Steve Hansen
The Emeriti Faculty Association’s “One More Thought …” lecture series presents
Stephen Hansen, PhD
"On Proceeding in Good Faith: Lessons Learned from the Mixed-up Files and Curious Career Of a Turn of the Century Academic "
Thursday, March, 24, 2022
Meridian Ballroom/Morris University Center
Reception 3:30 p.m.
Lecture 4:30 p.m.
Reserve your free ticket here.
Parking is free in Lot B.
Stephen Hansen, PhD, has learned the best way of navigating one’s path in life is by “proceeding in good faith.” He takes this idea from a Kurt Vonnegut novel, Slapstick. In the book’s dedication, Vonnegut wrote that the “fundamental joke with Laurel and Hardy was that they did their best with every test. They never failed to bargain in good faith with their destinies….” No matter how outrageous or capricious their fortune, Laurel and Hardy proceeded in good faith as if life were fair. Vonnegut’s meaning was ironic, but Hansen always found proceeding in good faith a good way to live life. We, like Laurel and Hardy, meet all kinds of unfair and irrational occurrences in our careers and lives; the academic equivalent of a pie in the face or of a piano falling from the second floor of the Rendleman Building. In exploring this theme, the former SIUE interim chancellor, dean and professor will discuss how he tried to proceed in good faith based upon some of the humorous, unusual and unexpected lessons learned from his colleagues and his failures over the past 36 years at SIUE.
The taped presentation can be found here.