1. Why do you want to be in the President's seminar, and what can you contribute to it?

I would like to be a student in the President's seminar because this class will give me the opportunity to ask questions and discuss issues pertaining to higher education both at Cal Poly and the CSU system in general. As an African-American male, I am particularly concerned about the lack of diversity in higher education and what steps the university intends to take to address this issue. As a Biology major, I am interested in how the university plans to keep up with the changes in science and technology so as to be able to provide its students with modern equipment in the laboratory and advanced teaching techniques in the classroom. Finally, as an undergraduate student I would like to learn about the role of the university as it pertains to our society back in the past and here in the present and how that role is expected to change in the future. Although I do not expect to find all the answers to all my questions and concerns about higher education from this one class, I feel that by enrolling in HUM X490 I will gain valuable knowledge and guided direction towards the answers I seek.

Although I do not hold any professional expertise I feel that my experiences as a student of color majoring in the sciences will provide a unique and dynamic perspective to issues dealing with higher education. I am comfortable giving my opinion both orally and in written prose and would welcome the opportunity to exchange ideas with both the instructor and fellow classmates.

2. Are there particular issues that you would like to see addressed in this course?

Specific issues I would like to see discussed in this class include:
1) Adapting the university environment to that of the muticultural world we live in.
2) Modernizing labs and classrooms to take advantage of new technologies
3) Bridging the social and economic gaps between the university and society today.