UVA's Bicentennial Stories initiative from WTJU 91.1 FM tells our collective story. It helps us understand our shared history and make meaning in the University today. And as we look ahead, these stories help us shape the future of the University and our role in a democratic society.
Jim Childress, Professor Emeritus, and Former Director of the Institute for Practical Ethics and Public Life
Interviewer: “Are there any particular moments that stand out?”
Childress: “Well, I’ll go back to my first year of teaching. I came to UVa in 1968, which was the second year the Department of Religious Studies existed.
“But this first year of teaching, this particular student was sick for the final exam. I said, ‘Well, why don’t you just come by and I’ll give you an oral exam.’
“And so that oral exam was remarkable, because he actually taught me things about the course. I got to see the course from the standpoint of a person who had gone through it, you know, trying to make sense of it, and learn from it. And actually, he made connections that I -- that were probably implicit, but I hadn’t explicitly drawn, I mean, so he really helped me see. And so it was a quite remarkable experience.”
