A new full time professor of education will join the faculty as the college inaugurates its classical education masters program in the fall of 2022.
David Diener will step down from his current position as the headmaster of Hillsdale Academy and become a full-time professor. Mike Roberts ’96, assistant headmaster of the Academy, will succeed him.
Diener will join Dan Coupland, professor of education and chair of the education department, as they launch the master’s program in classical education.
The classical education graduate program will consist of a 36-credit-hour residential course of study. Graduates will receive a Master of Arts degree in classical education. It will be available as a course of study in the fall term of 2022, according to Coupland.
“At the request of the provost’s office, I began preliminary work on the program about five years ago,” Coupland said in an email. “A couple of years later, Dr. Whalen invited Dr. Diener to help us think about the program and to refine it in later stages of development.”
Professor of English David Whalen was the provost at the time. The college chose Diener because of his substantial resume in classical education, Coupland said.
“He has a strong academic background and extensive experience in classical schools,” Coupland said. “Beyond that, he is an engaging instructor who cares about his students and what he teaches.”
Diener said he has enjoyed his time at Hillsdale Academy.
“It’s been an honor and privilege to be the headmaster of Hillsdale Academy,” Diener said. “I wish Mike Roberts and all the teachers and families the best moving forward as the work here continues.”
“Dr. Diener has really helped our staff and our school grow and develop in his four years and we’re better for his time here,” Roberts said. “He will be missed, but I look forward to working with him in a different capacity. He’s going to do great things up the hill helping classical education in a different way.”
Diener said he is excited for what the new master’s program means for Hillsdale and classical education as a whole.
“Hillsdale College is so recognized for, committed to, and involved in classical education that this masters program is a natural fulfillment of our desire to make an impact on the work classical educators and administrators are doing,” Diener said. “Hillsdale College has the ability to set the gold standard for what a master’s program in classical education can and should be.”
Coupland said the master’s program is an important step in the growth of classical education.
“One of the biggest needs of the classical education community is leadership. The growth of classical schooling in America has been slowed by the limited supply of good leaders at every level,” Coupland said. “It is exciting for me to think that Hillsdale will play such a pivotal role in cultivating future leaders for the classical education movement.”
Diener also said proper training for classical educators and administrators is critical for the success of the classical model.
“As classical education has exploded over the past decades, there is a need for colleges to prepare students for careers in classical education,” Diener said.
Classical education has been a reliable method of education for centuries, Diener said.
“Classical education in the 21st century is recapturing and attempting to renew an approach to education that has simply been standard throughout centuries,” Diener said. “It is not merely preparation for a good college or a good job. The benefit, however, is that even though the goals of classical education are not focused on those utilitarian ends, in fact, our schools are achieving those ends.”