Dear Friam Members,
I have now talked to some of the principals involved in the CSF situation. It
appears that a consensus is forming that the best solution to this crisis MUST
arise from the City of Santa Fe. Perhaps a City University of Santa Fe is a
real possibillity.
If the City is to move on this, those communities in Town who care about
higher education here -- who thrive and want to raise our children and
grandchildren in a city with all the things that higher education brings --
lectures, concerts, films, coffee houses, theatre performances, interesting
neighbors, and,most important, YOUNG people -- need to be ready to support it.
Steve and The Complex have already done a wonderful job of mobilizing the
technical-complexity community. But now I think we need to mobilize the
community of active and retired academic people. Such people might be
enormously useful in providing support during a transition.
So, I am resending the appeal I sent out a few days ago. In addition, I am
asking for somebody to help me think this thing through. I think I need to get
my hands on the public lecture lists for SFI, SAR, and St. Johns. I might
need to put an ad ins ome publication. I am not FROM here, and people often
tell me that my Eastern Ways often lead me astray. So if any of you can think
of somebody who might help me in this effort, I would be most grateful AND
please think of people who might repond positively to the attached
communication.
The Next Task Force meeting is tomorrow in the Udall Blding: first drive way on
the right after you turn off of Old Santa Fe Trail headed toward the museums,at
10 am. If you arrive a bit earlier, you can schmooz with dignitaries. There is
free coffee ... of sorts.
In haste,
nick
Nicholas S. Thompson
Emeritus Professor of Psychology and Ethology
Clark University ([email protected])
http://home.earthlink.net/~nickthompson/naturaldesigns/
----- Original Message ----
From: Nicholas Thompson
To: [email protected]
Cc: [email protected]
Sent: 4/14/2009 12:39:38 AM; Subject: CSF Task Force;
Dear Local Friam Members
I took pleasure in the news that Governor Richardson had created a Task Force
to recommend action concerning the College of Santa Fe situation. Santa Fe
should have a general 4-year College. Without such an institution to attract
young people, we risk becoming city of old folks. In fact, I wish we would
reach beyond a 4-year college toward a City University of Santa Fe which
focuses on advanced learning in all the things that the City is good at: art,
technology,government,ecology, and anthropology, music, for starters. I see
the City is the campus and the museums, art galleries, studios, performance
spaces, think- tanks, government offices, and technical facilities as its
laboratories.
But how do we get through the present rough spot? I observed the Task Force
Meeting today. One puzzling feature of that meeting is that; while many Task
Force members acknowledged that there was a lot of untapped academic firepower
in the City, few if any members of our community of academics showed up to
represent their interests. Where those 200-400 people who so faithfully attend
the SFI and the SAR Lectures at the James A. Little?! I think the Task Force is
much more likely to do something for Santa Fe if it feels that the huge
community of former and active academics that lives here is ready to pitch in.
So, I would like FRIAM members to help me assemble a list of local academics
who express an interest in the development of a City four-year (+?) institution
that is profoundly Santa Fe-ish and will perhaps be willing to volunteer
temporary courses, where needed, and/or to work their own professional networks
of academic connections to recruit students and a permanent faculty. Please
notice that I am specifically NOT asking for money. I would like to be able to
carry a list of 25 such academic volunteers to the next meeting of the Task
Force, which is this Friday. Ultimately, I would like to have a list of 50
100.
Here is what I need you to do. First, if you are -- or ever have been an
academic, and live in or around Santa Fe at least part of the year, and are
willing to consider giving some help during a transition from CSF to whatever
might follow, please send me an email telling me so and giving me your name;
your specialty, your highest degree and from where; your last academic
position, and where. Here, for instance is what I will say:
"Yes I am willing to help out, if I can. Nicholas S. Thompson, Psychology and
Behavioral Biology, PhD; UC Berkeley 1966, Professor of Psychology and
Ethology,Departments of Psychology and Biology, Clark University, Worcester MA
until 2007. "
Please, PLEASE, do not be fussy about this. Don't worry if your specialty is
relevant. Don't worry that you might not be able to fulfill your offer. (If you
are ever asked to make good on your offer; you can always refuse with honor on
the ground your circumstances have changed.) What is important now is to
express to the Task Force the support of Santa Fes community of active and
former academics for some sort of action to support higher education in Santa
Fe. The details are not important.
After you have done this (or instead of doing it); would you please forward
this letter to academics of your acquaintance who live in or around the city,
or call them, or give me their names or emails so I can call them. I promise I
will be polite and not pushy.
You may reach me as [email protected] or at a special email address I set up
for this purpose [email protected]. Earthlink has an annoying
spam-trap, but I promise to attend quickly to any messages that don't get
through it.
Nick
Nicholas S. Thompson
Emeritus Professor of Psychology and Ethology,
Clark University ([email protected])
http://home.earthlink.net/~nickthompson/naturaldesigns/
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