{"id":138172,"date":"2023-12-04T00:04:02","date_gmt":"2023-12-04T05:04:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thecollegefix.com\/?p=138172"},"modified":"2023-12-04T07:04:00","modified_gmt":"2023-12-04T12:04:00","slug":"uf-western-civ-center-wraps-up-second-semester-plans-dozens-of-new-classes-for-spring","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thecollegefix.com\/uf-western-civ-center-wraps-up-second-semester-plans-dozens-of-new-classes-for-spring\/","title":{"rendered":"UF Western Civ center wraps up second semester, plans dozens of new classes for spring"},"content":{"rendered":"

UPDATED<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Center made ‘exciting progress this semester,’ director says<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

A classical education center at the University of Florida wrapped up its second semester of classes and programming, with dozens of new courses planned for the spring semester.<\/p>\n

The Hamilton Center for Classical and Civic Education \u201chas been making exciting progress this semester in advancing our mission of research and teaching on the values of a free society,\u201d Director William Inboden<\/a> told The College Fix<\/em> via email at the end of November.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn my first four months as director, I have benefited tremendously from the excellent work done by my predecessor Professor John Stinneford in laying such a solid foundation for the center, and am grateful that Prof. Stinneford continues his work with us as a Senior Fellow,\u201d Inboden (pictured<\/em>) said.<\/p>\n

Inboden, a former University of Texas-Austin academic and a historian, said more growth is expected.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are in the midst of an ambitious plan to grow our faculty and are currently recruiting and interviewing a substantial number of new faculty candidates,\u201d Inboden told The Fix<\/em>. \u201cWe plan to announce a large cohort of new faculty hires in the coming spring semester.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are also in the process of designing several new majors and degree programs and preparing them for the approval process. We hope these new majors will welcome new academic opportunities for UF students,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

The Center<\/a> has also hosted public events on campus during the fall with a variety of speakers and topics.<\/p>\n

Inboden said:<\/p>\n

These have included a dialogue between Prof. Robert George of Princeton and Prof. Cornel West of Union Seminary on \u2018Truth Seeking and Democracy,\u2019 Prof. Carlos Eire of Yale on \u2018The History of the Impossible,\u2019 Prof. Melissa Kearney of the University of Maryland on \u2018The Two Parent Privilege,\u2019 former CIA analyst David McCloskey on his new spy novel \u2018Moscow X,\u2019 and Prof. Matt Jacobs of the Bob Graham Center and me debating American foreign policy.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The Center will also offer about 25 new classes to undergraduates at the university, most of which are Quest courses. All incoming freshmen are required to take Quest courses. These courses include \u201cGod and Science,\u201d \u201cFreedom and Equality,\u201d \u201cWar and the Human Condition,\u201d \u201cCapitalism and its Critics,\u201d and \u201cWhat is America For?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPresident [Ben] Sasse and I will be co-teaching a Quest class on \u2018The American Idea,\u2019 which will explore America\u2019s history and values through the lens of notable ideas and individuals that have shaped our nation,\u201d Inboden told The Fix<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Students share their positive experience with the program<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The center also offers a “Society of Fellows” for select students who want to advance even further in their learning beyond one class.<\/p>\n

Eric Xie, a third-year political science and economics major, told The Fix<\/em> he developed a \u201cgreater appreciation for the lineage that shaped the foundation of the United States and the intellectual spirit of the Western and American people,\u201d thanks to the Hamilton Center.<\/p>\n

\u201cBefore the Hamilton Center, my understanding of literature was limited to texts I had to read for class,\u201d he said. \u201cThe Hamilton Center helped expand my literary bounds, develop a new-found interest in poetry, and become a more well-rounded individual.\u201d<\/p>\n

Another fellow who graduated in summer 2023, Colette Kania, told The Fix<\/em> that her experience in the Society of Fellows was \u201cunlike anything else at UF\u201d and it provided \u201can opportunity to explore philosophical frameworks and their impact on today\u2019s society.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Society of Fellows leads you to pursue questions from perspectives that I did not encounter in any of my other studies or extracurriculars at UF,\u201d Kania told The Fix<\/em>.<\/p>\n

A senior STEM major, Sydney Edwards, also told The Fix<\/em> that her experiences were valuable because the \u201cSociety of Fellows provided an outlet to explore political science and philosophy beyond upper-level coursework.\u201d<\/p>\n

Will Fletcher, a third-year international studies and history major, also told The Fix<\/em> the Hamilton Center \u201chas signified a shift towards the holistic investigation of our Western society from a range of disciplines in a way that traditional, department-based classes may not have the breadth to explore.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI can mark a stark contrast between my enthusiasm and capability to tackle large ideas before and after my time as a fellow,\u201d he said. Fletcher thanked academics at the center for their mentorship.<\/p>\n

Editor’s note<\/strong>: The headline has been fixed to clarify the center finished its second semester, not third.<\/em><\/p>\n

MORE:<\/strong> These classical teaching programs meet a growing demand<\/a><\/p>\n

IMAGE: University of Florida<\/p>\n

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