University Business - February 2008 - (Page 32)

INDEPENDENT OUTLOOK Men (Harvard University Press, 2000) Harvard sociologist Michéle Lamont describes the link between people who do work involving tangible things and integrity. As a nonscientist, I have marveled that when I have asked scientists what they a compelling case that mastering science is not enough; moral and ethical issues must be part of the equation. Liberal arts colleges that have a culture of scientiﬁc research are the most likely to promote discussion of moral issues and ethical dilemmas. Such discussions are, in fact, the essence of the liberal arts. As Václav Havel said in his 1995 Harvard commencement address, our capacity to make scientiﬁc discoveries is at an alltime high, but the 21st century challenge is to have our “conscience catch up.” The best science PhDs committed to research and teaching ought to look to liberal arts colleges. Students interested in careers in science should not be seduced by the glamour of the big universities without also considering liberal arts colleges. That is also truer than ever for funders. We need to constantly appreciate the signiﬁcance of what liberal arts colleges are doing to ground the education of our next generation of scientists in moral and ethical values. the percentage of liberal arts students doing scientiﬁc research is far higher than at large universities. Now it will be easier than ever for students at liberal arts colleges, away from multimillion-dollar accelerators, to engage in research. That is unequivocally a good thing for the nation’s supply of scientists in the coming decades. The case for scientiﬁc literacy is clear, and it is good for science and good for the country if more and more students do scientiﬁc research as part of their undergraduate education. But there is another reason to promote science at those institutions in which teaching is done by regular faculty members who understand that doing research is part and parcel of the education of science majors. THE MORAL CONTENT OF SCIENCE EDUCATION Having been trained as a historian, I believe the intrinsic moral content of doing scientiﬁc research is too little noted. In her aptly titled book, The Dignity of Working Mastering science is not enough—moral and ethical issues must be part of the equation. learned from their ﬁrst research experiences, over and over again the ﬁrst thing they mention is integrity. As the late Nobel laureate Richard Feynman wrote, “In science you learn a kind of standard of integrity and honesty.” Science, in short, is bound up with the discipline of accepting the data—not the desired or preconceived outcome but the evidence. Science fosters integrity, but the horrors of the 20th century add up to create Wimba helps At Boston College Boston College (BC), one of the most prestigious universities in the United States, “has made a major commitment to academic excellence.” Ranked 35th among national universities by U.S. News and World Report, BC has experienced tremendous growth in recent years, including a 43% increase in undergraduate applications over the past decade. BC relies on Wimba's Collaboration Suite to enhance learning and bring its online classes to life. To help maintain its competitive edge, BC plans to increase its use of Wimba's end to end solutions over the coming years. To learn more about Boston College and other Wimba success stories, visit: www.wimba.com/learnmore 32 | February 2008 universitybusiness.com http://www.wimba.com/learnmore http://www.wimba.com/learnmore http://universitybusiness.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of University Business - February 2008

University Business - February 2008
Contents
College Index
Company Index
Advisory Board
Editor's Note
Stats Watch
Sense of Place
Viewpoint
Future Shock
Independent Outlook
On the Hill
Facilities Focus
Cover Story: Orientation Rites: Seal the Deal
A Sense of Security
Growing the Giving Tree
Are We Covered?
Baby Boomers, Back to Campus
Internet Technology
What's New
Calendar of Events
End Note

University Business - February 2008