The Geneva Question is an initiative designed to promote intentional and in-depth thinking, discussion, and edifying debate on a particular subject and explore its relation to all fields of study, life, and work. The question will be a topic students will be invited to discuss, about which speakers can lecture, and that faculty can integrate into their classes.
During the spring semester we hold a competition where a student will partner with a member of the faculty or staff to create a question. Each team provides a short essay explaining the basis and pertinence of the question they devise. The question should be significant, relevant, and relate to many areas of our academic and personal lives. It is essential that the question be open-ended and unbiased to encourage many ideas to form in the process of collaborative critical thinking.
In the fall, students, faculty, and staff are encouraged to integrate the question into their endeavors, speakers are invited to campus to address the question, and special discussion forums are offered that center around the question. Throughout the year, a portfolio of the year’s lectures, essays, and relevant discussions is assembled online.
When choosing a question to submit for the competition, it is essential that the question encompass a host of topics and fields of study in a concise manner. The question should be metaphysical, promote theoretical discussion, and have practical applications. Some examples of such questions are:
Questions like these do not have a clear or immediate answer and will promote discussion on a variety of topics with a wide range of applications.
After the entries have been submitted, a committee of faculty and students will blindly evaluate the questions and one will be chosen as the winner. The winning question will be announced in late April. The winning student and faculty member will each be awarded $100.
April 25: All questions must be submitted along with their essays to crossroads@krissystems.com or delivered to the Crossroads Office
April 27: The results will be mailed to all of the entrants.
April 30: The winning question will be announced to the campus.
Fall & Spring: Exploration of the question
Below is a list of staff and faculty who are willing to partner with a student and engage in this competition:
Although these members of the faculty and staff have expressed a willingness to work with students on The Geneva Question, students should feel free to approach other faculty and staff who might also be interested in serving as a Geneva Question mentor.