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The Honor Code at Haverford creates an environment of deep trust, respect, and collegiality between professors and students which, in turn, fosters open dialogue and free intellectual exchange. Talk about the conditions you think are essential to allowing this type of dialogue and exchange in both academic and non-academic settings.
During my whole scolarity, teachers always have needed to create a balance of power between them and students. The most appreciated teachers were those who have not thought that founding this kind of relation was necessary. Unfortunately, the french education system is based on this relation of authority, where dialogue and intellectual exchange are the last priority of teachers. This is why I believe that equality and considering others like mature and responsabe persons are the first condition for dialogue and intellectual exchange, in both academic and non-academic settings.
Professors. Why should I deal with students ? They are immature, and what would I gain from this relation ? This is what professors can think if they do not consider students as their intellectual equals. Sharing culture and knowledge is not reserved only for adults. An open-mind can easily see in every student an intellectual spirit hungry of knowledge and full of the will to learn from experimented persons. The first basic condition deals with that : otherness. Everyone must believe that his mates are able to exchange with him; if any one thinks that he is above the community, the exchange can not be realized because there will not be this relation, this confidence to each other, a considering for what is exchanged. Thus, i think that professors are the first persons who must convey this philosophy that is essential for establishing dialogue and intellectual exchanges between professors and students and also between students.
Students. They are the body of university; its value depends of its students. One comes from Africa, Asia or Europe. The other is jewish, muslim or christian. Another one speaks arabic while his friend speaks hebrew, but in the same time all students speak the same language that is not english. They all speak the language of honor and respect, the universal language that makes students cling to each other and make a strong community. They are like puzzle pieces. The objective is to make this puzzle assembled as to create an harmonious picture, which can not be complete whithout one of the pieces. This is to say that students are complementary and their relations based on respect, fraternity and honor lead to intellectual exchange and an open dialogue and this is what makes the puzzle of the university harmonious and full of meaning. It may seem utopic but this is what every university should look to. This whole metaphore is just a way to show that tolerance between students, wherever they come from and whatever are their religions is the basic of intellectual exchange and dialogue. Every single student must be linked to any other one by this hunger of knowledge and building the Honor community.
Finally, the Honor code is a sort of contract, a promess made by every Haverford College student for foundind an intellectual community, which includes every single person working with or for the college.
This is how man become brothers. This is how brothers become a family.
The Honor Code at Haverford creates an environment of deep trust, respect, and collegiality between professors and students which, in turn, fosters open dialogue and free intellectual exchange. Talk about the conditions you think are essential to allowing this type of dialogue and exchange in both academic and non-academic settings.
During my whole scolarity, teachers always have needed to create a balance of power between them and students. The most appreciated teachers were those who have not thought that founding this kind of relation was necessary. Unfortunately, the french education system is based on this relation of authority, where dialogue and intellectual exchange are the last priority of teachers. This is why I believe that equality and considering others like mature and responsabe persons are the first condition for dialogue and intellectual exchange, in both academic and non-academic settings.
Professors. Why should I deal with students ? They are immature, and what would I gain from this relation ? This is what professors can think if they do not consider students as their intellectual equals. Sharing culture and knowledge is not reserved only for adults. An open-mind can easily see in every student an intellectual spirit hungry of knowledge and full of the will to learn from experimented persons. The first basic condition deals with that : otherness. Everyone must believe that his mates are able to exchange with him; if any one thinks that he is above the community, the exchange can not be realized because there will not be this relation, this confidence to each other, a considering for what is exchanged. Thus, i think that professors are the first persons who must convey this philosophy that is essential for establishing dialogue and intellectual exchanges between professors and students and also between students.
Students. They are the body of university; its value depends of its students. One comes from Africa, Asia or Europe. The other is jewish, muslim or christian. Another one speaks arabic while his friend speaks hebrew, but in the same time all students speak the same language that is not english. They all speak the language of honor and respect, the universal language that makes students cling to each other and make a strong community. They are like puzzle pieces. The objective is to make this puzzle assembled as to create an harmonious picture, which can not be complete whithout one of the pieces. This is to say that students are complementary and their relations based on respect, fraternity and honor lead to intellectual exchange and an open dialogue and this is what makes the puzzle of the university harmonious and full of meaning. It may seem utopic but this is what every university should look to. This whole metaphore is just a way to show that tolerance between students, wherever they come from and whatever are their religions is the basic of intellectual exchange and dialogue. Every single student must be linked to any other one by this hunger of knowledge and building the Honor community.
Finally, the Honor code is a sort of contract, a promess made by every Haverford College student for foundind an intellectual community, which includes every single person working with or for the college.
This is how man become brothers. This is how brothers become a family.