Humanity In Perspective
January 1, 2010
The Humanity In Perspective course may be the most challenging teaching I have ever done. I quickly discovered that a lot of the classroom tactics and strategies that seem to work with Willamette’s standard students, that is, the 18 to 22 year olds, did not work altogether successfully with a group which was so diverse in terms of both age and life experiences. The HIP students simply read the text differently! And I found that frequently I could not anticipate how they would respond. They did seem to enjoy the texts and our conversations about them, and they did read thoughtfully and well. But I found myself devoting many hours of preparation in reflection, attempting to image the range of possible responses and how I might work with those responses. It was an amazing challenge that opened up and renewed texts that I have taught frequently and know quite well. I came to see those texts differently, too.
Affiliation: Department of History, Willamette University
You will live as long as your life has meaning. I embarked on this educational journey to satisfy my life’s desire to learn. This opportunity crossed my path at the right moment and is supplying me with the chance to evaluate my ability to perform on the college level with like-minded people within the veteran’s community, where a person can always find support. All of the instructors and staff are helpful! Thank you for this possibility. – George, Coast Guard, Ocean City, NJ The New Jersey Clemente Course Veterans Initiative (CCVI) launched its second cohort on September 25, 2025, welcoming twenty-four veterans from every branch of service. The cohort includes eight women; and while most come from communities across New Jersey, the course has also drawn participants from New York. Part of the wider Clemente Veterans Initiative and operating in partnership with the New Jersey Council for the Humanities and Atlantic Cape Community College , the CCVI brings transformative humanities education to those who have served.
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