Bonevac documents the disappearance of Western Civilization and other broad interdisciplinary humanities courses, along with the dwindling of traditional survey courses. The result is that college graduates emerge with little knowledge of subjects beyond their majors, and only narrow slices of that to boot.
It is possible that athletic competition could provide a sound accompaniment to a rigorous liberal arts education. As it’s practiced on today’s college campuses, though, institutional status-striving through the provision of mass entertainment sports has resulted in disastrous academic compromise. Recent scandals involving college athletics programs provide an opportunity for real reform.
