The founder of Methodism, John Wesley, said, “Do all the good you can. By all the means you can. In all the ways you can. In all the places you can. At all the times you can. To all the people you can. As long as ever you can.” The High Point University Legacy Lecture series asks faculty and students to reflect on how the liberal arts values they have learned inform their lives, both during their university years and in the years that follow. How do the values inculcated by a liberal arts education–truth, justice, equality, and compassion–inspire and transform our graduates during their time and High Point and after they move beyond our campus walls? In what ways do classroom deliberations – for example, examinations of social justice in Political Science, character and action in English, or problem solving in Chemistry or Physics — live on in their spirits and memories, and continue to shape their lives? Each year, the Legacy Lecturer challenges students, graduates, and educators to discover the deep connections between their course work at High Point University, the life choices they make, and the legacies they leave.
Legacy Lecturers are selected by seniors from among faculty teaching upper level courses. The annual Legacy Lecture is presented by the senior class officers following a reception for seniors, staff, and faculty. In order to foster a breadth of perspectives and disciplines, faculty may be selected to give a Legacy Lecture only once every three years.
Past Legacy Lectures:
2019-2020 Legacy Lecture cancelled due to COVID 19
October 29, 2018 – “Step Outside” – Dr. Briana L. Fiser, Associate Professor of Physics
May 4, 2017 – “Ripples In The Ocean” – Dr. Brian H. Augustine, Professor and Chair of the Chemistry Department
May 4, 2016 – “A Journey of Stories” by Dr. David Bergen, Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation Professor of Human Relations and Chair of the Human Relations, Sociology and Non-Profit Studies Department
May 6, 2015 – Inaugural Legacy Lecture: “Lessons Learned” by Dr. Dennis Carroll, Provost