President's Message

When Tim Davis and I had lunch at the Towson Diner last November and thought about a state-wide philosophy and religion association for community college faculty, we had high hopes, but we weren't sure if the idea would fly.  What if we called a meeting and nobody came?  Well, we could just eat all the box lunches and drink the Cokes, and call it a day. 

January 2001 Meeting:  Thus, it was gratifying to have our apprehensions assuaged when so many members came to the inaugural meeting on January 6th.  I think everyone agreed it was an entirely enjoyable and worthwhile day.  It was especially nice to see so many colleagues from points near and far across the state.  Thanks for coming.  If you couldn't make it, check out the meeting minutes link.

Re the meeting:  Thanks to Tim and CCBC Essex for hosting the meeting and supplying lunch.

Also, thanks to Wayne Alt for his keynote presentation on the use of computers and the internet in teaching philosophy.  The use of the internet can be daunting, and the experiences and insights Wayne shared were invaluable. 

We were so impressed with Wayne's expertise with computers, we have prevailed upon him to set up a web page for MCCPRA.  And because of Wayne's efforts on the association's behalf, I've taken the presidential privilege of appointing him as executive secretary.  Ain't that always the way?  Do a really good job, and your reward is more work!

Next Meeting:  We need to set up our second meeting, hopefully sometime after the conclusion of the spring semester.  It seems only fair to have future meetings at different places around the state, so we can variously take turns at the long haul.  If your college can host the upcoming spring meeting, and you're outside the Baltimore area, let us know.  Also, what do you want to do?         

Constitution:  At the business portion of the January meeting, it was suggested we should have a constitution.  Check out the preliminary draft I've done, and let me know what needs to be added, subtracted, altered, etc.  I'm at gowens@harford.cc.md.us.  We can hash out the details at our next meeting.

Membership Roster:  Please take a look, and see if there's anybody or any information that's been left out.  It was a chore finding everyone, and I'm sure somebody somewhere slipped between the proverbial cracks.  Let us know. 

Resources:  Everybody please contribute your course syllabi to this page.  I know that when I cast about for a better text book, or want to add something more interesting to a course, it really helps to see what others are doing.  I've also thrown in my "Outcomes" pages. In case you're going through that delightful process in the near future, feel free to use whatever works for you.

Rest of the Web Page:  Take a look at the other links on the page, and please, please feel free to give any insights and suggestions.  Our association is brand new; the goal is for it to be useful and worthwhile for everyone, and that happens best if we know what our mutual needs and interests are. 

Best wishes for a great semester!

Gary Owens

Harford Community College