A short-lived report quickly torched by the new Biden administration provides a pathway for those who seek to return to a classical structure of higher education. The report, titled the … Continue reading “Did You Know? The 1776 Report—a Half-Done Project”
For ten years I served on the GRE Literature Exam committee. The exam is one of the special subject matter exams separate from the regular GRE (with math, verbal, analytical … Continue reading “They’ve Got to Get Rid of Western Civ—They Have To “
Colleges and universities across the country don’t require students to study history. Although students at many colleges are “technically” required to take a history course to fulfill their general education … Continue reading “Did You Know? Students Are Clueless About History”
I taught history from 1976 through 2013 at Harvard, Carnegie-Mellon, the Naval War College, and Williams College. The 37 years of my career coincided with a drastic change in the … Continue reading “Why Students Have Turned Away from History”
Historians tend to be skeptical about the influence of books and ideas upon important historical developments, preferring to draw upon material or broadly social and cultural causes as the best … Continue reading “A Radical Pseudo-historian Meets His Match”
To be ignorant of what occurred before you were born is to remain always a child. —Cicero It’s no secret that many of today’s students are ignorant of American history … Continue reading “Reinvigorating the Teaching of American History”
Modern universities are ignoring their civic duty to teach their students how to become engaged citizens. The American Council of Trustees and Alumni released a report in 2018 that showed … Continue reading “Did You Know? The Disappearance of Civic Education at Elite Colleges”
From the very beginning, it’s clear that Wilfred M. McClay’s Land of Hope: An Invitation to the Great American Story isn’t a typical textbook. The title alone alerts readers that … Continue reading “A History Textbook that Inspires, Not Lectures, Students about America”
Though college leaders constantly remind the public about the value of a college degree, graduates sometimes leave without important knowledge. As Americans celebrate the 4th of July holiday, it’s a … Continue reading “Colleges Reject Duty to Teach Liberty’s Framework”