University of Edinburgh College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences’ Post

In a new piece for Inside Higher Ed, Steven Mintz highlights how Cornerstone faculty leaders have strategically developed and implemented rich lower-division humanities curricula that center meaning and purpose in the college experience. "At institutions like Purdue and Austin Community College, great books and big questions programs have been developed to create common ground for students, encouraging them to wrestle with transformative texts and life’s enduring questions. These programs foster cultural literacy, critical thinking and ethical reflection, all of which are increasingly valuable in today’s fragmented society. However, such programs require a collective commitment, with faculty working across disciplines and embracing shared educational objectives—a commitment undermined by an ethos of hyperindividualism." Read more: https://buff.ly/40Gab2K

"[This book] is an excellent primer for those who would like to educate themselves on the complex historical interplay between history, science, and racial justice," NCSE's Blake Touchet writes in his review. https://lnkd.in/gMGiAxGa #scienceteachers #evolutioneducation

On Horns of a Dilemma, Frank Gavin and Marshall Kosloff discuss why universities need to consider the purpose of higher education and the ongoing importance of the humanities, including when studying international security issues. https://lnkd.in/eS9cbeff

'The Public University as a Real Utopia' explores institutional democracy, academic freedom, and the curriculum as the real utopian 'constituents' of the public university. Read more here: https://bit.ly/4ckpssi.

Today | 1:30pm ET: Looking forward to participating in this panel discussion with colleagues from around the university on the role of free speech in fostering the mission of universities. What is the difference between speech and expression? What role does civil discourse play in fostering an environment where speech is protected. One of the greatest challenges is that faculty and even administrators often fail to understand these rules and what they mean. https://lnkd.in/dVJR9mYx

Alongside 150 colleagues from throughout the University of California system, including many major figures in Middle East Studies: Stacy Fahrenthold, Heghnar Watenpaugh, Patricia Morton, Sholeh Quinn; those engaged in cutting-edge Holocaust research: UCLA's Michael Rothberg, and leading and rising historians and area studies specialists: Marian Schlotterbeck and Archana Venkatesan, we sent a letter to UC President Michael Drake calling on him to rescind his plan to spend millions of dollars imposing “viewpoint neutral history of the #MiddleEast ” on our campuses and students. We explain that if the UC administration determines “how and what we teach” in our field, it will “set a chilling precedent” affecting the teaching of all topics of public concern and critical debate like climate change, histories of racism, #genocide, and mass atrocity. We note that his statements question the academic integrity of “scholars already engaged in the historical study and teaching of the Middle East,” and remind him that “the sole responsibility for maintaining the quality of our universities’ academic programs” rests with the faculty. We ask him to “to reaffirm the independence and integrity of UC faculty to educate without outside interference; to rescind the call for “viewpoint-neutral history” that directly undermines the prerogative and ability of UC faculty to educate students.” And we ask him to reaffirm his commitment to protecting academic freedom and the First Amendment right to free speech for students, faculty and staff around the war in Gaza, Israel/Palestine and any other issue of public concern and debate. #AcademicFreedom #history

Just one more reason to be proud of our University. Not only have we been recognized as an outstanding educational institution by the leading ratings organizations (US News and World Report, Princeton Review, Poets and Quants, etc.) and as a "Public Ivy" by Forbes Magazine, we also have been recognized for our focus on Public Service and Social Mobility by Washington Monthly. Check out this great article! #badgerpride #wisconsinidea #publicgood

Institutions of all stripes “speak” in ways that influence the speech or thoughts of their members. Colleges are no exception. Universities “express their values” not just via formal statements from the office of the president, but in subtler ways—from the naming of buildings and placing of monuments to the awarding of honorary degrees and even the invitation of speakers. But does this institutional expression undermine free inquiry and viewpoint diversity? For a university to remain true to its truth-seeking mission, ought it pursue a policy of “institutional neutrality” instead? “A university, if it is to be true to its faith in intellectual inquiry, must embrace, be hospitable to, and encourage the widest diversity of views within its own community,” argued a 1967 report by the Kalven Committee for the University of Chicago. John Tomasi will invite you to consider how the ideal of neutrality might be appropriate to Catholic or faith-based colleges generally, and to Providence College in particular. https://lnkd.in/guNFKWQR

The rigid and short-sighted structures of contemporary education have left our society bereft of the wisdom it needs today more than ever. How can you help retrieve and deepen the thought and soul of learning? Support our Columbanus Fellows through the link. We are changing the paradigm for education in the 21st century. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/eFDPmrEH