The Dana Forum

Overview
Nature of the Project
Timeline and Requirements
Blackboard Site


Overview
One of the fundamental goals of the DANA Scholars program is to “help outstanding students relate their education to the world beyond college.”  Furthermore, through a sequence of academic experiences, DANA scholars will have many opportunities to explore their beliefs about “learning, work, community life, and personal responsibility.”  In keeping with these goals, the DANA forum will provide students with an avenue to explore ideas in greater depth and to make meaningful connections between their academic experiences and the world around them. The DANA forum is intended to serve as a culminating experience that fosters a greater sense of community among DANA scholars and enriches the intellectual climate on campus. Like other aspects of the DANA program, the Forum is designed to provide students with the flexibility to pursue paths that interest and challenge them.


Nature of the Project. 
In the Forum, students in teams of two or three will research a topic related to the College's Center for Ethics theme. The Dana Forum will be completed during the spring semester of the Dana Scholar's senior year. Each team will work with one or two faculty members much in the same way that students currently work on their mentorships.  The specific nature of each team’s project will depend on the students’ background, interests, and goals.  The final project may take a variety of forms (e.g., traditional research paper, dramatic performance).  Because of the goals of the DANA program, projects that also serve the community (e.g., needs assessment for local agency) are strongly encouraged.  The only requirement for the project is that it  must have a substantive connection to the Center for Ethics Theme.  A variety of events sponsored by the Center for Ethics will help support students’ inquiry.


Timeline and Requirements
 

Opening dinner (September 18, 2006). Students will gather for an orientation to the Forum program and to the Center for Ethics theme. Selected faculty will lead a panel discussion on developing ideas to help students begin the process of developing their project.

The Letter of Intent (Due by November 1). Each student team submits a 1-2 page “letter of intent” that briefly describes the general direction of their projects and the signature of a faculty sponsor acknowledging a commitment to mentor the student team.   Within 2 weeks of submitting the letter of intent, each student must meet briefly with the Forum director (Dr. Mark Sciutto) to discuss any concerns or suggestions for the project.

The Proposal (Due by the last day of class in the Fall Semester).  Each student team will submit a written proposal to the Forum director and its faculty mentor.  The proposal must include the following sections (bulleted questions reflect suggested content; each proposal may differ depending on its approach and topic). The final content and length of the proposal should be determined based on consultation with the faculty mentor(s):

Overview of the Proposed Project.

  • What is the central question that your project will address?  Why is this question important?  

  • Describe the relevant context and justification for this question (e.g., prior research, community needs, etc.)

  • How do you propose to address this question? 

  • What might the final product look like? (e.g., research paper/presentation, public performance, work of art)

Rationale

  • How does the project, as proposed, relate to the Center for Ethics theme?

  • In what ways are your methodology/approach appropriate to your question?


Spring 2006 Agenda (tentative)

Early Semester
Brief presentations/brown-bag type discussions (over a series of 3 weeks) to help students focus their projects. 

  

 Mid-Semester Update (Mid-Late March)

  • Each group meets briefly with Forum director to discuss progress and anticipate needs for the formal presentation/performance.  At this point, each group should finalize and confirm the specific nature of the final product. This information will be used to plan the forum events.

 

Forum (Last 3 weeks of April) 

Note.  The specific guidelines and requirements for the DANA Forum may change as we reflect on the goals of the DANA program and coordinate earlier steps in the process. However, the Forum will likely involve several core components: 

  • Dissemination: A formal public presentation/performance of each groups project, followed by a discussion period. The specific nature of the final presentation or performance is flexible and will be determined in consultation with the Forum director and the faculty mentors.

 

  • Community: Two of the goals of the DANA forum are to foster a greater sense of community among the DANA scholars and to enrich the intellectual climate across campus. The forum will contribute to these goals by (a) providing a shared intellectual experience that represents the culmination of the process that began with the First-Year Seminars and (b) engaging the broader college community in scholarly discourse.

 

  • Reflection: Beyond the formal presentation or performance, DANA scholars will be encouraged to reflect on their experiences in the DANA forum. This may involve a reflective essay to be submitted to the faculty mentors and the Forum director.