Greetings! – A while ago, the MoAS office distributed a survey to the populace asking for thoughts about the future of the office of the East Kingdom University. After consideration of those responses, and much discussion, the office has an idea about how it wants to proceed.
The culture of A&S in the East is one that strongly encourages teaching. Each year, many subject specific scholas and universities are sponsored by local groups or kingdom guilds, and a wide variety of arts and sciences classes are taught at these venues. Because the people and groups of the East do such a wonderful job creating learning opportunities for the populace, quite honestly, the East Kingdom University office is not needed in the same way that it might be needed in other kingdoms.
However, there is an education role that that the MoAS office is well and uniquely equipped to provide for the Kingdom. It is the office’s intent to focus its attention on encouraging and teaching classes on topics about “How To Do A&S” in the SCA. These classes will not teach a specific art, but, they will teach artisans how to write documentation, conduct research, display their projects, and teach the knowledge that they have to others.
With this idea in mind, Mariette de Bretagne has agreed to become the office’s first Deputy for Education with the charge of helping to create, run and promote classes, such as the ones discussed above, throughout the kingdom. I am quite thankful for her service, and I look forward to working with her.
Please note that while the East Kingdom University may not be an official office in the Kingdom any more, any group may always decide to hold a general kingdom wide university. No permission is needed from the MoAS office, though official permission from the crown may be needed to specifically call an event a “kingdom” university. The MoAS office is also ALWAYS willing to offer advice about how to organize such events, and to help promote them to the populace.
Thank you
-Lissa