Thread by @jennfrey

Two years ago, I moved to Tulsa to become the inaugural dean of a new honors college.  Then President @bradrcarson convinced me to leave my endowed position at Carolina to build the university’s sixth college. I am so proud of all we accomplished over the last two years 🧵(1/21)

We:

grew enrollment by over 500%

raised retention rates to 85%

created a standardized great books curriculum from Homer to Hannah Arendt with small, Socratic seminars

revitalized study of Greek and Latin

centered character and civic education throughout the college

(2/21)

created civic engagement requirement, with the cooperation of over 100 community partners

created Humane Letters major

brought in multiple major grants and gifts

brought theatre back to TU with Greek tragedies

created two summer programs for high school students

(3/21)

created honors residential college with faculty in residence & program officer 

created study abroad programs in Rome, Greece, & Vienna

raised endowment for study abroad

created culture of viewpoint diversity through civil exchange of ideas

(4/21)

created multiple leadership roles for our students

assembled an academic advisory board to help with leading voices for liberal education like @McCormickProf @CornelWest @zenahitz @rooseveltmontas
@JohnInazu @DavidDecosimo @AngelParham

Named a “Hidden Gem” by @goACTA

(5/21)

Our mission was:

To offer an excellent general education, focused on the study of classic texts in the liberal arts tradition, in a vibrant intellectual community that fosters friendship, growth in excellent habits of mind and character, and service to the common good. (6/21)

Our vision was that education is personal formation, and liberal education the formation of free human beings and citizens, equipped with those excellent habits of mind and character necessary to lead flourishing live of meaning and purpose, regardless of their career. (7/21)

I always tell our students that while career paths take unpredictable twists and turns, they will remain persons who long to know and understand the world, to possess what they believe is good, and to appreciate what they find beautiful. (8/21)

In the Honors College, we study the liberal arts because these practices help us discover what we believe is true, good, and beautiful—and to understand why. This is an education in human freedom, and it builds a foundation for a meaningful life. (9/21)

The motto on our academic seal is wisdom, virtue, and friendship, because these are the common goods we seek together as members of the honors college. We learn from our shared past to have a deeper understanding of the present so we might forge a better future together (10/21)

Our ideal for the college was that it be a place of friendship and intellectual curiosity, a place where students grow together through challenging conversation and study, a place where they become more human and more humane by joining "the great conversation." (11/21)

Now for some personal news: today is my last day as Dean. I was stunned to be informed by our new provost there will no longer be a Dean of Honors, period.  Nor an Assistant Dean.  Rather, I was told there will be a “director” of honors--but that person will not be me. (12/21)

I was told my performance was exemplary but honors needed to "go in a different direction." So I have no idea what the future vision for it will be. I know the seminar format has been removed/class sizes increased. I know my wonderful Asst. Dean, Matt Post, has resigned. (13/21)

Despite the shock and sadness all this brings, I remain proud of all we accomplished together as a college in the past two years.  Being Dean of Honors has been the highlight of my career, and working with these students and faculty has been a privilege, honor, and joy (14/21)

I will now return to philosophy full time after a six-month research leave (for which I'm grateful).  I put many intellectual projects on hold to build & lead a new college, & I intend now to throw myself back into the life of the mind.  I have many books/essays to write! (15/21)

I am grateful to @bradrcarson for believing in me & convincing me to move to Oklahoma to prove that great books is beloved by students. We did that! I am grateful to my colleagues in Honors who helped to create such a life giving intellectual community with me. (16/21)

To all of our strategic partners who believed in what we were building—reformers, foundations, think tanks, donors, alumni, and all lovers of great books/liberal learning—I can never thank you enough for your support, your faith in me, and your encouragement & enthusiasm. (17/21)

I am grateful to our students, for whom the college was built. Teaching & mentoring these bright and enthusiastic young men and women, watching them learn and grow together, this is the pre-eminent privilege of being a professor and dean. I am grateful for every moment (18/21)

As I reflect on the last two years, I hope that Honors will not decline, but flourish.  Authentic liberal learning is deeply popular with students, but such learning is hardly ever supported by universities to the degree that it should be, if it is supported at all. (19/21)

This lack of admin support is a shame, because liberal education helps us fashion deeply meaningful and flourishing lives of purpose for ourselves. It offers students a truly higher education that helps them pursue truth, beauty, and goodness. (20/21)

Wherever I myself go from here, I pledge to keep fighting for authentic liberal learning through the study of classic texts.  Our students, our democracy, and our collective human future deserve no less from me and from our universities. And we should settle for no less. (21/21)