Getting the shivers
November 2, 2023
I get the shivers when I see how hostile to the humanities many politicians, members of the public, and even some college presidents have become. Poor ROI, they declare.
How fortunate we are at Xavier, where for 192 years it’s been understood that a good return on one’s educational investment isn’t only a matter of dollars. By all means, let our students prosper—but let them do so as thinking human beings and citizens, who have had the chance to expand their minds and personalities during their few years in college. Here, they aren’t just equipped with marketable skills; they also experience a liberal education. They explore mathematics, nature, society, and the arts—and in their humanities courses, they discuss great literature, ask fundamental questions, consider the sacred, learn about unfamiliar languages and cultures, and look for meaning in the past.
We’ve been especially fortunate to have some great humanist leaders, such as our first Provost, Dr. Roger Fortin of the Department of History. His son Michael Fortin studied computer science, and went on to enjoy a wonderful ROI indeed as a Vice President at Microsoft—but he so deeply valued the humanities and respected his father that in 2012, he established the Roger A. Fortin Award for Outstanding Teaching and Scholarship in the Humanities. Since then, eleven faculty in the departments of Classics and Modern Languages, History, English, Philosophy, and Theology have been chosen by committees of CAS faculty and excellent students to receive this award—which brings not only honor, but also a nice pot of monetary ROI.
I hope you’ll take the time to learn about the Fortin Award, nominate some worthy peers, and attend the award ceremony in the spring. It is always a great chance to be reminded that liberal education, and the humanities in particular, continue to be pursued and appreciated at Xavier University as we approach our bicentennial. That gives me the shivers in a good way.
Dr. Richard Polt
Professor, Philosophy
