WASHINGTON, DC—In response to the student-led and faculty-supported removal of William Shakespeare’s portrait from the English Department’s building, Dr. Michael B. Poliakoff, president of the American Council of Trustees and Alumni, released the following statement:
“What might be seen as a foolish adolescent act unfortunately reflects a deeper intellectual breakdown led by the professoriate itself. Penn’s English faculty long ago dropped the requirement for all majors to take a course devoted to the works of Shakespeare, so no wonder their students devalue the rich and challenging world of the English-speaking world’s greatest author.”
Faculty, administrators, and trustees who care about academic quality must recognize that neglecting the most consequential writer in the English language will erode confidence in the humanities, not to mention funding. Regardless of the portrait’s fate, Penn faculty would serve their students better by restoring Shakespeare and other core texts to their proper place as requirements.”
ACTA’s report, The Unkindest Cut: Shakespeare in Exile 2015, found that only four of the nation’s top 52 national universities and liberal arts colleges, as identified by U.S. News & World Report, require English majors to take even a single course that focuses on Shakespeare.
Wherefore art thou Shakespeare? As we celebrate the 400th anniversary of the Bard's death we examine ACTA's report, The Unkindest Cut: Shakespeare in Exile 2015. This report revealed that one of the most influential writers in the English language is no longer revered in the halls of America's colleges and universities.
At the University of Dallas (UD)—a What Will They Learn?™ “A” school and my undergraduate alma mater—the most significant part of the core curriculum is the Literary Tradition sequence. Undergraduates take four literature classes, beginning with Homer’s Iliad in their first semester and ending with Faulkner’s Go Down, Moses in the fourth. Having had this […]
If you aren’t reading this on a smart device, then you definitely have one nearby. At your disposal is an incredible amount of freedom and access to knowledge and culture that was once only possible for oligarchs and privileged landowners. Maybe you’ve read Peter Lawler’s article which calls for greater responsibility and a renewed focus […]
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