A recent Gallup survey found that from 2015 to 2024, American public confidence in higher education fell from 60% to 33%. The university’s cultural status and epistemic authority are in question—but not for the first time. Examining key episodes of pressure, renewal, and reform in the history of higher education can put contemporary debates about universities into historical perspective. Armed with some examples, we will probe the extent to which these histories can or should inform our policy choices today.

Benjamin Bernard ’11 is a postdoctoral associate in the Department of History, Yale University.

This event is open to all members of the Yale community. Lunch will be served.