PREAMBLE:

The types of people attracted to IMPACT aim for excellence, not
perfection. As a result, they are concerned about the quality of their
involvement and work in whatever activities they select.  Hence, IMPACT
students often seem to wonder about whether their commitments to IMPACT are
adequate.  They muse: am I doing enough at a high enough quality that I
belong in IMPACT? Do I fit here, or should I look elsewhere for a home?

        IMPACT is in the enviable position of not needing to be large. 
Thus, we can do what very few organizations have the courage to do, viz., be
highly selective and worry only minimally about whether we are tiny or
huge.  We can focus on creating a coherent, significant community,
regardless of its size, thereby becoming what few organizations ever
achieve: unity of purpose.  Our purpose is to develop a self about which one
can be proud, as well as a vision of what a better society would look like. 
The avenue for achieving this purpose in IMPACT is the development of the
skills and attitudes associated with ethical reasoning and critical thinking.

        IMPACT takes the idea of “community” extraordinarily seriously.
IMPACT gives its members a large number of gifts in terms of exposure to and
appreciation of new questions, perspectives, cultures, and ideas.  Plus it
gives reputational benefits that can have huge positive effects, enabling
members to move easily into jobs and professional degree programs that would
ordinarily be closed to them. More importantly, it encourages reflection
about what it means to be an optimal friend, citizen, neighbor, and
significant other. Finally, it provides a home where extreme learners are
cherished, never ridiculed nor isolated. BUT in return, we expect members to
be regularly asking the Kantian universalization question:  what would
IMPACT be like if the other members of the community contributed what I am
contributing to IMPACT?  IMPACT members must give to as well as take from
the community for IMPACT to flourish. Communities require active and enthusiastic engagement.

        It is safe to say that those who do not wish to read often and
broadly should find some other place to learn.  IMPACT is fundamentally
committed to the insights and enrichment that comes from reading.  If you
are likely to mentally groan when we agree to read yet one more book as a
group, you probably belong somewhere other than in IMPACT while at BGSU.
 
        By laying out the responsibilities of membership, we hope to
accomplish at least 2 things: attracting only those who will flourish in
IMPACT and providing markers that signal whether individuals should continue
to belong.  We never want to ask anyone to leave; we would hope that those who do not wish to comply with the responsibilities laid out in this document
would have the good sense to acknowledge that the fit is just not
there for them. We are open to all, but IMPACT is for a very few people.

While it would be highly attractive to have a community where responsibilities are not only self-evident, but are enthusiastically fulfilled with no regulations or penalties involved, we are unfamiliar with any community historically that has flourished without rules and expectations that have teeth associated with them.  Hence, we know that the health of IMPACT requires us to be explicit about what we can expect and will require from one another.

 RESPONSIBILITIES:

Fulfill these obligations of membership and you are
entitled to all the fraternity and privileges of membership in IMPACT. 
While, as in any organization, there will be some who will be more engaged
than others in IMPACT activities, every person who fulfills the following is
an absolutely welcome member of our tribe. At the same time, please do not
be disappointed when you notice that those who are most involved in IMPACT
also correspondingly receive a disproportionately large number of its benefits.

By joining IMPACT I assert that I can be depended on to do the following:


I.      Complete the following required courses as early as is practicable:
        1.      Honors 250: Introduction to Critical Thinking,
        2.      Honors Great Ideas, and
        3.      Moral Principles.

II.     Read and prepare to discuss all books and articles assigned in various IMPACT activities. Only in rare instances under unusual circumstances would there be an exception to this mandate.  To encourage compliance with this requirement, we will organize discussions such that they will often be led by randomly selecting a couple of IMPACT’ers as the discussion leaders.

III.    Attend and participate in weekly IMPACT meetings. Missing more than 1 meeting per semester is tantamount to making a choice that one no longer desires to be in the community.  One participates by asking questions or offering viewpoints on a regular basis during these
discussions.

IV.     Participate actively in 1 Learning Opportunity per year. (This requirement does not
apply to freshmen).

V.      Be a visible presence on our discussion list, IMPACT-LC, by both asking questions or offering your viewpoint concerning issues or ideas arising from other posts. Of course, it is especially valuable when you introduce a new dilemma to the IMPACT-LC.  Members are expected to treat other members with respect as partners in learning. This kind of partner
feels an obligation to honor other IMPACT’ers by commenting on posts that appear on IMPACT-LC. As a guideline, each member should contribute in some fashion to 1 out of every 3 issues discussed on IMPACT-LC.

VI.     Complete a research project during the junior or senior year that demonstrates high-level critical thinking skills and an appreciation of the role that moral principles play in forming arguments and behavior.  For instance, a paper for the National Conference of Undergraduate Research (NCUR) would fulfill this obligation.

VII.    Assist IMPACT in understanding the larger community around us by reading and sharing what you learn through your regular reading of a high quality newspaper or web site.  One or more of the following would be ideal, but there are dozens of others.  If you select something not on this list please clear your selection with the Director of IMPACT:

        1. The New York Times (http://nytimes.com)
        2. The Washington Post
        3. The Chronicle of Higher Education (http://chronicle.com/)
        4. Salon (www.salon.com)
        5. Slate (www.slate.com)
        6. Arts and Letters Daily (www.aldaily.com)
        7. BeliefNet (www.beliefnet.com)

VIII.   For seniors only:  Assist the Director in defining and solving problems that need to be addressed in IMPACT; model the work ethic and character that capture the aspirations of IMPACT.