Sf on campus:

Barbara Hume moderator; Marian K smith; Sue ream; Beatty pop; brook west.

This is from a very old cassette tape of an old symposium. It is old information but it’s still relevant today. I particularly enjoyed hearing the voices of these professors / librarians because they were such a positive influence of a growing atmosphere of sf/f on BYU campus.

Teaching sf can help someone encounter ideas they have never encountered before otherwise
Many of us are not self-motivated to learn by ourselves. Teacher can help facility learning. They can help provide understanding that the student may need.
Classrooms let fellow fans to gather together and gives n opportunity to discuss/debate new
What other literature has its own fanzines?
Colleges/Universities let librarians get more books if there are sf/f when taught on campus
Techers will want to watch for doing analysis too far
A teacher putting their opinion on a piece for work can take away the reasoning ability of the student to make the judgment themselves. Students may then respond in a manner to please the teacher rather than putting their won’t analysis on something that may deviate from the teacher’s opinion.
Good literature bears rereading and makes you come up with new ideas and widen your horizon
Sf provides a wide range of concepts. Mainstream is a tangent of sf
Books of the genera: Left hand of darkness; Childhood’s end; Is island by Wright; Utopia; Arcadia; Friday by Heinlein; Arabian nights could be considered a form of SF; HG Wells
Be careful that the taste of the teacher does not dominate a class.Every sf writer needs to realize that a reader is not required to finish their work if they don’t engage them.

Authors provide meaning such as Harlan Ellison.
A sf writer is unique because they have to meet the critical standard of the reader. They need to convince the reader to buy their book instead of a 6 pack of beer. If books don’t get read they don’t sell.
To attack an audience: tell a big story;
Scott card: fiction should be experienced
Books that affected you: elder ride by burrow; Zena Henderson, people series; Heinlein;
Students need to learn good things and bad things and the difference between them.
Reading sf is an escape from reality.
Much in literature is fatalistic – sf can show you’re more optimistic and you can control your life.
Student perspective of how they should be evaluated for sf = here are some of the best examples. Classes that has directed reading.
A class can provide Self direction such a finding themes in books such as 1.what are woman’s place, 2. woman protagonist and 3. woman authors and teacher grade of what the student learns.
Class gives a list of books if student wants to read something else the student needs to justify what their book selection is better.
Another idea is to give the class 10 books as a cross section to provide a wide range of types of books to read.
Teacher: create a cafeteria type of list of books and then let the student choose what they want to read.
A dean who is apathetic about the value of SF/F in the classroom can handicap the teacher.