Introduction

This project began with my own direct experience as a Great Books student and preceptor (embedded writing tutor). At Mercer, students can choose between a general education program structured around Integrated Learning (INT) or studying the Great Books (GBK) in small, discussion-based classes. On my first day as a Great Books preceptor, I was excited to meet the fifteen students who had chosen to enroll in the program. On my second day, I was sad to see that around five students had dropped the course. 

I couldn't help noticing that all five students who switched to INT, Mercer’s alternate general education program, were students of color. On the other hand, the ten students who stayed were almost entirely white. That surprising realization then led me to think about my own experience in the program. Like my preceptor class, my own Great Books classes consisted of a disproportionately large number of white students compared to Mercer’s overall demographics. I began to wonder about the demographics of both the students who dropped the program and the students who chose not to enroll at all. Why were students of color apparently choosing to self-select away from the program in such large numbers? Could the program do a better job welcoming diverse voices in the classroom? 

As this image highlights, the official reading list for GBK 101 consists entirely of male, Greek authors. Though my GBK 101 professor attempted to make the reading list slightly more diverse by including the Ramayana, an Indian epic, the list was still overwhelmingly Eurocentric. After reflecting on the reading list, I began to suspect the contents of the syllabus might have inspired the students in my class to drop from the course. Was it possible that they had self-selected out of the Great Books program after syllabus day because they didn't see themselves reflected in the reading list?

Though my experience in the program inspired the project, I knew examining my own anecdotal experience would not be enough to answer my questions. I therefore designed this project to answer my questions about the program by exploring its history and possible future. Now, after a year of studying the nationwide Great Books program in general and its specific implementation at Mercer, I believe I have confirmed my anecdotal experience in part. 

While my research cannot definitively prove that Mercer's Great Books Program is overwhelmingly white because the “Great Books” on the curriculum are overwhelmingly white, it does include a survey of student attitudes towards the program. As the results highlight, the surveyed GBK and INT students agree almost unanimously that the Great Books Program should be more diverse. As the Great Books program is so student-centered, these student surveys were the most important factor leading to my conclusion. Diversifying the curriculum would both improve the program's appeal to Mercer students and better fulfil its stated goals: studying the great books of history and enabling students to understand their present. 

This project began in Fall 2019. Since my research began, much-needed conversations about anti-racism inspired by the groundbreaking Black Lives Matter movement have taken place at every level of American society. As this new, long-overdue "Great Conversation" evolves, I believe it is more important than ever that Mercer commit to the idea of anti-racism by including diverse voices in the Great Books program. While I already thought the issue of diversity in the Great Books program was important in 2019, I believe that given the current circumstances, diversifying the curriculum is the only way Mercer can justify continuing this program. This website therefore discusses concrete suggestions based on my research that can serve as a resource for substantive curricular change.