To take a stab at the postmodern, actually, I forgot my copy of the book at home, and I really don't want to talk about it without giving proper references, I will begin from the end and end at the beginning (very Pulp Fiction, right?). There is a modern day crisis playing out before my very eyes, but I should not be surprised; Dostoevsky wouldn't.
The beloved University of Dallas has for the past 50 years been a beacon of hope for wide-eyed academics, those who actually delight in and find relevant those things that have been discarded by society as a whole: e.g. books and ideas. Central to their mission as a school is their core
curriculum, unrivaled, in my opinion. Each student, regardless of their major, reads the same books and have the same liberal arts based foundation from which they pursue their varied fields of study. This continues a long-held tradition of preparing student, all students, with the tools that have been employed for hundreds and thousands of years. There is good reason that these books and ideas have stood the test of time, and UD has been faithful that such knowledge will not be lost on the next generation.
Surely you must realize that places like UD are the 'last of a dying breed'. Let us be honest, when was the last time your potential employer asked you about Aristotle's 4-Causes or about Plato's "Cave" in a job interview? The liberal arts are not the sexy-choice anymore. Why study the great ideas of those long dead when you can read about Sam Walton building an empire? Who needs great theology when Rick Warren can give your life purpose in a mere 40 days? Great ideas and literature are candles slowly, and sometimes not so slowly, being snuffed out by practicality and efficiency.
The rise of programs like University of Phoenix and DBU's Doctorate in Christian Leadership are paving the way as pioneers for a new academia. Higher education is a means to an end, not an end in itself. Schools are tailoring their programs to get people in and out of the door as quickly as possible, turning even the one-time elite schools into little more than expensive trade-schools. Business programs are ruling the day, and the liberal arts are fading into the distance.....all except for precious UD, right?
Wrong!...maybe. Let me be brief (for once). UD is feeling the effects of this new trend, and money is apparantly tight, really tight. They have kicked around various methods of raising enrollment numbers back to their previous mark, but the one that garnered the most attention and consideration was the start of a new pre-professional college geared towards the aforementioned students, but it would require dropping the Core in that program. The rest of the university would not be effected, but the college would be designed in a more efficient and business-minded manner, thus bringing in the desired money from wealthy professionals and those who would soon after become wealthy professionals. The uproar from students has thankfully been fierce.
For now, publicly this issue has been tabled, but the proverbial door has been cracked ever so slightly and the light of "progress" is making its presence felt in the most unlikely of places. Dostoevsky warned us about the dangers of such changes in education....
The beloved University of Dallas has for the past 50 years been a beacon of hope for wide-eyed academics, those who actually delight in and find relevant those things that have been discarded by society as a whole: e.g. books and ideas. Central to their mission as a school is their core
curriculum, unrivaled, in my opinion. Each student, regardless of their major, reads the same books and have the same liberal arts based foundation from which they pursue their varied fields of study. This continues a long-held tradition of preparing student, all students, with the tools that have been employed for hundreds and thousands of years. There is good reason that these books and ideas have stood the test of time, and UD has been faithful that such knowledge will not be lost on the next generation.
Surely you must realize that places like UD are the 'last of a dying breed'. Let us be honest, when was the last time your potential employer asked you about Aristotle's 4-Causes or about Plato's "Cave" in a job interview? The liberal arts are not the sexy-choice anymore. Why study the great ideas of those long dead when you can read about Sam Walton building an empire? Who needs great theology when Rick Warren can give your life purpose in a mere 40 days? Great ideas and literature are candles slowly, and sometimes not so slowly, being snuffed out by practicality and efficiency.
The rise of programs like University of Phoenix and DBU's Doctorate in Christian Leadership are paving the way as pioneers for a new academia. Higher education is a means to an end, not an end in itself. Schools are tailoring their programs to get people in and out of the door as quickly as possible, turning even the one-time elite schools into little more than expensive trade-schools. Business programs are ruling the day, and the liberal arts are fading into the distance.....all except for precious UD, right?
Wrong!...maybe. Let me be brief (for once). UD is feeling the effects of this new trend, and money is apparantly tight, really tight. They have kicked around various methods of raising enrollment numbers back to their previous mark, but the one that garnered the most attention and consideration was the start of a new pre-professional college geared towards the aforementioned students, but it would require dropping the Core in that program. The rest of the university would not be effected, but the college would be designed in a more efficient and business-minded manner, thus bringing in the desired money from wealthy professionals and those who would soon after become wealthy professionals. The uproar from students has thankfully been fierce.
For now, publicly this issue has been tabled, but the proverbial door has been cracked ever so slightly and the light of "progress" is making its presence felt in the most unlikely of places. Dostoevsky warned us about the dangers of such changes in education....
Did you notice that Shawn Groves left you a comment the other day?
That's kind of fun.
Thanks for breakfast. Enjoy your Spring Break!!