Intellectual Vitality in the Classroom
Background Video of South asian countries and their people
Intellectual Vitality is partnering closely with the Program in General Education and the College Writing Program on fostering intellectual vitality in these key components of the College curriculum. We are currently working with a learning community of Writing Program preceptors, with a group of Gen Ed TFs, as well as with individual Gen Ed faculty and teaching teams on identifying (and building on) what already works well and actively avoiding what doesn’t. Ultimately, though, the challenges we face cannot be solved by the College alone. In this spirit, we approach our work in the classroom in collaboration with stakeholders across the university, including the Edmond & Lily Safra Center for Ethics and the Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning.
Spring 2025
During the 2024-2025 academic year, then Assistant Director of Pedagogy, Matthew Sohm (as of February 2025, Assistant Director of Civil Discourse and Classroom Culture, Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning), collaborated with Expository Writing, the Program in General Education, the Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning, and the Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Ethics on various pedagogy workshops (linked below).
To kick off the spring semester, Intellectual Vitality (together with the Bok Center for Teaching and Learning and the Safra Center for Ethics) hosted the philosopher Jason Baehr (Loyola Marymount University). Jason’s pioneering work on teaching and learning for intellectual virtues like curiosity and epistemic humility has been central to the College’s approach to Intellectual Vitality and has informed the pedagogical methods that new and experienced instructors in Expository Writing and Gen Ed have been exploring.
Fall 2024
For further information or for pedagogical support, please contact Matthew Sohm, Assistant Director of Civil Discourse and Classroom Culture at the Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning (msohm@fas.harvard.edu).
Academic Resources
Syllabus Templates
Intellectual Vitality has been partnering closely with the Program in General Education and the College Writing Program on fostering a classroom environment that remains open to, and respectful of, competing viewpoints and that seeks to avoid the premature formation of consensus. As part of this work, we have developed template syllabus language on topics including challenging subject matter, classroom neutrality, and policies addressing student concerns about doxxing and privacy. All of this is language is optional and can be used, adapted, and revised by instructors as they see fit.
Safra Center for Ethics Civil Discourse Pedagogy Resources
The Edmond & Lily Safra Center for Ethics has compiled a wide variety resources to help teach, practice, and develop civil discourse skills.
Bok Center for
Teaching and Learning
By supporting experimentation, innovation, and evidence-based practices, the Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning seeks to create transformational learning experiences for faculty, graduate students, and undergraduates in Harvard’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences.