Have universities changed for the better over the past 40 years?

The Ethical Life

Episode 130: Higher education has been in the news a lot lately, and the news isn’t the kind college administrators are hoping to see. Questions about what’s being taught in the classroom, and how that affects admissions and free speech, are all making headlines at campuses across this nation.

Hosts Richard Kyte and Scott Rada discuss how the role of universities has changed over the past few decades and how more specialized workplaces are requiring a more specialized approach in the classroom.

Links to stories discussed during the podcast:

Legislation doesn't address problems with higher education, by Richard Kyte

The General Education Act Renews Liberal Education in America, by Peter Berkowitz, The Tennessee Star

Teacher are limiting lessons on political, social issues, report finds, by Hannah Natanson, The Washington Post

College is all about curiosity. And that requires free speech. by Stephen L. Carter. The New York Times Magazine

About the hosts: Scott Rada is social media manager with Lee Enterprises, and Richard Kyte is the director of the D.B. Reinhart Institute for Ethics in Leadership at Viterbo University in La Crosse, Wis. His forthcoming book, "Finding Your Third Place," will be published by Fulcrum Books.