Category Archives: Academia

Williams College has announced a new diversity requirement. There’s nothing especially wrong with the long laundry list of intellectual skills or experiences that now potentially qualify a course to be designated as “exploring diversity”. Under the old system, it just … Continue reading →

I was just reminded of something I’ve heard several times before. One of the statistics US News and World Report uses for its college rankings is the percentage of alumni who donate to the institution. I assume the rationale for … Continue reading →

I’m gearing myself up for a thorough look at the Spellings Commission report. Assessment is the issue that I really keep rolling around in my head, because I have such a range of different feelings and ideas about it. One … Continue reading →

A couple of people interested in my potential course, The History of Failure and Error, noted that it’s important to ask, “failure from what”, to study the kinds of thought-systems that create an expectation of success. It seems to me … Continue reading →

Some of you are asking, “Tim, is there some way I can be featured in Horowitzian jeremiads against insubstantial fluff courses, too?” It’s going to take a lot of work! Not every lightweight course can get a nod, because the … Continue reading →

Well, the Weekly Standard has tagged my course, The Whole Enchilada: Debates in World History, as a lightweight bit of fluff. Read the syllabus and decide for yourself. If they’d only be patient! The History of Play and Leisure is … Continue reading →

I don’t know how many folks use sketchy drafts of syllabi for possible or potential classes as a way to think about interesting issues. But it’s how I go about things, which is why I tend not to repeat my … Continue reading →