This past March, the Times Higher Education published an article addressing the place of the humanities in higher education. Some politicians are beginning to question whether tax dollars should be spent on humanities departments in public universities, and scholars in those fields are responding.
You can read the article, “US Historians Defend Their Discipline,” at the Times Higher Education website.
Discussion Questions:
- Consider Governor Scott’s comment: “Is it a vital interest of the state to have more anthropologists? I don’t think so.” How would you respond?
- The article cites a statistic that 88% of college freshmen indicate that “getting a better job” is the top reason they are attending college. What are your top three reasons for going to college? What is the purpose of a university? To produce workers? Something else?
- Respond to the provocative statement from Anthony Carnevale, director of the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce: “The rich get education and the poor get training.” What role do (or should) universities play when it comes to class divisions in our country?
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