Thursday, December 26, 2013

Peter Wood--Richard Brodhead and the "Wretched Defense of the Humanities"



http://www.mindingthecampus.com/originals/2013/06/a_wretched_defense_of_the_huma.html


http://www.nas.org/articles/the_highs_and_lows_of_2013_nas_picks_higher_eds_top_ten_stories


The Commission was co-chaired by Richard Brodhead and John Rowe.  Rowe is the retired chairman of Exelon Corporation, who has contributed a lot of time, attention, and money to promoting charter schools.   Brodhead is the president of Duke University and I suppose such an established figure that, at least in the eyes of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, he has lived down his infamous behavior during the Duke lacrosse affair.  Perhaps in polite company that shouldn't be mentioned, but I confess I was astonished to see him put forward as the primary academic figure behind this report.  If we are to make the case for the humanities as the ennobling part of higher education, might it be better to do so under the symbolic leadership of someone who has modeled courage, temperance, and faithfulness to the actual ideals of disinterested judgment?

The Commission was co-chaired by Richard Brodhead and John Rowe.  Rowe is the retired chairman of Exelon Corporation, who has contributed a lot of time, attention, and money to promoting charter schools.   Brodhead is the president of Duke University and I suppose such an established figure that, at least in the eyes of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, he has lived down his infamous behavior during the Duke lacrosse affair.  Perhaps in polite company that shouldn't be mentioned, but I confess I was astonished to see him put forward as the primary academic figure behind this report.  If we are to make the case for the humanities as the ennobling part of higher education, might it be better to do so under the symbolic leadership of someone who has modeled courage, temperance, and faithfulness to the actual ideals of disinterested judgment? - See more at: http://www.mindingthecampus.com/originals/2013/06/a_wretched_defense_of_the_huma.html#sthash.qwxwuQx3.dpuf
The Commission was co-chaired by Richard Brodhead and John Rowe.  Rowe is the retired chairman of Exelon Corporation, who has contributed a lot of time, attention, and money to promoting charter schools.   Brodhead is the president of Duke University and I suppose such an established figure that, at least in the eyes of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, he has lived down his infamous behavior during the Duke lacrosse affair.  Perhaps in polite company that shouldn't be mentioned, but I confess I was astonished to see him put forward as the primary academic figure behind this report.  If we are to make the case for the humanities as the ennobling part of higher education, might it be better to do so under the symbolic leadership of someone who has modeled courage, temperance, and faithfulness to the actual ideals of disinterested judgment? - See more at: http://www.mindingthecampus.com/originals/2013/06/a_wretched_defense_of_the_huma.html#sthash.qwxwuQx3.dpuf
The Commission was co-chaired by Richard Brodhead and John Rowe.  Rowe is the retired chairman of Exelon Corporation, who has contributed a lot of time, attention, and money to promoting charter schools.   Brodhead is the president of Duke University and I suppose such an established figure that, at least in the eyes of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, he has lived down his infamous behavior during the Duke lacrosse affair.  Perhaps in polite company that shouldn't be mentioned, but I confess I was astonished to see him put forward as the primary academic figure behind this report.  If we are to make the case for the humanities as the ennobling part of higher education, might it be better to do so under the symbolic leadership of someone who has modeled courage, temperance, and faithfulness to the actual ideals of disinterested judgment? - See more at: http://www.mindingthecampus.com/originals/2013/06/a_wretched_defense_of_the_huma.html#sthash.qwxwuQx3.dpuf

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