A blueprint for the rejuvenation of American undergraduate education

American universities face enormous challenges as they struggle to balance teaching and research, curricular independence, and the unpredictability of state and federal support. Along the way, Christopher Snyder argues, US higher education has lost touch with its roots. With The Oxbridge Solution, Snyder—a historian of the ancient and medieval worlds and a seasoned college administrator—shows us how to repair these valuable institutions.

American colleges and universities built their foundations on principles established at Oxford and Cambridge—especially their residential colleges—but also imported elements of the German research university, resulting in frictions between educational models. Snyder offers concrete solutions, charting a return to holistic education through the application of his own modified Oxbridge Model, a student-centric approach that emphasizes civic engagement. He also examines four educational theorists—Hugh of St. Victor, John Henry Newman, Maria Montessori, and Dorothy Sayers—who each have something to offer as American higher education struggles to define a common good. Snyder argues, ultimately, for a return to careful construction and support of intellectual communities dedicated first and foremost to educating the whole student.