The Great Decisions Series

The McDonough Center and the Marietta Branch of the Association of University Women (AAUW) work in partnership every year to bring The Great Decisions Series to the Mid-Ohio Valley. The series is part of a national project organized by the Foreign Policy Association (FPA), with headquarters in New York City.

The Great Decisions Series offers the possibility for people of our local area to learn more about current world issues and concerns through reading written materials, listening to formal presentations, discussing the material with the aid of a facilitator, and to finally share their opinions by submitting opinion ballots after each small group discussion of the weekly topic. In the past, topics have included: Iraq, the European Union, Russia, Latin America, and China.

The series is held on Sunday afternoons for six weeks beginning in January. Each week a member of the Marietta College faculty presents an overview of the day’s topic. Following the opening session, members of the Marietta Branch of AAUW host a refreshment break. At the conclusion of the break, series participants gather to discuss the day’s topic. Students from the McDonough Leadership Program facilitate the group discussions. The McDonough Scholars are trained in facilitation and use this discussion as an opportunity to practice their leadership skills. Before adjourning, each participant completes an opinion ballot. The ballot information then is sent to FPA, which drafts a report to The White House, the departments of State and Defense, and Congress. This report is designed to show to policy-makers public opinion on pertinent topics involving U.S. foreign policy.

Registration for the series begins in October and includes a $25 fee. The registration fee covers the cost of the Great Decisions Briefing Book and refreshments . Enrollment is limited. Registration is required to guarantee delivery of the course books.

Click here to register online or print out the registration form

For more information, contact Christy Hockenberry at (740) 376-4624 or email her at hockenba@marietta.edu.

See the FPA write up about the McDonough-AAUW partnership:

http://www.fpa.org/topics_info2414/topics_info_show.htm?doc_id=676931