U.S. Public Higher Education, General Education, and the Medievalist

Abstract

Author(s): Kline, Dan | Abstract: Kline’s essay guides readers through the steps many Chaucerians may find themselves taking in order to protect the English major and to ensure medieval literature remains in higher education curriculum. In institutions such as the University of Alaska-Anchorage, where funding has dried up and what remains is frequently diverted to STEM fields, one certain way to preserve the major is through faculty’s active involvement in curricular work and general education. The goal cannot be simply to pack as many medieval-literature-friendly courses into the curriculum as possible; instead, the goal is to create coherent general education programs that meet student needs and provide opportunities for them to explore the questions that medieval literary texts provoke. Although it might seem outside the medievalist’s immediate interests, active participation in shared governance provides a means for medievalists to remain relevant.