Nancy started this…

Essentially, it was her idea to get David and Allen together to work on a project that used and focused on interdisciplinary thought – connections between the sciences and the humanities, directed specifically towards the undergraduate community. Fortunately, and over coffee, David and Allen hit it off pretty quick and started to think a little (and then a lot) about such a grand educational initiative.

The first thing they realized, of course, was that neither was at all comfortable talking about the sciences and the humanities. Allen, after all, specializes in international security, and David dabbles in molecular genetics, worthy disciplines on their own, but obviously nowhere near representative of the enormous breath behind the two largest faculties on campus. What to do? What to do?

What they did, was write a grant. And this grant essentially said something like the following:

We would like to offer a “Global Citizenship Seminar Series” as a joint initiative of the University of British Columbia’s Faculties of Arts and Science (as well as many others including those from groups as diverse as UBC Student Development and UBC Community Affairs). Its primary mission is to educate members of the UBC community (notably undergraduate students) on the pressing global issues of our time. This will encompass a website, design of a future interdisciplinary course addressing global issues, and delivery of the aforementioned speaker’s series showcasing high profile (and engaging) academics, cognoscenti, and proactive members of our global community. By creating a synergistic forum that addresses topics such as climate change, sustainability, GMOs and AIDS, we hope to stress the importance of multi-disciplinary learning, thus inspiring students to actively pursue university educations that will assist them in developing and promoting just, civil, and sustainable societies throughout the world.

Nice, right? Without the more eloquent grant speak, it simply queried: “We’ve got this great idea for an interdiciplinary course, but need to do some homework first ,before we’re comfortable delivering it. To focus a bit, let’s concentrate on pressing global issues, maybe start a website to collect information, and bring out great people who we can learn from – get pumped up, you know. Grant reviewer people, can you help us?”

Happily, they did, and this website is one small but important part of that ideal. This website aims to act as a voice, a textbook of sorts, and a place to present information, opinions, creations, reviews and really anything that tackles some aspect of the many topics and subjects that fall under the global issues of concern.

Of course, there is always the fear that a project of such considerable intent will crash and burn. But we hope to be resilient, and are optimistic that there are many like us who want to help make it work. Funny, but in some respects, these are attributes not unlike the needs and hopes of our own troubled planet.

Alright. Game on.

FIRST THINGS FIRST
Terry is affectionate for “terra” – as in the Earth, as in where you live.

THE GENERAL IDEA!
(from a conceptual point of view)
The Terry Project’s primary mission is to educate members of the UBC community (notably undergraduate students) on the pressing global issues of our time. This will encompass a website, provision of an interdisciplinary course addressing global issues, and delivery of a speaker’s series showcasing high profile (and engaging) academics, cognoscenti, and proactive members of our global community. By creating a synergistic forum that addresses topics such as climate change, sustainability, social inequity, GMOs and AIDS, we hope to stress the importance of multi-disciplinary learning, thus inspiring students to actively pursue university educations that will assist them in developing and promoting just, civil, and sustainable societies throughout the world.

THE SPEAKER SERIES.
Each school year, the Terry Project is fortunate enough to showcase 2 to 3 high profile speakers per year (free, and usually hosted at the UBC Chan Centre). As well, where possible, we attempt to match speaker interests with pertinent groups on campus. This way, there is a component of both general outreach, but also hopefully some aspect of utility that can be gained.

THE WEBLOG AND THE WRITING CHALLENGE.
(terry.ubc.ca)
The Terry project has an online portal which showcases the written wit of a number of UBC bloggers – always something interesting to read. The website also functions as a one stop repository for highly recommended UBC events.

As well, the Terry website in collaboration with the UBC Bookstore, hosts an annual writing challenge. This is possibly the easiest writing contest ever. Hand in stuff that you would probably do for school anyway, with the opportunity to win from $1500 worth of bookstore giftcards!

ASIC 200 – THAT‘S ARTS AND SCIENCE INTEGRATED COURSE – GLOBAL ISSUES.
What is ASIC200? Full course details can be found at terry.ubc.ca, but here’s a gander at the general course description:

“Human society confronts a range of challenges that are global in scope. These changes threaten planetary and local ecosystems, the stability and sustainability of human societies, and the health and well being of human individuals and communities. The natural and human worlds are now interacting at the global level to an unprecedented degree. Responding to these global issues will be the greatest challenge facing human society in the 21st century. In this course students will explore selected global issues from the perspective of both the physical and life sciences and the social sciences and humanities. The fundamental philosophy of the course is that global issues cannot be fully understood or addressed without a functional literacy in both the Sciences and the Arts. In this course, students will develop the knowledge and the practical skills required to become engaged citizens in the local, national, and international civil society dialogue on global issues.”

AND LASTLY : A LIMERICK…
(because, you know – it works)
There once was a project named Terry
That wanted to make people wary
Of things going on
In the world that are wrong
Without making it all seem too scary.