Hildegard College - Matthew J. Smith ~ The Great Books & Education for Entrepreneurs

In this episode, we continue our exploration of the landscape of educational initiatives inspired by the Great Books model of pedagogy with a look at Hildegard College, a young microcollege based in Orange County, California, with founder and President Matthew J. Smith. Named after the 12th century abbess, mystic, and polymath Hildegard of Bingen, Hildegard College combines a ecumenical Christian faith-based approach to the Great Books curriculum with a practical engagement with the world of entrepreneurship, marrying the life of the mind with the love of action in the world in the context of an intimate learning community in a unique way. Founder and president Matthew J. Smith has a degree in Shakespeare studies from USC and recently published an article in ARC magazine called "The Quiet Surge of Alternative Micro-Colleges" that offers a fascinating analysis of microcolleges as a business proposition within the disrupted landscape of higher education, as well well as one of the most comprehensive surveys of participants in this emerging field, including both religious and secular organizations from across the political and cultural spectrum. Matthew and Hildegard College were early adopters of the term "microcollege" (or "micro-college") so it was great to have him on the podcast!

LINKS -

Hildegard College - https://www.hildegard.college/

Matthew Smith's Substack - https://matthewjamessmith.substack.com/

ARC Magazine - The Quiet Surge Of Alternative Micro-Colleges https://arcmag.org/the-quiet-surge-of-alternative-micro-colleges/

Thoreau College - https://thoreaucollege.org/