Popular Course on AIDS Challenges Students

Ralph Meyer believes the only way to guide students through controversial subject matter is to encourage them to “discuss, question, and debate”; and that’s exactly what happens in his innovative, carefully designed freshman seminar, AIDS: Biomedical, Social, and Ethical Issues.

Meyer’s syllabus makes clear that there will be “no single ‘right’ answers to any specific ethical questions or problems” that will be discussed. The main emphasis, he states, is on developing “an awareness of the social and ethical ramifications of HIV/AIDS as they affect each of us individually and society as a whole.”

To accomplish his end, he has constructed a course that includes a wide range of topics and class activities. Students begin by examining the history of AIDS and its use as a theme in literature and the arts. They discuss the biology of HIV, homosexuality, AIDS demographics, and AIDS and the law. Short stories, poetry, videos, excerpts from the news, and legal documents like the Americans with Disabilities Act and Cincinnati’s Issue 3 are all subjects for examination in the first half of the quarter.

Then Meyer shifts the work to a series of debates on whether homosexuality is a choice or has a biological basis, whether or not AIDS is a moral issue, and which sexual values are best. In the final week students turn to the subject of death and dying as they debate the existence of life after death, near death experiences, and whether or not euthanasia should be legalized. Videos, formal debates, guest speakers, and interviews supplement the reading during the quarter’s second half. As part of the sexual values unit, students conduct a survey of the sexual behavior and attitudes of UC students.

Meyer says he developed the concept for the class as a General Education offering to explore not just the biology of HIV/AIDS but rather to examine and debate the implications of AIDS. He notes, “Half of all new HIV infections occur in people the age of our college students. I hope that by taking this course, these students will become peer teachers on the issues of HIV/AIDS.”

Students have been exceptionally enthusiastic in their responses to both the content and the atmosphere of the class. One commented, “This class is extremely informative. I appreciate taking it because it’s all about what people are afraid to talk about. It makes you think about issues you might not have considered before.” Another said, “I enjoyed the openness and frankness of the material covered and the ability to speak freely. With Dr. Meyer I can feel comfortable expressing my thoughts. This makes learning fun.”