Welcome to H-World, a network for practitioners of world history. The list gives emphasis to research, to teaching, and to the connections between research and teaching.
As our university makes the transition from a liberal arts institution to a vocational school (not what the Uni President says is happening – but that is what it is), one thing that has helped keep major numbers somewhat stable is having a “large plan” major and a “small plan” major. The small plan major requires students have another major or a minor while the large plan makes no such requirement. The small plan is still bigger than a minor.
I appreciate all of the thoughtful responses to my initial posting. A few follow up thoughts of my own follow.
Call for Applications: The Summer Research Laboratory at Illinois
For over forty years, the Summer Research Laboratory at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has provided scholars from around the world with the opportunity to work in our Library's famous collections in Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies.
I fear that by focusing on students getting a job, we're forgetting that there is more to life than work. A student who majors or minors in history for sheer love of the discipline has gained the tools needed to pursue a life-long interest in history, regardless of discipline. This comes under the heading of life enrichment, and it brings joy to people. My father was a small businessman, but he had a life-long love of history. In the evenings, he'd read history, and when we traveled, we often went to historic sites or museums.
