Dr. Susan Herbst, newly appointed President of the University of Connecticut and currently Professor of the School of Public Policy at Georgia Tech and Executive Vice-Chancellor and Chief Academic Officer of the University System of Georgia will discuss her recent book, “Rude Democracy: Civility and Incivility in American Politics” at Newnan’s Carnegie Library on Jan. 31. The free event will be held at 10:30 a.m. in the upstairs auditorium.
Civility is perhaps the most topical subject in today’s media and the newest book in her series focuses on the nature civility plays in contemporary American politics. Her research centers on public opinion, mass media and the nature of the policy-making process in the United States. In her “Rude Democracy” she lays out ways that Americans can become better debaters, from the time they enter middle and high school to the time they’re adults and really do have to engage in substantive debate, whether at a PTA meeting, council meeting, zoning board or around the workplace.
Dissemination of accurate news information is key to the formulation of opinion and Dr. Herbst commented on her observation of where students get their news, stating: they seem to keep up really well, but they often have an incomplete picture of the news, and it’s hard for them to do the gatekeeping. So many people call themselves journalists now, and it’s difficult to tell from the Internet who’s really doing work and who has expertise and who doesn’t. The Tech students have said that one big source of news for them is The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. And on that I will withhold opinion.”
Shortly before Christmas Dr. Herbst was unanimously approved as UConn’s 15th president and will be the first woman to hold the post in the university’s 130 year history, and at 48 years old, one of the youngest University presidents in the country. She was selected from a large field of candidates including seven current sitting university presidents and will formally take the helm in July of this year. Of her appointment, UConn trustees remarked, “She is exactly the kind of president we’ve been looking for…enthusiastic, capable and fun, she has the “wow” factor” and is “the face of the future of UConn”.
The event is sponsored by the Newnan Carnegie Library Foundation.
