ABSTRACT
Abstract Having largely disappeared from the humanities and social sciences,
conservatives have become the Other in progressive discussions of higher education.
Crucial to this othering is the ascription of personal faults, such as racism or a lack of
interest in marginal student populations. This article presents an alternative view of
academic conservative writers on higher education. Rather than focus on their policy
recommendations, it focuses on their perceptions of contemporary higher education, and
finds that academic conservatives (as distinct from many conservative politicians) argue
for the same goals as their progressive counterparts: a strong program of liberal arts,
critical thinking, and access to education for diverse student populations. It divides these
writers into two broad categories for analysis: traditional conservatives and libertarians.
Suggestions are provided for readers who wish to explore these ideas more fully.
