Surveying the University: The Purpose of Higher Education in Divisive Times

John Dewey noted a century ago that education is both the fundamental mechanism of social progress and reform and the vehicle by which certain cultural norms and mores are perpetuated into the future. What is the primary purpose of higher education in the 21st century? Should social progress and cultural critique be actively privileged, or should an educator’s main role be to deliver uniform content and ensure a level of conformity toward a culturally shared definition of “educated citizenship”? Lately, local school board battles, scrutiny and censorship of libraries, accusations of “liberal bias” on college campuses, and posthumous children’s book editing, all suggest that this question is urgently important. Who gets to decide what information is disseminated, taught, or even available? How is balance achieved—and on what grounds—between selection, protection, and intellectual freedom? What is the moral duty of education for the future of our nation?

Host: Devin Schehrer    Q&A Moderator: Dr. Jamie Atkinson

Presenters

Professor Laura Dumin

Laura Dumin

Professor
University of Central Oklahoma

Scientist, author and PBS host Sheril Kirshenbaum

Sheril Kirshenbaum

Scientist, author and PBS host
Michigan State University

Professor and Chair, Higher Education Department D-L Stewart

D-L Stewart

Professor and Chair, Higher Education Department
University of Denver

Executive Director Jean Strait

Jean Strait

Executive Director
Foundation for the Advancement of Culture and Ed.