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Traces the mid-20th-century shift away from faith and character-building, describes how expanded programs became less coherent, and assesses curricular reforms across general education and undergraduate offerings. 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Six Forks Road Suite 200 Raleigh, NC 27609  \n919.828.1400  \nFax: 919.828.7455  \n[www.jamesgmartin. center](www.jamesgmartin. center)  \nCopyright 2025 James G. Martin Center for Academic Renewal This paper is available on the Martin Center website:  \n[www.jamesgmartin.center](www.jamesgmartin.center)  \nDistribution of this paper is encouraged as long as proper credit is given to the author and the Martin Center.  \nISSN 1935-3510  \nCover Image: Photo byAkash Ravuri on Unsplash  \nTABLE OF CONTENTS  \nIntroduction  .............................................. 4  \nDavidson College  ......................................... 5  \n{ DRIFTING FROM ITS MISSION  .................................. 5  \n{ DAVIDSON TODAY: A SIGNIFICANT SHIFT IN FOCUS  ................. 7  \n• FIRE Survey Results  ............................................... 7  \n• Institutional Neutrality  ............................................. 7  \n• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Faculty Hiring  ......................... 8  \n{ CURRICULAR CHANGES  ....................................... 8  \n• Changes in General Education  ........................................ 8  \n• Changes in Undergraduate Programs  ................................... 9  \n{ CONCLUSION  ............................................... 9  \nWashington and Lee University  ......................... 10  \n{ DRIFTING FROM ITS MISSION  ................................. 10  \n{ WASHINGTON AND LEE TODAY: A SIGNIFICANT SHIFT IN FOCUS  ..... 11  \n• Free Speech  ..................................................... 12  \n• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion  ...................................... 12  \n{ CURRICULAR CHANGES  ...................................... 13  \n• Undergraduate Program Changes  ..................................... 15  \n{ CONCLUSION  .............................................. 15  \nWilliams College  ......................................... 16  \n{ DRIFTING FROM ITS MISSION  ................................. 16  \n{ WILLIAMS TODAY: A SIGNIFICANT SHIFT IN FOCUS  ................ 17  \n• Free Speech  ..................................................... 18  \n• Ideological Diversity versus Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion  ................ 19  \n{ CURRICULAR CHANGES  ...................................... 20  \n{ CONCLUSION  .............................................. 21  \nConclusion  .............................................. 22  \n3  \nINTRODUCTION  \nIn the early years of our nation, the increasing demand for an educated population led to the founding of many small colleges. Almost all of them had religious roots and had as their  \nmain goals the moral development of students. Education was strongly tied to Western intellectual traditions dating back centuries. Over time, they underwent adaptations to meet new challenges, such as the growing need for professional and technical workers. But even while modernizing their curricula, they held firm to their foundations in religion, tradition, and character-building.  \nOr, at least they did until the mid-20th century. Like many other American institutions, they, too, succumbed to the assault on Western traditions. In the process, they became very different organizations from what their founders intended: out went faith and characterbuilding, in came critical theory and grievance studies.  \nThe following report examines the historical and recent changes at three such colleges: Davidson College, Washington and Lee University, and Williams College. Today, these  \nschools are almost unrecognizable from their early years. All three were founded to prepare students for leadership roles in the church and society. Students studied a classical liberal arts curriculum, which included an in-depth study of Greek and Latin, as well as moral philosophy.  \nTheir curricula grew, as required by scientific discoveries and the consequent industria","cbCaigcHBYymNE5g","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaigcHBYymNE5g","pdf",7763515,28,"English","# Introduction\n# Davidson College\n## Drifting From Its Mission\n## Davidson Today: A Significant Shift in Focus\n## Curricular Changes\n## Conclusion\n# Washington and Lee University\n## Drifting From Its Mission\n## Washington and Lee Today: A Significant Shift in Focus\n## Curricular Changes\n## Conclusion\n# Williams College\n## Drifting From Its Mission\n## Williams Today: A Significant Shift in Focus\n## Curricular Changes\n## Conclusion\n# Conclusion","[{\"question\":\"What is the focus of the report?\",\"answer\":\"The report examines historical and recent changes at Davidson College, Washington and Lee University, and Williams College, emphasizing how their educational missions and curricula have shifted over time.\"},{\"question\":\"Which colleges are analyzed in the report?\",\"answer\":\"The report studies Davidson College, Washington and Lee University, and Williams College.\"},{\"question\":\"What changes does the report claim occurred in the colleges’ curricula?\",\"answer\":\"It argues that the schools’ religious orientations were eliminated or weakened and that their expanded curricula became ideologically charged and less coherent, including shifts in general education and undergraduate programs.\"}]","FROM PURPOSE TO POLITICS - The Decline of Three Liberal Arts Institutions | PDF",1792053565,71]