What are the ideal “boundaries” that should exist between “the professional,” “the personal,” “the political,” and "the spiritual"? How can academics best integrate [or separate] their professional, personal, political, and spiritual lives?In particular, is it possible for faculty who teach in ANY discipline to engage with their students beyond the narrowest definition of the purpose and content of a single course? Should they? Can they avoid doing so?Is it only those who teach in the humanities who should expect to influence students’ lives beyond the classroom?How does the changing role of information technology make any difference?In the attached MP3 audio clip, Paul Lacey, Emeritus of Earlham College laceypa@earlham.edu, responds briefly to the first questions.For more info, questions for discussion, etc., from our beginning exploration of these boundaries see: http://www.tltgroup.org/ClothingTheEmperor/PersonalProfessionalPoliticalSpiritualBoundaries.htmThe most specific question emerging from my work in this area with Whitman College is:“Can we establish a policy that students who send email to faculty between midnight and 6AM may not expect responses during that period?”Email can easily pierce the veil between home and office. At Whitman and other colleges/universities where there is a longstanding commitment to encouraging frequent and significant communication between students and faculty, this can be a very mixed blessing.From Earlham College Website : "It is worth acknowledging, in all humility, that, though there are many great, beautiful, noble callings for human beings — ministry, healing, protecting the powerless through the law, making art, music and literature, the most wonderful things that human beings are privileged to do — none of them is more valuable to the human race, to the future of the planet, or to our own souls, than the work of teaching."— Dr. Paul Lacey, Professor Emeritus of English, Earlham College

[ Thu, 29 Jun 2006 05:23:00 -0500 ]

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