Why Build a New College, Pt. 2

We’re Academic Refugees

Several years ago, while teaching Humanities at a large Christian university, I hit a fork in the road.

The oldest of my three children was almost a teenager. College wasn’t far off. And like many parents, we want to do our best to provide our children with the best college (or college-alternative) opportunities as possible. One of the benefits of teaching at a private university is that your dependents often receive a tuition benefit, and so the path seemed pretty straightforward.

But at this particular moment the path wasn’t clear. Do I really want my daughter to attend this school? It isn’t ultimately my decision, of course, but for my part, would I be happy with the personal, intellectual, spiritual, and professional growth she would likely experience at this university?

The answer wasn’t, in fact, very difficult to find. No. I was far from happy with the prospect of her attending this school. Sure, I could chart out a path for her. Choose between these few select majors. Take these faculty and avoid these others. Join the Honors program, otherwise you’ll be repeating high school material. Fall in with these sorts of groups and not with these ones. Even with this insider’s guide, whether she would receive high quality instruction and mentorship was still a crap shoot.

But then it dawned on me. If I am not content with my own children attending this university for free (!) with the benefit of an insider’s guide (!), then how could I in good conscience commend this school to the full-price-paying, on-their own, thrown-to-the-wolves freshman sitting in my class?

Most faculty I know find a way to swallow this question. They think, well, it’s going to be the same at another university. Or they sigh, ah, that’s just the state of higher ed today. Or maybe at best, at least my class will give them something valuable.

Those status quo answers aren’t good enough.

The demand for change is slowly catching up to higher education. Online programs have already disrupted the environment. Many students (especially young men!) are opting to skip college altogether. Gap year programs are more popular than ever.

But like it or not, there are two facts we as students, parents, educators, and community members must recognize:

Fact 1: Most promising young people will still go to a four-year university or college.

Fact 2: College will still be a critical coming-of-age experience for these promising students.

We are building Hildegard College out of a sense of vocational pride. Each of us at Hildegard is an academic refugee of sorts. We’ve faced similar questions in our own contexts. And each of us has glimpsed the possibility of something better.

We’re building Hildegard to be a place where
          ...Students can pursue the truth in complete intellectual freedom.
          …No student is unknown or anonymous.
          …The culture is one of ambition and conviction rather than mediocrity.
          …Each student contributes to the unique shape of our community.

And most importantly, we’re building Hildegard as a learning environment where education is directed toward a common end – the freedom to worship God with our minds and our hands.

Join our band of academic refugees and invest in the next generation.