Cultivating the Arts of Engagement

Abstract

In the first week of the freshman sem inar at our Catholic liberal arts col lege, one of our colleagues, a medievalist, is visiting a class. She has come robed in her academic gown talk about what a universitas first was (a guild of students or faculty), what it meant be a master or doctor and write a the sis. She has lugged into class a two-vol ume dissertation for illustration. The stu dents?just out of high schools in the suburbs around Baltimore, New York, and Washington?are attentive, but also per plexed and incredulous: perplexed at the notion of the university as a community of scholars rather than a place; incredu lous at the size of the thesis and the num ber of years invested earn the degree that goes with it. Some of them laugh in amazement. Others cast nervous glances at their classmates, wondering what they are in for. During the first year, and sometimes after, such dramas of surprise and confu sion will play out often, in class and out. Students will tell their advisors they have chosen psychology because they'd like to help people and then stumble when asked if they like behavioral research. In lit classes they will read Chinua Achebe's