Steve Eberbach (freshman-environmental resource management) walked into his freshman seminar Wednesday expecting to talk about Tuesday's attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.

It is his smallest class, consisting of only 20 students, so Eberbach anticipated a more personal discussion to take place.

"I wanted to talk about it," he said. "Ignoring what happened only makes the situation worse. It needed to be addressed."

And addressed it was.

Professor Barbara Wade, senior division of undergraduate studies programs coordinator, came to her seminar prepared. She brought a copy of President Graham Spanier's statement concerning the destruction and a lesson plan centered on her students' reactions and concerns.

"I began by asking the class in a couple of words to define hate," Wade explained. "And then I went on to get their responses to the events."

Wade's seminar focused on themes such as retaliation, violence and intolerance.

"I was impressed with their thoughtfulness," Wade said. "We also talked about open-mindedness, being whole-hearted and responsibility."

Eberbach said he left the seminar with a better perspective on the tragic events.

"It was good to get to know what everyone else was thinking and feeling," he said.

Although many professors are conducting their classes as Wade did, with an open forum for student discussion, some are sticking to their already planned course agenda.

In Spanier's statement to the university, he advised that, "University classes will meet at their regular times and places on Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday, but normal educational activities may be suspended."

Spanier decided to leave course conduct "at the discretion of the faculty member, to allow students to reflect on (Tuesday's) events and for instructors to provide their support to students and to help them deal with this challenge to our open and free society. Instructors at all campuses are asked to use their best judgement as to how to achieve this objective."

Faculty Senate Chair John Nichols, who discussed the decision to continue to hold classes on Tuesday with Spanier, agreed with the president's decision.

"I strongly support the president's decision on Tuesday, and I reaffirm the decision to keep the university open."

Political science professor Glenn Palmer interpreted Spanier's statement by going to his international relations class without a plan.

"I left it up to the students," he said. "I wasn't going to offer personal opinion or perspective. They raised their own concerns."

Palmer continued to explain that the tragedy is an important event in everyone's lives and that it is imperative to apply it in the classroom.

Susan McHale, professor of human development and family studies, took a more functional approach in her introductory child development course.

"It worked for my subject matter," she said of Wednesday's lesson on how parents and caregivers can help children cope with tragedies and disasters. "As professors, we have to do something constructive and continue to learn."

McHale said her class was very attentive to the discussion, while other instructors such as communications professor Chris Jordan received a different response from his students.

"Everyone was so saturated, but I left it up to the class," he said. "It is the mission of the university to help students."

Jordan explained that professors have to walk a tight rope between fulfilling responses from students in an open forum setting and still remaining professional.

Chemistry lecturer Chris Falzone, however, decided to follow his course agenda.

"I'm trying not to alter what we would have done," he said. "We conducted the class with a somber attitude, but I decided that we have to get on with our business in these troubling times. Many have not comprehended what's happened yet," he said. "This is like Pearl Harbor for some. The enormity of what has happened will sink in at some point."

Falzone said that people have been affected differently by the tragedy. He plans to provide a normal classroom environment for his students.

Nichols said holding classes is important, because education can be a tool to fight these types of tribulations.

"Education is an important antidote to the problems that we face," Nichols said.