Hampshire College Recognized for Challenging Status Quo in Higher Education
When the U.S. Dept of Education announced recently it was reversing course and calling for limits to standardized testing in grade schools, Hampshire College once again made national news, extending the results of our campaign to lead national discussions about education. We’ve been aggressively promoting our stance as the one college committed to putting our mission before rankings, to not only disregard standardized testing, but speak out against the abuses of it.
Meetings with thousands of prospective students over the years have made us intimately aware of the damage over-testing can do to a student's love of learning. And we know there’s a better way, in the model we’ve developed and refined over half-a-century, enabling a student’s interests and curiosity to drive the design of an adaptive curriculum.
President Jonathan Lash and Dean of Enrollment Meredith Twombly have led our media appearances promoting our admissions policy and education model. At the same time we’re earning national visibility as higher education’s leader in sustainability, climate action, and carbon neutrality. Below are links to recent results of both campaigns:
TEST-BLIND POLICY
USA Today
MTV News
WGN Chicago Talk Radio
Chicago Tribune Facebook post
The New York Times, 'The Test-Optional Surge'
The New York Times, 'An Admissions Surprise from the Ivy League'
Jonathan Lash’s Huffington Post blog
Meredith Twombly YouTube video
SUSTAINABILITY, CLIMATE ACTION, CARBON NEUTRALITY
In our outreach, we state Hampshire College is among the most innovative colleges in the country, challenging students to design their own education and recruit a faculty committee to guide them. Our program fosters intellectual exploration and experience, and a willingness to experiment, supported by narrative evaluations from faculty rather than letter or number grades. The model has been described as a “graduate school for undergraduates.” Since its founding in 1965 by the leaders of four sister colleges in and around Amherst, Mass., Hampshire has demonstrated success as our experiential education has been emulated nationwide, and our roster of alumni have distinguished themselves globally.
#DisruptHigherEd
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