Carlton College, une petite institution du Minnesota spécialisée dans les sciences humaines, tente souligner l’apport de ses professeurs qui partent à la retraite en essayant de leur permettre d’enseigner le “cours de leurs rêves” une dernière fois.
“We value it as a way to honor faculty who are retiring, to recognize and celebrate the contribution they have made as teachers as well as scholars,” said Beverly Nagel, college dean. “It provides an opportunity for a faculty member to teach something special that they have felt they could not otherwise fit into their teaching schedule, or to teach a final section of that course or that off-campus program that is a special part of their legacy as teachers.”
“Carleton’s web page on faculty retirement says that faculty who have signed a commitment to retire may teach one “culminating” course, to be negotiated with the dean. It may be a special topics course within the faculty member’s department or program, or an interdisciplinary or team-taught course. Culminating projects, such as a scholarly or creative work, or some kind of service, also are possible.”
Les exemples présentés dans l’article incluent un professeur émérite d’anthropologie qui choisit d’enseigner l'”anthropologie du rire”, une archéologue qui demande à redonner son cours d’Évolution humaine avec un collègue pour s’assurer que le cours se perpétue, une professeure d’allemand qui accompagne une dernière fois un voyage d’étude en Autriche.
Source: Flaherty, Colleen, “Swan Song“, Inside Higher Ed, 4 février 2014
