Forum Series FAQ

Q: What is the forum series?
A: The Rockford College Forum Series presents speakers from a variety of disciplines and performers of stature in the arts.
The series is designed to provide a shared experience for students while broadening their education at Rockford College. The forum committee, comprised of faculty and student representatives, selects the events.

Q: Are all students required to attend all the forum series events?
A: All full-time undergraduate students are required to attend a minimum of two forum series events each semester. (Exceptions: student teachers and participants in off-campus programs such as Washington Semester or Regent’s College.) In most cases, students who drop from full-time to part-time status at any point in the semester must still meet the forum series requirement. Consult with SAS for further information.

Q: Is a ticket required for forum events?
A: Yes. A ticket is required for all forum events. Student tickets are free with a Rockford College ID card; one free ticket per student. Tickets must be obtained at the Rockford College Box Office, located in Clark Arts Center. 

Q: How is forum series attendance taken?
A: In order to receive credit for attendance, you must fill out a forum card at each event. Forum cards can only be obtained from the faculty member(s) at the door of the event (not other faculty, staff or student workers, etc.). The faculty member(s) will be wearing a badge to identify him/herself. Only one card will be given to each student.

No forum cards will be distributed after the event has begun. If you arrive late, you will not receive a forum card. Forum cards can only be returned to the faculty member(s) at the door of the event (not other faculty, staff or student workers). Only one card will be collected from each student. No cards will be accepted until the end of the performance, the end of the formal question and answer period or the end of an academic procession. (All students are expected to remain seated until the entire event has concluded.)

Please print your information on the cards. If your card cannot be easily read, your attendance cannot be recorded accurately.

Q: What happens if the requirement to attend two events a semester is not met?
A: Students who fail to fulfill the forum requirement by the end of any semester will receive an “F” for that semester.

In the event you are unable to attend two forum events during a semester:
If you fail your forum requirement in either the fall or spring semester, the only way to make up the requirement is to submit an essay to the forum committee based on event recordings (available in the library) from the semester failed (and only from an event you did not attend).

If you failed the forum requirement in spring 2008 or any prior semester, your essay is due no later than 5:00 p.m., Monday, October 6, 2008.

If you fail the forum requirement in fall 2008, your essay is due no later than 5:00 p.m., Monday, March 2, 2009.

No late submissions will be accepted. Petitions are no longer required.

Notice: Failure to complete the forum series requirement bars a student from the dean’s list or distinguished scholars list and from receiving a degree.

Essay Submission Guidelines:
Forum essays in the form of a hard copy must be submitted to the box office manager in Clark Arts Center. No e-mail submissions will be accepted. The forum committee will only accept and pass essays that meet the following minimum requirements:

1. A minimum of two full pages, double spaced, 12 pt. Times New Roman font, 1” margins, word processed.
2. It must be based on viewing or listening to a recording of a forum event that you did not attend from the semester in which the “F” was received. The recordings are available in the Howard Colman library and are for in-library use only.
3. The heading of the essay must include the following: student’s full name, the semester being made up and the name of the event/speaker listened to or watched.
4. The essay must clearly show the student has listened to or viewed the entire recording. The committee is looking for    critical thought in your essay, more than a simple summary. In other words, you should reflect upon the content/meaning/message of the performance or speech and comment upon these things.
5. The essay must display correct grammar including sentence structure, subject/verb agreement, clear pronouns, correct   punctuation, etc. It should be clearly and concisely worded and well-organized. Be sure to proofread your essay for correct spelling/word choice (remember, spell check cannot catch the difference between “there” and “their,” for example); no use of contractions, slang or conversational tone; avoid passive voice; etc. 

The forum committee reserves the right to deem an essay acceptable or unacceptable. If the essay is not accepted, it must be rewritten and resubmitted (by a deadline to be determined by the forum committee) in order to remove the forum failure.