- Pronouns
- He/Him, They/Them
To call this a new beginning for The North Pacific University would imply that at any point in its existence it had direction. For as long as I've been here, I cannot recall a single instance where it has done. There have been fits of activity that have subsided almost as soon as they begun, and instead the university has simply doubled up as a second discussion forum with Real Life or been used for the Lennarts and other things that should have gone in The Agora.
It is my intention to change that. I have archived most of the topics in the University and they can be found here. The subforum re-organisation that started last term is still an ongoing progress, and I would be interested to hear feedback and ideas on what is needed, what isn't and anything in between.
This is the beginning of The North Pacific University, and as already stated by McMasterdonia, whom I thank deeply for this opportunity, we are taking the University in a new direction, with a ranking system for topics and works, as well as an ambitious program of guest speakers, some of whom I very much hope to announce in the coming weeks and months, and to encourage response pieces and analysis of events, both in the NS space and in the real world.
I have plans to revamp how we currently do things like the This Day in History topic, with an emphasis on why events covered are important, what caused them and what impact they had. I personally find I have very little interest to learn that on May 16th, the date I am writing this, Baldwin IX, Count of Flanders, became the first Latin Emperor. I do however have a great interest in the circumstances that led to his ascension, the disastrous Fourth Crusade, the Siege of Constantinople and how it ultimately sealed the fate of the Roman Empire and ensured Muslim rule of the east that largely survives to this day.
I invite anyone who has a take on any particular subject to get writing, post it in the relevant subforum - if you aren't sure which to post in, ask me - and start the conversation. Rankings and points are an incentive to post, but ultimately I am looking to encourage open minded ideas and thought, even if I don't particularly agree with the point being made.
Staff appointments will be made as the University develops, but is not something that I will be focussing on. We have our system in place and members have already begun to contribute. Forum member Peregrinum has already posted a topic and I look forward to more entries in their lecture series.
Like I said before, this isn't a new beginning for the University. This is the beginning for it, and I am confident we can and will make it a success.
It is my intention to change that. I have archived most of the topics in the University and they can be found here. The subforum re-organisation that started last term is still an ongoing progress, and I would be interested to hear feedback and ideas on what is needed, what isn't and anything in between.
This is the beginning of The North Pacific University, and as already stated by McMasterdonia, whom I thank deeply for this opportunity, we are taking the University in a new direction, with a ranking system for topics and works, as well as an ambitious program of guest speakers, some of whom I very much hope to announce in the coming weeks and months, and to encourage response pieces and analysis of events, both in the NS space and in the real world.
I have plans to revamp how we currently do things like the This Day in History topic, with an emphasis on why events covered are important, what caused them and what impact they had. I personally find I have very little interest to learn that on May 16th, the date I am writing this, Baldwin IX, Count of Flanders, became the first Latin Emperor. I do however have a great interest in the circumstances that led to his ascension, the disastrous Fourth Crusade, the Siege of Constantinople and how it ultimately sealed the fate of the Roman Empire and ensured Muslim rule of the east that largely survives to this day.
I invite anyone who has a take on any particular subject to get writing, post it in the relevant subforum - if you aren't sure which to post in, ask me - and start the conversation. Rankings and points are an incentive to post, but ultimately I am looking to encourage open minded ideas and thought, even if I don't particularly agree with the point being made.
Staff appointments will be made as the University develops, but is not something that I will be focussing on. We have our system in place and members have already begun to contribute. Forum member Peregrinum has already posted a topic and I look forward to more entries in their lecture series.
Like I said before, this isn't a new beginning for the University. This is the beginning for it, and I am confident we can and will make it a success.
