The University of Mobile will host its first “University of Mobile Forum on Christianity and the Liberal Arts."

The conference will address the topic of “Values and Character Formation in the Liberal Arts Classroom” Sept. 24 and 25 on the Christian university’s campus.

Drs. Stephen Schuler and Chad Stutz, assistant professors of English and conference co-chairs, said private and public university professors, graduate students, and independent scholars are invited to submit academic papers, dealing with the topic of values in the classroom, to present at the conference.

Presentations may address issues of virtue, postmodernism, scholarly impartiality, the value of a liberal arts education, preparing students for church service, Christians teaching in secular institutions, conflicts between ideas in academic disciplines and theological commitments, historical interactions between Christianity and the liberal arts, and other similar topics.

Presentations should be 15-20 minutes long. A 500-word abstract summarizing an intended presentation must be sent to sschuler@umobile.edu or cstutz@umobile.edu by May 14. For more information or to request an extensive list of possible presentation topics, contact Schuler at 251-442-2426 or Stutz at 251-442-2376.

Dr. Dwight Steedley, dean of UMobile’s college of arts and sciences, proposed hosting an academic conference and has worked with Schuler and Stutz to initiate it.

Schuler said this type of conference is important because of its positive effect on education.

“A conference gives academic professionals the chance to share their research and discuss developments in their field, making them better informed about new research and thus stronger teachers in the classroom,” he said.

Schuler said the purpose of the conference is to bring academic scholars together to discuss the purpose of a Christian liberal arts institution.

“While most conferences are very discipline-specific, this conference is meant to bring together professors and students from a variety of disciplines so that we can discuss matters of common interest,” he said.

Stutz agreed.

“We believe that it will create a unique space at UMobile where we, as a local community of Christian teachers and scholars, can engage in an ongoing dialogue about our purpose and mission as a Christian liberal arts institution,” he said.

Dr. David Lyle Jeffrey, distinguished professor of literature and humanities in Baylor University’s honors program, will be the keynote speaker. His speech, “The Place of Truth in the Liberal Arts,” will take place on the first evening of the conference and will be open to the public free of charge.

The conference registration fee in advance is $40 for professors and $30 for graduate students and clergy. The registration fee at the door is $60. Friday evening dinner and Saturday lunch are included.

Undergraduate students from UMobile and other universities are also invited to attend the presentations free of charge or pay a $30 registration fee to receive meals.