Slate has a great feature this week that combines the thoughts of many scholars, students, public policy figures, college presidents, and so forth on the nature and future of colleges and university in America. The question asked by the segment "Reform School" is simple, but clearly provides a variety of opinions: What should students be studying in college?
Anthony Appiah's column is definitely my "favorite"--he suggests more statistics courses and more study abroad. It's a simple piece, but remarkably clear-headed. And he uses the word "desuetude."
Steven Pinker's is also good. It focuses on, unsurprisingly, science education. But his key suggestion is that courses be grouped based on content rather than on department.
Heck, all the columns are intelligent and insightful. Read them all.
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