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Mark Katz, Public and International Affairs, will teach a summer seminar
on the international relations of the Sept. 11 crisis.
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Special Summer Courses Delve into Sept. 11 Topics
By Elena Barbre
George Mason is offering a series of seminars and special topics courses in community and world affairs for the first time this summer to address issues raised by the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11.
In an effort that administrators hope will be a prototype for future summer sessions, faculty members from 6 of the university's 10 academic units have pulled together 31 courses on topics ranging from agents of bioterrorism to religious fundamentalism and violence to coping with anxiety and trauma. The goal is to engage members of the university and local communities in discussions that will deepen their understanding of last fall's tragic events.
The idea was born when Renate Guilford, director of summer term, started discussions with the College of Nursing and Health Science about a special topics course on health care. "It occurred to me that offering the course with a slant toward the impact of Sept. 11 on health management would be an interesting approach," says Guilford, "not only for our own students but for people in the community." The result of that first discussion is a special topics course in biological, chemical, natural disasters taught by associate professor Charlene Douglas. By focusing on public preparedness, responding to mass casualties, and communicating risk without causing panic, Douglas hopes to "give a group of future professionals a basic grounding in the care of a population in crisis."
Guilford started soliciting ideas from various departments and was amazed at the response. "Faculty just stepped right up to the plate," she says. Some of the courses already existed and simply needed an added emphasis on Sept. 11 issues, but many were created just for this session.
"It adds a real spark of creativity to the process when faculty are given a chance to apply their expertise to a critical topic," says Linda Schwartzstein, vice provost for academic affairs. "The events of the fall already weigh on people's minds, but this is a chance to explore these issues in the classroom and from many different perspectives."
Mark Katz, a professor in the Department of Public and International Affairs, plans to explore conflicts between Muslims and non-Muslims and how they are viewed around the world in his seminar on the international relations of the Sept. 11 crisis. "Back in September we just had news reports, and things were very confusing as they were happening," says Katz. He sees his seminar as a way to "create links between events and look back at it more coherently."
The response so far has been positive. "Part of the university's mission is to help us understand the world around us, and this is certainly a large aspect of that," says Schwartzstein. "The university is providing an opportunity to explore issues that are of vital interest and relevance."
For more information about the courses or to register, visit the summer term web site at summer.gmu.edu or call x32300. |
