Dr. Andrew Delbanco, president of the Teagle Foundation.
“Broad issues that are raised by literature, history, and philosophy—why is the world organized the way it is? What are my responsibilities to my community, and what is my community? What is freedom, what does it mean? These questions, and more personal ones, like what’s the purpose of living, are on the minds of all students,” said Delbanco. “All young people are trying to figure out what kind of life they want to lead, and what kind of society they’d like to live in. Institutions of higher education have a responsibility to give students an opportunity to confront these questions in the context of classroom where they listen to their peers who bring very different experiences to the table, with the help of thoughtful teachers, and with the help of texts that bring these questions dramatically to the forefront.”
The humanities, said Delbanco, are crucial to a student’s development and understanding of their place in society, and diversity in the classroom is key to the success of that development. But since Delbanco first came to Teagle, higher education has continued to face questions about its relevancy and the role it can play in promoting diversity, equity, inclusion, and access in the country. As 44 states question the value of Critical Race Theory on college campuses, and the U.S. Supreme Court weighs the ability of institutions to use race as a consideration in admissions, Delbanco’s Teagle Foundation is working for greater diversity and greater access for students and institutions that support asking the big questions.
“I’m interested in students with diverse backgrounds talking to each other,” said Delbanco. “That’s why we particularly value the idea that, for incoming students, first or maybe second year, a certain portion of their coursework should be in a general education program where students get to discuss issues and texts with people who are unlike themselves. That makes for a very rich discussion.”
