshing! Under your leadership, I look forward to seeing the great things you envision for the state schools and its leaders, faculty, staff, and students.<br /><br />And, I have heard ONLY positive things about our new President, Dr. Dale, from community members. I had the pleasure of meeting her this past weekend at the football game and she was very welcoming, easy to talk to and really listened to me and others. I look forward to the continued positive changes at Clarion University under Dr. Dale's leadership! <br /><br />Very respectfully,<br /><br />MariaAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07966155626667530769noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9132657781219607153.post-20152900939508568712019-09-22T19:33:11.552-04:002019-09-22T19:33:11.552-04:00Dear Chancellor, Thank you for taking the time to...Dear Chancellor, Thank you for taking the time to share the ideas. Please allow some shared ideas in return. I should note that a number of people have asked if you read the responses to the blog???<br /><br />You may have seen one of the lead articles in the latest "Bulletin of Atomic Scientists" addressing the severe nature of eco-system breakdown related to climate change (i.e. the earth-life-disaster we are facing). The article tells us the following: "Panic now...we are in deep trouble." An unusual statement from scientists. Stark and harrowing...but all to real. How should universities respond. Business as usual means deeper troubles and then deeper troubles and then deeper troubles and then cataclysm...<br /><br />Friday brought millions of young people into the streets for a "Global Climate Strike." More will follow. Many of us were in the streets on Friday with current students and future students (many of the participants were high school and elementary school students). Their outrage is real. Their fear is real. Their panic is real. <br /> Their commitment and energy is real. They are educating themselves about what to do to address "the greatest threat humanity has ever faced," as one student speaker put it. <br /><br />The students with whom I spoke (and there were many) repeated a theme: "The education system is failing us; it refuses to address this monumental crisis; it refuses to teach in ways that help us young people understand the root causes of this crisis [this earth life disaster linked to climate disruption]. Their anger will continue to grow because the climate disasters will continue to accelerate - future horrors are already baked into the current system. Perhaps you too were in the streets standing in solidarity with young people. If so, you will have noted that the feeling of urgency is palpable among the young people. They are committed to educating, agitating, and organizing inside and outside their schools and universities because they feel the schools and universities are failing to provide what they need to ensure they have a future. They talk passionately of transforming education, but not by reducing it to "more online classes;" they talk of transforming education so people can come together face to face to learn from one another and teach one another about the topics they feel are of most interest and concern...and most urgent. <br /><br /> I was asked by a high school student the following: "Do you have regular meetings at the university working out ideas and planning actions so that we will have a future?" They assumed that universities were holding such meetings regularly, given the dire emergency we are facing. Sadly, I had to answer "No!" <br /><br /> If higher education is to be responsible, if it is to be moral and rational, then urgent meetings at all levels should be organized in order to mobilize the collective intelligence and imagination, the collective energy and enthusiasm, the collective courage and commitment of students, faculty, administrators and community members to address the root causes of the climate crises, construct animating visions of a different and better future, and develop plans to oppose the systems, ideologies and institutions responsible for what some students are calling "a death sentence for the future," and meanwhile start constructing viable, commendable and sustainable alternative systems, ideologies, and institutions grounded in environmental sustainability, ecological-rationality, and substantive forms of equality, freedom, and democracy. <br /><br />Another student asked the following: "Is it too much to ask that adults work with us to overcome and replace this system of destruction?" Is it too much to ask???? We eagerly await your response (beyond the blog)....<br /><br />We are also looking forward to your comments about and support for the students who are working to save the future from more and more catastrophes...<br /><br />Sincerely, <br /><br />ddmorrisscotthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08217170363285246931noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9132657781219607153.post-50995228265806025172019-09-16T16:12:22.881-04:002019-09-16T16:12:22.881-04:00Chancellor - Thank you, as always, for sending out...Chancellor - Thank you, as always, for sending out a readable, meaningful, and transparent communication. My hope is the response to the survey will be high, although I suspect there may be some sense of ill ease, despite your strong assurances of confidentiality. Thank you for the outreach. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17410661015966191202noreply@blogger.com