Colleges once taught truth, character. Now, they’re ‘unrecognizable’: report

UPDATED

Higher education institutions once dedicated to faith, character development, and Western intellectual traditions have succumbed to “critical theory and grievance studies,” a new report “From Purpose to Politics: The Decline of Three Liberal Arts Institutions” asserts. 

The report, published by the James G. Martin Center for Academic Renewal, issues a stark warning about the fundamental transformation occurring in American higher education. 

Davidson College, Washington and Lee University, and Williams College, the three institutions focused on in the report, have become “unrecognizable from their early years,” it argues. 

Originally founded to cultivate moral development and prepare students for leadership roles in the church and society through a classical curriculum, their religious orientation is now “eliminated or severely weakened.”

Both Davidson and Washington and Lee disagree strongly with how the report represents their institutions and their history. 

However, lead author Shannon Watkins believes that the curricula offered in these schools today are not fulfilling the original purpose of liberal arts education.

“The traditional understanding of the liberal arts was that a close study of subjects such as literature, mathematics, and philosophy pointed students to the discovery of objective truth,” Watkins told The College Fix in recent email interview.

“Guiding students to reason and contemplate perennial questions of human concern in view of pursuing the truth is a fundamental goal of the liberal arts. Colleges and universities undermine that goal when they craft curricula aimed at producing ideological conformity. Too many colleges offer courses with explicit political goals,” Watkins said. 

The report highlights curricular changes that, it argues, signal a loss of academic vision and rigor, and are now “replete with ideologically charged themes.”

For example, Davidson in North Carolina offers courses like “Black Feminist Art Practices” and “Understanding Leadership through the Female Marvel Universe.” 

Similarly, at Williams College in Massachusetts, students can fulfill “difference, power, and equity” requirements with courses such as “Trans Film and Media” or “Queer in Asian America.”

Washington and Lee in Virginia is revising its general education program, to be implemented in 2026, which includes several DEI-focused requirements. These include a year-long seminar for sophomores on how “identities” (gender, sex, race, ethnicity, nationality, religion, class) have shaped experiences and systems, according to the report. 

However, a spokesperson for Washington and Lee told The Fix that the report is “not an accurate representation of the university.”

“The report’s assertions regarding the integrity of the humanities at W&L and opportunities to engage in open and civil dialogue are misleading at best. We expect and elicit the free and respectful exchange of ideas in our classrooms,” spokesperson Drewery Sackett said.

Sackett said the information regarding General Education Requirements is inaccurate. For example, the sophomore seminar mentioned above “is not part of the current proposal, which has yet to be finalized and won’t be implemented for several years.”

The James Martin Center has since updated its report to reflect the current proposal for the sophomore seminar.

It now states that the requirement proposal involves “engaging worldviews,” in which students participate in experiences such as lectures or field trips that reinforce courses on a “global and diverse society.”

Jay Pfeifer, director of media relations at Davidson, also feels that the report “distorts and misrepresents” its history.

Pfeifer told The College Fix in an email Wednesday that the author “seems to believe Davidson is not ‘religious’ enough, conveniently discounting our deep, foundational ties to the Presbyterian Church USA, the largest Presbyterian denomination in the nation.”

Pfeifer also said, “The report mistakenly says we adopted the Chicago Principles. In 2023, Davidson College affirmed its own Commitment to Freedom of Expression, drafted by an ideologically diverse group of students, faculty, and alums, including former Gov. Jim Martin, who is the namesake of the James G. Martin Center.” 

The James G. Martin Center is a conservative nonprofit based in North Carolina that focuses on higher education public policy reform. 

Its “goal is to renew and fulfill the promise of higher education in North Carolina and across the country by educating citizens and policymakers and advocating policies grounded in classical liberal principles,” its president, Jenna Robinson, told The Fix.

Robinson said the purpose of the new report “was to call attention to how much small liberal arts colleges have changed” and focus on reforming general education as “the most important single reform.”

“These are the courses that every student takes. Ensuring that such courses provide students with a broad foundation for future learning, centered on history, great books, and civics, is essential to preparing students to thrive regardless of the majors they choose,” Robinson said. 

She emphasizes how important this information is “for alumni and trustees, who often view their alma maters through rose-colored glasses.” 

Watkins also told The Fix that alumni, parents, and donors have a role in holding universities accountable to their original mission. She encouraged concerned alumni and parents to “get to know their institution’s governing board” and “contact board members with specific questions and concerns.” 

Waktins suggested that donors make their donation “contingent on whether the institution uses those funds in accordance with its mission.”

Robinson added, “We envision a future where higher education equips all students to flourish in their careers, embrace responsible citizenship, and grow as seekers of wisdom.”

Editor’s note: The article was updated to reflect recent changes to the “From Purpose to Politics” report regarding the proposed sophomore seminar changes at Washington and Lee University.