Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Hillsdale College Expands Classical Liberal Arts Curriculum

  • 03/07/17

HILLSDALE, MI – Hillsdale College announces the addition of a new course, "Classical Logic and Rhetoric," to the core curriculum required for all graduates. The new course will be fully implemented in fall 2017.

"Logic and rhetoric were absolutely essential elements of intellectual development in the West until about 150 years ago," says Dr. David Whalen, Hillsdale College provost. "The addition of this course to our core classical liberal arts curriculum is an attempt to recover a part of higher education that has been lost in recent history."

Students will read texts from Plato, Aristotle, Cicero and Quintillian, as well as modern pieces dealing with the rhetoric of literature, science, economics, and more. Dr. Kirstin Kiledal, professor of rhetoric and public address, and Dr. Jeffrey Lehman, associate professor of education, designed the course.

"It's going to remind us that we're all rhetoricians," says Kiledal. "Whether we are scientists, mathematicians, or teachers, we all have to communicate, all have to persuade."

The core curriculum is an essential part of the classical liberal arts education offered at Hillsdale College, and vital to a robust college experience. During most of the first two years, each student is immersed in the study of history, politics, the sciences, fine arts, literature, and economics. Hillsdale is also one of the few colleges in the country to require every student to take a course on the U.S. Constitution.

"The core curriculum at Hillsdale gives our students a rich and full understanding of the things worth knowing," adds Dr. Whalen. "It helps develop a disciplined and informed mind in order to live a naturally good life. This course is a fitting contribution to that core."

For more information on Hillsdale College's core curriculum and its benefits, visit www.hillsdale.edu.

About Hillsdale College
Hillsdale College, founded in 1844, has built a national reputation through its classical liberal arts core curriculum and its principled refusal to accept federal or state taxpayer subsidies, even indirectly in the form of student grants or loans. It also conducts an educational outreach effort promoting civil and religious liberty, including a free monthly speech digest, Imprimis, with a circulation of more than 3.5 million.

Featured

  • Rhode Island Boarding School Completes Student Dorm Renovations

    St. George’s School in Middletown, R.I., recently announced the completion of a $26-million renovation project on Arden-Diman-Eccles Dormitory, according to a news release. The school partnered with Voith & Mactavish Architects (VMA) on the new space, which places a new focus on collaborative community spaces open to both boarding students and day students.

  • Utah Valley University Opens New Engineering Building

    Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, recently held a grand-opening ceremony for the new Scott M. Smith Engineering Building, according to a news release. The facility is one of the largest engineering buildings in the state at almost 200,000 square feet, and it plays home to the university’s Smith College of Engineering and Technology (SCET).

  • El Paso District Breaks Ground on New Elementary School

    The Canutillo Independent School District in El Paso, Texas, recently announced that construction has begun on a 119,000-square-foot elementary school, according to a news release. The district partnered with Pfluger Architects, Carl Daniel Architects, and LDCM Solutions on the new Davenport Elementary School, which has an expected completion date of 2027.

  • University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Launches New Emergency Communications System

    The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC) recently deployed a new emergency notification and incident management system for its campus, according to a news release. The university partnered with 911Cellular to launch Safe@UTC, a smartphone app allowing university officials to communicate and respond during emergency situations.