Washington, DC—The American Council of Trustees and Alumni (ACTA) is proud to designate the Philosophy, Politics, & Economics major program (PPE) at Rhodes College as a Hidden Gem. ACTA’s Hidden Gems initiative shines a light on honors programs, major degree programs, minor degree programs, and certificate programs that guide students through a high-quality and coherent interdisciplinary education across the liberal arts. Philosophy, literature, politics, history, and the Great Books of Western Civilization are topics that are often focal points. Rhodes College’s PPE program provides students with a rigorous liberal arts education through its substantial interdisciplinary core curriculum. PPE majors have access to seminars, symposia, and lectures from experts in their fields and boasts a student-led PPE club.
“The Philosophy, Politics & Economics program at Rhodes College brings together three disciplines that are inseparable if one wants to acquire a complete understanding of social and political problems and issues, one that accounts for both the moral and the practical dimensions,” said Dr. Stephen Wirls, Director of the PPE program. “Our students gain a facility in the quite different modes of analysis employed by these three disciplines. In the curriculum and in individual courses, the dedicated instructors seek a balance of views: liberalism and its critics, capitalism and its critics, and arguments on both sides of specific issues such as immigration policy and wealth inequality.”
Gabriella Slowey, ACTA’s Senior Program Manager for Curricular Improvement said, “ACTA’s Hidden Gems program highlights major, minor, and certificate programs that offer students an unparalleled education in the liberal arts. Hidden Gems programs are so named for the high caliber of their faculty, thoughtfully structured curricula, and commitment both to the challenges and rewards of liberal education. Students enrolled in Hidden Gems programs are drawn into community and discussion rooted in the rich interdisciplinary study of the liberal arts and sciences. In its mission to support academic excellence, ACTA believes that the Hidden Gems program is an invaluable resource for students seeking a robust, collegial, and enriching education.”
ACTA’s Hidden Gems initiative serves as a complement to our What Will They Learn?® (WWTL) project. WWTL rates the core curriculum requirements at over 1,100 schools to determine which institutions provide a rigorous, liberal arts-oriented general education. Programs designated as Hidden Gems offer a robust liberal arts education regardless of their home institution’s core curriculum. WWTL and Hidden Gems help prospective students locate universities and programs that will prepare them for successful careers, informed citizenship, and human flourishing.
See a comprehensive list of all Hidden Gems here.
MEDIA CONTACT: Gabrielle Anglin
EMAIL: ganglin@goacta.org
Launched in 1995, we are the only organization that works with alumni, donors, trustees, and education leaders across the United States to support liberal arts education, uphold high academic standards, safeguard the free exchange of ideas on campus, and ensure that the next generation receives an intellectually rich, high-quality college education at an affordable price.
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