Learning about policy: Breakout will cover philosophy, politics and more

This Wednesday, April 10, will mark the start of the Helms School of Government’s annual Spring Public Policy Conference that will run the rest of the week through Friday, April 12.

The conference will cover a variety of topics through the combination of plenary and breakout sessions and panels. It will kick off at 9 a.m. on Wednesday with a greeting from interim Dean Joel Cox and then the first plenary session in the Montview Ballroom to discuss the constitution and public policy, featuring George S. Dunlop and Becky Northrop Dunlop with Gai Ferdon as moderator.

After that, Wednesday’s breakout sessions will cover philosophy, politics and virtue, as well as foreign policy issues. Breakout sessions will host students, faculty and guest presenters to look at a large scope of topics from biblical duty and government to the influences of social media.

“Liberty is occupying that space between a teaching university and a research university … you shouldn’t have to sacrifice one at the expense of the other. They’re both important,” Kahlib Fischer, government department chair, said. “We see this as an opportunity for faculty and students alike to develop their research skills and their writing proficiency — It’s supposed to be a collaborative, encouraging, mutually encouraging space to have those skills sharpened and to grow and develop.”

Thursday’s plenary sessions will look at family and social policy, free enterprise and economic policy, international relations and foreign policy, and national security and intelligence.

At 5:15 p.m., the Citizenship and Virtue Conference Reception will begin with Lt. Col. Allen B. West as the guest of honor and speaker. 

West is a Christian, conservative, combat veteran and a former member of Congress where he represented Florida’s 22nd district.

Sharene Duncombe, faculty support coordinator and part of the conference support staff, emphasized the importance of student attendance.

“We are bringing in high quality, top-tier speakers on a wide variety of subjects and that exposes our students to people who are already champions for Christ in the public sphere,” Duncombe said. “Giving (students) that vision of what it means to be a culture changer is just as important as giving them the opportunity to step out and present scholarly work.” 

Duncombe also said that online students are invited to attend and some of the breakout session presenters will be online students. 

“Every year we have a growing group of online faculty who have taught for us in the past … and so it’s always good to see them,” Fischer added. “And that kind of develops our relationship in the (Helms) School of Government as an online and residential team. That we’re not separate.”

The Public Policy Conference will come to a close on Friday with the final plenary session covering criminal justice and the rule of law, and the final breakout session covering Romanian and American citizenship and law.

All students are also invited to attend the Citizenship and Virtue Reception by RSVPing with this link.To learn more about the conference and see a full schedule of speakers and breakout sessions, visit this website.

Johnson is a news reporter for the Liberty Champion