Academics Archives

A Study In How To Be A Citizen

Dr. Adam Carrington, assistant professor of politics, explains that “studying the Constitution is studying how to be a citizen in our own time and place.” This study helps Hillsdale succeed in its mission to “cultivate human beings and citizens.”

A Call to Gather

Since the re-institution of Convocation at Hillsdale in the 1980s, students and faculty have gathered in the fall, and again in the spring, for this all-school ceremony. Faculty process down the church aisle in the robes and colors of their alma maters, and students cram the balconies. The contrast is stark between the rush and clamor of everyday life on campus and these stately, solemn events.

Why I Chose Hillsdale: Ellen Sweet

There is a depth to Hillsdale that I could not have imagined as a senior in high school. During freshman orientation, Dr. David Whalen gave a lecture in which he warned me and my fellow freshmen that college is dangerous—that, in fact, Hillsdale would change our souls.

A Liberal Arts Education for Missionaries

Why bother spending four years in a classroom studying Greek philosophers and ancient history when you could be spending your time helping others as a missionary or in an orphanage? That’s what Kathryn Lewis, ’17, wanted to know when she began studying great books at Hillsdale.

Learning to Ask Questions

Though junior Jared Eckert spent many years growing up in Hillsdale, he wasn’t drawn to the college until a “shameless” Google search for top politics schools led him to Hillsdale College. He then began to seriously consider staying in his hometown for undergraduate studies.

Iconoclasm and Tradition

Dr. Hart came to Hillsdale from Philadelphia and admittedly wondered about the small town with “no Macaroni Grill, Starbucks, or Restoration Hardware.” He has since come to appreciate Hillsdale.

From Robotics to Religion

After he received a scholarship to pursue his master’s degree in Scotland, Dr. Jordan Wales studied cognitive science overseas for a year—this after having studied engineering with a focus in robotics in undergrad. How did Hillsdale’s newest religion professor switch from being a robotics student to being caught up in the deepest wonder of the human soul?

The Heart of the Western World

While some might associate the study of a foreign language with boring memorization of grammar and syntax, students who choose to pursue the study of French at Hillsdale receive more than just language training. They are immersed in and given a full appreciation of the French language and heritage.

Stay Mighty Awesome

At the end of every Greek or Latin quiz, classics professor Joseph Garnjobst encourages his students—his “mighty warriors” and “stout, noble Romans”—to check the awesome box. The last words on the quiz: “Stay mighty. Stay awesome. Stay mighty awesome.”

Music Brings Us Together

Music has graced the halls of Hillsdale College from the very beginning in 1844. Whether part of the orchestra, various ensembles, or Michigan’s oldest collegiate choir, almost thirty percent of the Hillsdale College student body participates in music activities at some level — making it something that brings us together.

Marine Biology Summer Session

Every summer, the biology department conducts a class in the Florida Keys dedicated to the study of shallow, subtropical marine environments.

Athletes Who Make Art

When most people think of dance, they picture the austere grace of a tutu-clad ballerina leaping across the stage. Visiting assistant professor of dance Holly Hobbs, however, says Hillsdale’s dance minor offers much more than classical ballet, offering everything from Highland to modern dance for all experience levels.