Inviting External Speakers
Background
As a liberal arts college,
Westmont attempts to provide an education that is broad, synoptic and
integrative. An effective means by which this occurs is through healthy and
robust dialogue: the bringing together of diverse ideas and people, both to
understand the range of possibilities, and to counter the natural tendency
towards parochialism or limited perspective.
As a Christian college, Westmont
attempts to provide an education that helps students understand the rich
applicability and varied implications of the historic Christian faith to all of
life. An effective means by which this occurs is through an appreciative and
critical exploration of our Protestant evangelical heritage: seeking to
discover what it means to be true to our own biblical heritage in new and
challenging circumstances, to examine diverse perspectives, to incorporate new
insights and dislodge old errors while remaining true to the central verities
that shape and give direction to our Christian faith.
Therefore, we encourage our
community to engage and grapple with diverse ideas in order to more fully
appreciate and pursue what is true and good and beautiful. Our goal is to
engage in stimulating community dialogue about a diverse range of issues and
concerns in a manner that enhances the intellectual, social, and spiritual
development of our students.
For these reasons, the College
has a practice of inviting speakers to campus or sponsoring events that help us
better understand and assess our evangelical heritage, or that offer diverse
viewpoints about current societal issues.
Policy and Procedures
The Provost's Office and the Office of Student Life have
primary responsibility for the educational programs of the college and the
authority to invite and sponsor external speakers for college events in the
advancement of the collegeÕs educational mission. By extension of this
authority, staff and faculty departments may extend invitations to external
speakers for departmental-related campus events.
Student clubs may propose external speaker events using the Club Event Proposal form. Campus Life will consider for approval
only student club event proposals made in this format. All other students may propose external speaker
events using the Westmont Activities
Council Idea Proposal form.
The Provost and/or Vice President for Student Life and Dean
of Students in consultation with the President will resolve any disputes or
controversies regarding the suitability of an external speaker for a campus
event.