Published in "Decanally Speaking," Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts, Georgia Tech
In 1963, our College’s namesake, Atlanta Mayor Ivan Allen Jr., testified before Congress in favor of Civil Rights legislation at considerable risk to his career and reputation. And María Marina Machado, the Venezuelan opposition leader whom Georgia Tech honored with the Ivan Allen Jr. Prize for Social Courage two weeks ago, continues to fight for justice in her country despite the threat of imprisonment and attempts to kill her.
Based on these two examples of courageous human beings with whom we publicly associate, I invite us to consider: What might it mean for a person working in higher education to show courage at a moment laden with political, economic, and strategic uncertainty? Perhaps as little as doing what we have been hired to do?
Our College Strategic Plan contains values, including critical thinking, equity, and social courage, that we all agreed would guide us, especially during difficult times. Our Institute Strategic Plan, developed by all of us and approved by our leadership and the University System of Georgia, encourages us to “strive for excellence,” “thrive on diversity,” and “act ethically,” among other essential principles. To the best of my knowledge, none of these values and principles has suddenly become obsolete or illegal. In fact, I am convinced these principles and values are more important now than when we adopted them.
Based on these core values and principles, then, I hope that we would simply do what we know how to do: Do our economists understand the impact of trade protectionism and deregulation? Do folks in International Affairs study the virtues of diplomacy and international partnerships? Do our colleagues in Modern Languages understand the value of multilingualism and language study for the future of global interactions? Do our colleagues in History and Sociology know about models to explain various iterations of government and society? Do our friends in Public Policy have the wherewithal to point out the dangers of situational ethics and to predict the future role of sustainability and health care policy? Do our colleagues in Literature, Media, and Communication have the tools to analyze the infodemic unleashed via transnational social media? Do our researchers in the Center for Advanced Communications Policy employ user testing and human factors analysis to help us understand the needs of people with disabilities, the aging, and other vulnerable populations? And can our experts in Writing and Communication analyze the written, oral, visual, electronic, and non-verbal signals involved in current interviews, debates, and media coverage?
If the answer to these and similar questions is “Yes,” I suggest we use our agency as educators and our substantial intellectual resources to accompany and shape the present moment. Whatever we may do outside our academic lives — as community organizers, members of a faith community, or political activists — as academics, our primary purpose is to use the tools of our professional trades to offer science-based critical analysis for everything happening around us, and to share our ideas far and wide. This moment is testing us, and failing this test is not an option. I welcome everyone’s insights on how we can best move forward, and I will continue to champion our teaching, research, scholarship, and service, all activities inspired by our shared values and principles.
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