Ben Snyder
What do you think is the purpose of a liberal arts education? To me, a liberal arts education is all about citizenship. My hope is that all of the students I work with leave Williams better able to talk to people with whom they don't agree, form connections across differences, and work together to do difficult things. The classroom is the central space in which I hope to cultivate those habits in students, but a lot of it happens outside the classroom too. That's why I see so much potential in the small, residential college experience, in particular, where I can get to know my students outside of class and they can get to know me too.
Which part of that committee's charge most resonates with you? AAUP is exciting to me because it holds the potential to open up a whole new way of collectivizing and democratizing decision-making at the college. I see the VP role as helping to create an environment in which lots of different voices in the faculty can be heard, helping us identify which cross-cutting issues are worth working on together, and working with the senior administration, FSC, etc. to identify solutions. My hope is that AAUP can help shift the faculty from being perpetually in a reactive mode to crises, toward being more proactive--able to move issues that we want to work on to the top of the agenda before they become crises.
Have you chaired a college committee? Yes, CDC
Have you chaired a unit? No
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Tim Lebestky
What do you think is the purpose of a liberal arts education? To help guide oneself towards a life with meaning, and to develop growth opportunities for resilience, understanding, and curiosity.
Have you chaired a college committee? Yes, CDC
Have you chaired a unit? Yes