In February of 1967, newly elected Governor Ronald Reagan delivered a speech about California's austere budget in which he chided the "intellectual luxury" of higher education as something that could lead to "economic ruin" if unchecked. "Taxpayers shouldn't be subsidizing intellectual curiosity," Gov. Reagan decreed.…

Academics can be too snug in their institutional silos. They sometimes think of one another as competitors for students, and as a result they duplicate scarce resources in mutually damaging ways. In this article, the author wants to argue that teaching-focused institutions have much to gain from partnerships with research universities on the…

Kenneth E. Brashier, Mark S. Lewine, Alexei V. Filippenko, and Donna C. Boyd were the four professors who won the Professors of the Year for 2006. They were chosen from nearly 300 candidates nominated by their institutions for their "outstanding commitment to teaching undergraduate students and their influence on teaching." The annual…

Proceedings of a conference on Virginia's undergraduate curriculum are presented. Attention is focused on the future of the traditional arts and sciences disciplines. Contents include: (1) a keynote address on benefits of studying the humanities, along with answers to audience questions (William H. Bennett, head of the National Endowment for the…

This collection of abstracts is part of a continuing series providing information on recent doctoral dissertations. The 12 titles deal with the following topics: a television course designed to improve community college students' writing skills; Christian humanism and the teaching of English; a folklore curriculum for junior high school students…

Presents an interview with historian Cary Carson of the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation and author William Styron on the role of history in society. Outlines the once-proposed Disney history theme park near Mannassas, Virginia. Discusses historical interpretation, museums, historical sites, and popular history. (CFR)