Putting the Progressive University in the Dock

James G. Martin Center for Academic Renewal ^ | December 5, 2025 | Scott Yenor

[karpov]

Conservatives interested in higher-education reform often ask themselves where things went wrong. Answers usually range from the radicalism of the 1960s to the rise of social media or the triumph of critical theories in various departments and then the university as a whole. True, but the problem lies deeper, as well.

Few are willing to trace today’s ills to the rise of the Progressive University or, what is the same thing, the making of higher education in the image of the modern research university. The modern research university is a source of pride among modern peoples. Commercials for universities during football games emphasize how universities contribute to scientific progress, vanquishing diseases and engendering more prosperous living and economic growth.

American universities and universities worldwide (especially in Germany) have contributed much to the storehouse of scientific knowledge. Research universities have produced, collected, and organized knowledge for the relief of man’s estate. Yet, when the research university becomes the model for all fields of knowledge, intellectual corruption is not far away.

The Progressive University seeks to achieve progress through socially organized intelligence. Classical colleges, in contrast, were keepers of our civilizational flame. Frederick Rudolph’s fascinating Curriculum: A History of the American Undergraduate Course of Study Since 1636 (1977) celebrates the rise of this new vision of university life. Before the research university, American colleges such as Harvard, Yale, Princeton, and William & Mary were small classical colleges with fewer than two dozen faculty members each. Each designed its own admissions standards, and students interested in applying might attend “prep” schools to prepare for entrance exams. A fixed classical curriculum emphasizing Latin, moral philosophy, mathematics, and natural philosophy awaited students.

[Tell It Right]

Before the research university, American colleges such as Harvard, Yale, Princeton, and William & Mary were small classical colleges with fewer than two dozen faculty members each.

IMHO the shift to research meant shift to govt money coming into universities. A huge temptation. And with the govt as your sugar daddy you learn to do tricks to please the govt. However, I think that was only the first phase in the downward trend of universities.

The next phase was the circle jerk mentality of telling each other what it means to be "enlightened". I've worked with people in the academic industry and they almost always strive to be recognized by their peers. This is even when their peers promote ideologies that are obviously not true. It sounds insane to me. It'd be like a musician not being satisfied with his/her abilities unless he receives an award from the Hannah Montana Fan Club. To me that's what it's like when academics strive to be included in a club that has said for decades that the world is gonna end in 10 years, this time we mean it, or that men or women, or that blizzards are caused by global warming. Even if the person I know says he doesn't believe those things, he's still driven to be recognized by people who do.

Leftism is a cult. And this is the cult that's been running higher ed.

[ProgressingAmerica]

"Conservatives interested in higher-education reform often ask themselves where things went wrong"

The answer is simple but nobody wants to look at it.

Things went wrong by a lack of conservative engagement. A lack of conservative activism. We have all known that schools and universities indoctrinate for decades but yet there has never been a widespread bum rush on the universities to get involved and fix it.

It's always been "someone else should fix it." Some politician, some celebrity, some widely known figure like Andrew Breitbart, or someone else.

Things get fixed only when conservatives roll up their sleeves and do more than just sit and wait for election day, like Phyllis Schlafly did. She did not wait for election day. She got up every day and made the difference.

[Brian Griffin]

Universities were mainly leftist in Oppenheimer’s day.

[Brian Griffin]

We need not have universities as we know them.

There will still be some hands-on, on-campus education for nursing, surgery, engineering and science.

Critical testing will still have to done at physical facilities.

I’ve been watching Ken Burns’ DVDs. Video education is much better than lecture hall education.

[allendale]

It was my experience that many left wing students had significant personality defects, were personally miserable and unable to cope with the outside bigger world. They tended to remain in university towns and often became employed at universities. Generous government funding and taxpayer supported tenure created a permanent nest for these people.

[oldtech]

I guess all this makes me glad I have not been enlightened by “higher education”. Got a high school diploma back when you could actually learn something & went into a trade before finally retiring.I never got rich; hardly making even “decent money”, but the wife & I got by. Now retired & hardly do any work except bare necessities around the home. Don’t feel like I have to prove anything to anybody.