Rabindranath Tagore (1861--1941) is primarily known worldwide as the first Asian poet to receive the Nobel Prize in literature, in 1913. He lived and died in colonial India as a British subject. However, any engagement with studies of Tagore would reveal that, despite his outstanding achievements in creative writing and music, he deserves to be…

This article approaches the question of how far critical pedagogy can be institutionalised through a series of historical and contemporary examples. Current debates concerned with the co-operative university are examined, as well as histories of independent working-class education and the free university movement. Throughout this history, critical…

This article features a conversation on the occasion of a May 2018 "Festschrift" in "Issues in Interdisciplinary Studies" to honor the work of William Newell, between Newell and P. Sven Arvidson. William Newell is Emeritus Professor of Interdisciplinary Studies at Miami University, where he taught interdisciplinary courses full…

As universities are swept by a near-global tide of capitalist restructuring, myriad forms of resistance are also on the rise. While struggles that grapple directly with universities are vital, different streams of activism aim beyond them, in the form of "prefigurative" politics--one that works to build a better world "in the shell…

Learning communities can trace their origins to the 1920s and the experimental College at the University of Wisconsin, but the widespread use of learning communities to improve undergraduate education is a relatively new phenomenon. The early learning communities of the late 1980s and early 1990s consisted of groups of new freshmen co-enrolled in…

In Flanders, action research as a means of enhancing quality in initial teacher training and in teaching practice is not as widespread as in some of the neighbouring countries. In this article the authors argue for trainees and qualified teachers setting up and conducting research in their teaching practice. Rather than perceiving this as an…

Among the problems faced by unorthodox colleges are prevention of stagnation and attracting faculty members who share the institution's vision of undergraduate education. Representatives of 16 colleges at a "Meeting of Innovative Colleges" suggest that innovative programs have often taken on institutional lives of their own, making…

Describes how Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering in Massachusetts is using a $500 million pledge, a nontenured faculty, and a group of top students to help develop a new kind of institution, the first independent, four-year engineering college created in 40 years. (EV)

On the basis of insights provided by Whitehead and John Cobb, I show how the People's Free University of Saskatchewan (PFU) is a working model of free, open, community-based education that embodies several characteristics of Whitehead's philosophy of education. Formed in opposition to the growing commercialization at the original "people?s…

Describes the development and structure of Soka University of America, located near Laguna Beach, California. Planners' vision for the university is a humanistic, democratic, non-hierarchical institution infused with Buddhist values. Unusual elements include no tenure or advancement in rank and no separate administrative building. (EV)

Western Governors University (WGU) was initiated by 15 western governors in response to perceived needs in the marketplace and as a supplement to traditional institutions. WGU features competency-based credentials (certificates and degrees) rather than course-based programs; distance learning; focus on nontraditional, working students; third-party…

The Learning Exchange Network is explored to show how it (1) takes advantage of the strong points of the previous models for self-directed learners; (2) counters the liabilities of the previous models; (3) serves the smaller populations of semirural areas; and (4) includes an implementation plan. The practicality of the network is discussed. (CT)

The concept of the free university is presented: its history, structure, philosophy, examples of courses taught, fee information, and the idea of self-directed learning. Information is also included on the Free University Network and on how to start a free university. (CT)

The University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma, an experimental college, has developed an innovative general education program. Teaching approaches and organizational structures of the program have been changed to accommodate the new curriculum. The general education core, called the Interdisciplinary Studies Sequence (IDS), includes courses in…

A two-year college program on a high desert ranch that combines traditional liberal arts with strenuous physical work aims to develop humility, service, leadership, and a wide range of practical skills. Most graduates have gone on to graduate study and leadership positions in society. (MSE)