Fitchburg State University will observe Constitution Day with a series of programs exploring the concept of due process.
The programs, sponsored by the university’s General Education program, will begin with a talk at 3:30 p.m. Monday, Sept. 15 by attorney and Fitchburg State alumnus Shane Rodriguez entitled “Rights, Wrongs and the Rule of Law: Understanding Due Process.” Rodriguez, a member of the university’s Board of Trustees, is also an assistant professor of law at the Massachusetts School of Law and a former Leominster police officer. His talk will be presented in Hammond Hall Room G01. Admission to the Constitution Day events is free and open to the public.
Constitution Day commemorates the formation and signing of the U.S. Constitution on Sept. 17, 1787. Fitchburg State’s observances are planned and organized by the General Education Program, with campus experts on the Constitution and the law collaborating on a theme. The planned events focus on that theme as well as how different general education learning outcomes work together:
- The Center for Teaching and Learning in the Amelia V. Gallucci-Cirio Library will present “The Unplanned Curriculum: Navigating Newsfeeds and Nuance in the Classroom” at 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 16.
- The Constitution Day keynote address will be given by Hon. David J. Breen, First Justice, and Hon. Lisa Ann Grant (Boston Municipal Court), presenting “What Is Due Process of Law?” at 12:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 17 in the Hammond Main Lounge.
- Assistant Professor Michael McCutcheon of the Behavioral Sciences Department will host a session entitled, "Due Process and Law Enforcement" at 3:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 18 in Ellis White Lecture Hall in Hammond Hall.
- Professor J.J. Sylvia of the Communications Media Department will present “Due Process Ethics: From Sullivan to Social Media” at 11:15 a.m. Friday, Sept. 19 in the Miller Oval at Miller Hall.
The Constitution Day programs are presented with funding from the university’s Office of Student Development.