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Freshman Introduction or Freshman Indoctrination?
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This fall, roughly 90% of college freshman in the US will participate in a "first-year experience," a common set of lectures, readings, and seminars offered by most colleges. Introduced in 1970 by history professor and social activist John Gardner, the concept was promoted on the idea that it would give new students a unifying experience as they begin their college education.
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In the years since the first-year experience began, critics have increasingly questioned the true purpose of this freshman introduction. Concepts presented in the name of harmony, such as social justice, microaggressions, privilege, and "safe" speech, prepare students less for an environment of open dialogue, and more for narrow, ideological, and politicized interpretations of texts and ideas that ultimately have little to do with actual education.
This not only defeats a purpose of education—examining many points of view—but also deprives students of feeling free to speak their minds.
Required First Readings
A common thread in many first-year experiences is a required reading assignment for incoming freshmen to read over the summer and discuss together during their first days on campus.
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Of 518 American colleges and universities surveyed in the 2018-19 school year, a mere 7% required freshmen reading assignments that were published prior to 1980. Of 2018 reading selections, the five most frequently assigned pieces focused on racial divisions in America.
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Contemporary thinkers can contribute valuable perspectives. And racial divisions are certainly important topics that ought be discussed.
These introductory reading assignments, however, show a disregard for the importance of historical perspective as well as a lack of faith in students' capability to engage with influential classic works. And for STEM majors, the first-year experience may be their only exposure to the humanities.
Defining the College Experience
Trends in freshman orientation are compounded by the fact that only 18% of American colleges require their undergraduates to take a foundational American government or American history course. This means that the only insight that the other 82% of our colleges give their students are the skewed views they get from their introductory program.
Many undergraduate students spend their four years of education never reading James Madison, Frederick Douglass, Abraham Lincoln, or any of the other myriad of American figures that have so affected our nation's political thought and philosophical heritage.
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It is more important than ever that we continue forward in educating students in the central ideas of the American and western tradition of a society driven by freedom of the individual.
We Must Press Forward
Our growing network of dedicated professors have introduced thousands of courses on American history and founding principles on college campuses across the country. So far, they have taught more than one million undergraduate students.
And together with our professor partners and other institutions, we are offering innovative programs for middle and high school teachers, helping them develop the rich content they need to introduce founding documents and ideas to secondary school students.
Our professor partners not only provide knowledge and understanding of America's history, political thought, and heritage, but also promote much-needed diversity of thought on campuses around the nation.
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History can always teach us something about the present, but only if it remains a priority. Without knowledge of our past, we have no basis to make important decisions about our country's future.
JMC supports those teachers who are championing education in America's history and its founding principles. Our growing network of nearly 1000 dedicated professors are making a difference on hundreds of campuses across the country. So far, they have taught more than one million students. Will you help us reach more?
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About the Jack Miller Center
The Jack Miller Center is a 501(c)(3) public charity with the mission to reinvigorate education in America's founding principles and history. We work to advance the teaching and study of America's history, its political and economic institutions, and the central principles, ideas and issues arising from the American and Western traditions—all of which continue to animate our national life.
We support professors and educators through programs, resources, fellowships and more to help them teach our nation's students.
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