2001:The Odyssey of a College on a Humanics Mission- Delight Champagne (c. 2001)

Champagne, Delight · April 18, 2001

This document titled “2001: The Odyssey of a College on a Humanics Mission” is the Humanics Lecture that was given at Springfield College by Distinguished Professor of Humanics Delight Champagne on April 18, 2001. Champagne starts off her speech by stating that Springfield College is on a mission to meet the Humanics ideal, a mission that is not unlike that of Ulysses or the space travelers in the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey. Hence the name of Champagne’s lecture is explained. She explains, however, that there are as many definitions of the Humanics “Ideal” as there are people at Springfield College. She goes on to say that our skewed expectations about the Humanics philosophy have arisen due to the emphasis on parts of the college mission, such as “Spirit,” “Mind,” “Body,” “The Triangle,” “Leadership,” “Service,” etc. as separate entities with no connection to each other. Champagne states that she has taken apart the dimensions of Humanics, taken the “manic” out of Humanics and put the “human” back in, and she asks all of us to also put the separate entities back together. Champagne states that there are three spheres or systems in the Humanics philosophy: the person, the college, and the larger world. She explains that the glue that holds these concepts together is the understanding that these three systems should be viewed as dynamic, interacting systems. She goes on to state that the purpose of today’s lecture is to do three things: articulate a systems view of the Humanics philosophy; identify shared ideals or virtues associated with each system; and demonstrate that the college is a conduit of learning between the person and the larger world. Champagne set up the lobby of the building to reflect two out of the three systems of Humanics, to intentionally grab the attention of attendees. The first system is the whole person. Champagne explains that she decorated the left side of the lobby with creative achievements of students performing dance, art, sport, and music. The second system is humanity and the wider world. Champagne decorated the right side of the lobby with pictures and exhibits of contributions made by members of the College in service to humanity, such as Humanics in Action day, service trips to Mexico and Haiti, and other community service projects. The third system is the College, and was not represented in the lobby. Champagne states the College is a place, however, it is also each and every one of us at any given moment in time. The College is influenced both by the individuals that make it up and the larger world. Systems evolve, and Champagne next goes on to discuss the developmental outcomes in the evolution of the three systems. In regards to the system of the person, the major developmental outcome would be character. For the College it is culture, and for the larger world, it is community. Next, Champagne discusses fifteen virtues of Humanics for the 21st century. They are: civility, compassion and empathy, harmony, wisdom, integrity, curiosity and learning, caring and conscience, inclusion and openness, leadership and pioneering spirit, service, social structure, shared support for members, shared goals, opportunities/ prosperity, and safety. She states that these virtues will continue to serve the test of time in any world or circumstance. Champagne demonstrates that the college is the conduit of learning between the person and the larger world that acts to connect all three systems together. She concludes by stating that we are in a very exciting time in the history of the College as we are on an Odyssey that will take us on adventures and bring on challenges with each new step ahead.