Category Archives: Uncategorized
It’s Time to (Re-)Embrace Civic Virtue in Higher Education
Both top-level administrators and PR representatives for universities often publicly decry the allegation that their institution indoctrinates its students by pushing political ideology on them. They claim that universities and higher education are all about knowledge. This is captured in … Continue reading
Forum on hiatus
As of September 15, 2021, Forum is on hiatus. We will no longer be accepting submissions. Previous posts may still be accessed via the menu.
Campuses as Models of Democracy
The 2020 presidential election has put into sharp relief not only the political polarization of the American people but also the widespread confusion and skepticism among the citizenry about democratic practices. While this confusion and skepticism threaten our electoral politics … Continue reading
Feminar 102: Notes on Teaching about Women, Gender, and Sexuality
In a speech in the House of Commons on 11 March 1873, Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli proclaimed that “a university should be a place of light, of liberty, and of learning.” Those of us in the humanities have seen our … Continue reading
A Market-based Argument for Liberal Arts Degrees
In 2013, Jaison Abel and Richard Deitz of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York published a study about the extent to which the jobs of Americans with college degrees matched their undergraduate majors.[1] Two of this study’s findings have … Continue reading
Feminar 101: Notes on Teaching about Women, Gender, and Sexuality
If you are a teacher, you might recognize the following scenario. It’s the beginning of the academic term, and you’re pulling together syllabi, texts, and notes for your first class meetings. You check your email and find a few messages … Continue reading
Beyond the Bibliography: Academic Style as a Venue for Teaching Values
As evidenced by the infamous “Prof or Hobo?” online quiz,[1] professors are not known for being particularly stylish. Whether due to a sense that matters of style are trivial or a lack of time to plan nice outfits, many professors … Continue reading
Can Personal Identity Survive Personalization?
Algorithms, especially computer algorithms, are playing a larger role in everyday life. Algorithms work well when they serve as filters that limit data overload and increase relevant search results. Facebook’s algorithms, for example, use a ranking system that examines the … Continue reading
Cultivating the Virtue of Immodesty
In June 2018, an opinion piece in The New York Times titled “Women, Own Your ‘Dr.’ Titles” commented on the explosion of the #immodestwoman hashtag following Fern Riddell’s documentation of her experience of adding her title (“Dr.”) to her Twitter … Continue reading
Academic Knowledge and Democratic Practice: Dewey’s Case for Accessible and Interdisciplinary Education
In the chapter “Search for the Great Community” in The Public and Its Problems, John Dewey establishes a case for interdisciplinary, accessible education to foster forms of public democracy and social unity. According to Dewey, knowledge for democratic practice must … Continue reading