Learning
Dr. Sharp chosen to participate in seminar on Ancient Greece
Associate Professor of Philosophy Dr. Rob Sharp has been chosen to participate in an Ancient Greece in the Modern Classroom seminar, “The Verbal Art of Plato,” June 24-30, Muskingum University announced today. A select group was chosen from a nominations collected across the country by the Council of Independent Colleges (CIC).
Dr. Sharp is among 21 faculty members selected out of 51 nominations to participate in the seminar, which will take place at Harvard University’s Center for Hellenic Studies campus in Washington, DC. The program is funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.
“Strengthening the teaching of the classics at colleges and universities is of critical importance. This seminar series addresses the challenge of keeping alive in undergraduate education classical texts that a generation ago were read and understood by every college graduate,” said CIC President Richard Ekman. “We believe that Dr. Sharp will contribute to the seminar in meaningful ways and learn much that will energize teaching when he returns home.”
Designed primarily for non-specialists, the seminar will explore Plato’s dialogues in which he “stages” encounters between Socrates, his mentor, and some of the most celebrated intellectuals in the second half of the fifth century BCE. The language of these conversations reflects Plato’s keen ear for the complex traditions of verbal art.
“I’m honored to have been chosen to represent Muskingum University in this discussion,” Dr. Sharp said. “It’s critical as time progresses and generational preferences change, that we think entrepreneurially about the way we teach the classics. I hope to contribute not only my thoughts on the subjects being discussed, but also to bring new ideas back to New Concord that further strengthen my courses.”
For more than ten years, CIC has collaborated with the Center for Hellenic Studies to provide seminars on teaching the classics for small and mid-sized independent colleges that have a limited number of faculty members or courses in the classics. The seminar is ideal for faculty members who have been trained in other disciplines and who seek opportunities to explore major classical texts and learn new ways to teach these texts to undergraduates.
For more information about the seminar, visit CIC's website.
