Category Archives: Issue Discussion

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The Changing Curriculum: Yale Report of 1828

In my History of Higher Education course this week, we were discussing the Yale Report and the reforms of the early 1800s.  It struck me that so much of the debates during this period of American higher education mirror those we have today.  In today’s post, I want to share a section from my monograph, Understanding Institutional Diversity in American Higher Education, that deals with this period.  One of the values of studying the history of higher education is how often debates are recycled.  I hope this gives you a new appreciation for some of the challenges that all of us in higher education are trying to figure out right now.

Yale Report authors Jeremiah Day (left) and Benjamin Silliman (right).

The early colonial curriculum largely focused on the ancient Latin and Greek languages. As the Revolutionary War approached, the curriculum remained focused on ancient languages, yet introduced Enlightenment thinkers such as John Locke. Religion remained an overriding influence even as institutions struggled to incorporate Enlightenment philosophies. This tension remained through the early years of the new country, with Enlightenment ideals playing an increasingly greater role. Due to a lack of established faculty to teach the subjects, student unrest, and broader societal concerns, institutions slowly sought to reestablish the classical curriculum, moving away from the trend to increase professional education that started to occur in the early 1800s.

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What If Higher Ed Worked Like Disney World

We recently took our kids to Disney World.  They had a great time meeting Mickey, riding every ride, and watching parades.  Although I’ve been to Disney several times before, there is always so much going on that you feel like a first timer each time.  During our visit, I thought about the parallels to higher education.  Specifically, I wondered what it would be like if higher ed worked like Disney World.

Credit: My wife for making two beautiful kids.

There is a joke one could make about the cost of Disney World and higher education.  Yet, I truly believe there are some lessons for colleges and universities in how Disney World operates.  At a time when many want to question how and what we do in higher ed, we should think about borrowing great ideas from other industries that help us fulfill our key missions of teaching, research, and service.

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Hey For-Profit Higher Education, This is Why Good People Hate You

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau this week sued for-profit Corinthian Colleges for predatory loan practices and illegal collection strategies. The lawsuit accuses Corinthian of a variety of illegal and misleading actions against its students. As longtime readers will know, I’m a big fan of the West Wing television show and the Corinthian case reminds me of a quote from the show, “This is why good people hate us.” A Republican member of Congress is trying a surprise line of questioning to embarrass a witness and “win” the hearings. The quote is from the majority counsel who is disgusted by the strategy. To me, the allegations against Corinthian are precisely why good people hate for-profit higher education.

The for-profit sector has made strides in reaching students—particularly adult students—that traditional colleges can’t or won’t serve.

Yet, the continued excesses and misleading actions of bad actors in the sector undermine the potential positive role that for-profits could play in improving college access and attainment.

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Goucher College Video Application: Forget Transcripts, Just Send a Selfie

Goucher College, a small liberal arts college in Towson, Maryland, recently made headlines touting their move to allow short videos instead of transcripts and other traditional college application materials. The college argues that tests and transcripts reduce a student to a number. By removing these obstacles, Goucher hopes to broaden its applicant pool especially with creative students that dislike the high-stakes testing environment. While there are some potential pitfalls here, what are the arguments in favor of Goucher’s use of a video instead of traditional application materials?

Goucher’s move is not without critics. Brian Rosenberg, president of Macalester College, wrote in an essay for the Chronicle of Higher Education that, “The notion that an applicant’s entire set of academic and personal accomplishments can be replaced by a two-minute video ‘selfie’ is both absurd and dangerous.” Furthermore, he suggests that if Goucher really believes this argument that they should get rid of their own grades and transcripts as well.

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9/11 and Higher Ed: What We Can’t Forget

I worry we have forgotten some of the important lessons of September 11th for higher education.

Like much of the nation, I can’t help but think back to that clear day in September, 2001.  I remember hearing someone on the train who had a cell phone talking about a plane hitting a building.  I think I noticed her because cell phones were still a novelty.  The idea of a plane hitting a building on purpose never occurred to me.  I had only been in Philadelphia for a few weeks starting graduate school.

By the time I got to the office, we all rushed down to the dean’s conference room to watch the news.  It was horrifying and shocking.  I had never been to New York City so I didn’t have a full appreciation for the magnitude of the moment unlike so many of my colleagues at the sight of the towers coming down.  The rest of the day is a blur of images.  Trying to get home, but told to leave 30th Street Station because there was a fear of a bomb.  Going back to sit by myself watching the news on a classroom computer.  Walking to the house and noticing a fighter jet overhead.  Even years later it is amazing the details of a single day that you remember.

As with the rest of the country, higher education was impacted by September 11th.

Photo credit: Scott Hudson