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This FYS examines the contemporary role of university education in society, exploring how (and whether) the modern university can continue to achieve its purpose in the face of economic, cultural, and technological change. As part of this exploration, the course will trace the historical development of higher education from antiquity to the modern era. Special attention will be dedicated to the origins of liberal education and the evolution of this concept over time, culminating the decline of liberal education in recent decades. While illuminating how social expectations of higher education have shifted dramatically over the centuries, the seminar will question 1) whether the current status quo in higher education was inevitable and 2) how students, teachers, voters, and other stakeholders might be able to chart a wise course for the university in the 21st century. To participate in this course, students will engage with a broad range of perspectives from inside and outside the academy. Students will read educational research, policy papers, polemics, and even dramatic fiction. They will also engage with multimedia as they confront educational controversies new and old. For their final project, students will design a novel course and present it to their peers. Ultimately, this seminar encourages students to draw their own conclusions about higher education—to discover its purpose, its promise, and its pitfalls for themselves. By doing so, first-year students have a unique opportunity to make the university experience they are embarking on more profound and worthwhile.