76-826 Critical University Studies

9–12 units, Carnegie Mellon University

People often call the university the ivory tower. But more than 80 of young Americans attend college and, alongside health care, it is the major social institution of our time. Moreover, depictions of college run through contemporary fiction and film, so it is a major part of our cultural imagination. This course will examine the fiction, film, and other cultural portraits of higher education alongside its history and theory. In particular, it will explore a new field called critical university studies, that analyzes the current conditions of higher ed and advocates for better ways to fulfill its public mission. Fiction might includeWhos Afraid of Virginia Woolf,Stoner, andThe Ask films might includeNutty Professor,Revenge of the Nerds, andAccepted and theory and history will range from Kant and Jefferson up to recent critiques by Christopher Newfield, Marc Bousquet, and Tressie Cottom.

Prerequisites: none listed

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