At about this time last year, I argued that one strategy to use to help combat the loud and negative public attitudes toward higher education might be to employ a version of Gerald Graff’s concept of “teaching the conflicts” in general education literature courses. Such a strategy could, I suggested, provide students with an opportunity to reflect on the role of the university in their lives and in culture in a conversation based on texts that considered questions of a university’s value deeply. Participating in a semester-long discussion of literary representations of higher education might give students, I suggested, a greater future ability to interpret and contextualize public discourse about the purpose and effectiveness of US higher education.
Beyond Programs: Leadership Lessons from Ireland’s Inclusive Universities
During a recent sabbatical studying inclusive postsecondary education in Ireland, I visited four universities—University College Cork, Trinity College Dublin, Dún Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology, and Mary Immaculate
Ashley Rodrigues
July 20, 2026
