originally published 12/2/1999
Professor Alvin Kernan explores sweeping changed in higher education since the 19th century, when the ideals of the German research university began to displace the classical and Christian models of the university. From the fascination with existentialism in the late fifties and early sixties to the student movements of the late sixties that emphasized the democratization of every sphere of life, radical changes in higher education continued to transform students and the culture at large. Kernan argues that these changes have made it harder for professors to challenge and sharpen students’ thinking; the experience in the classroom is now too “gentle.”
11 minutes
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