New college will offer history-only curriculum

By Brian Benson, Globe Correspondent | September 24, 2009

Local students pursuing history and law degrees will have a new option for earning a bachelor's degree when the nation's first college dedicated exclusively to studying history opens its doors next summer in Salem, N.H.

But don't expect to apply as a high school senior.

The American College of History and Legal Studies will only offer junior and senior years in an effort to cater to community college graduates, transfers from four-year schools, and adults who left school before earning a bachelor's degree, said Lawrence Velvel, the college's founding dean.

"In a sense, the whole school is the history major you would get in a traditional college,'' said Velvel, who is also dean of Massachusetts School of Law in Andover. "This is sadly a very ahistorical country, and we think that perhaps some mistakes could be avoided if Americans knew some history.''

Administrators are prepared to start with a small student body predominantly from within 60 miles of Salem, although Velvel does not know how much interest the college will generate since its focus and grade offerings are unique.

"It's not very often there is something new under the sun in higher education, and I really think this is,'' said Joseph Ellis, one of the college's trustees and a history professor at Mount Holyoke College. "It's an experiment to be sure, but I think it has great prospects.''

Tuition is expected to be about $10,000 a year, thanks to a narrow focus and "no-frills'' campus with no dorms, gymnasiums, and student activities, he said.

"The model we're going to set up is going to be enormously attractive to people who have an interest in history and the law and simply can't afford Harvard or Boston College,'' he said.

The college will seek teachers with a broad background in American history and has received hundreds of letters of interest, many from unemployed or underemployed historians, said Ellis, a member of the professor search committee.

"We don't mean someone has to know everything in American history from 1500 to 1999, but we do want people who have panoramic perspectives,'' Ellis said.

Class sizes will likely be capped at 20, writing will be emphasized, and faculty will lead discussions rather than lectures, Velvel said.

Besides hiring professors, the college must develop a course schedule, choose a location in Salem, and complete the state approval process, he said.

The New Hampshire Postsecondary Education Commission approved the college in March. Next, the state Legislature must authorize it to grant degrees, a process that cannot occur until the next legislative session begins in January, said Kathryn Dodge, the commission's executive director.

Although a college serving only juniors and seniors is a first for New Hampshire, it has a good chance to succeed, Dodge said.

"The more niche-oriented an institution is, the more successful they have been,'' she said. "It's very clear what students want to study, and they can market themselves as that.''

Such a college cannot exist in Massachusetts because state law requires two-year schools to offer associate's degrees, said Aundrea Kelley, a deputy commissioner with the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education.

"The absence of so-called senior colleges certainly hasn't prevented the widespread growth of colleges and the student population,'' she said. "Students have found that their needs are being met under the system we have.''

Start-up funding came from Massachusetts School of Law, which will initially share some administrators and resources with the history college. Officials are being careful to ensure the new college does not compromise the financial stability of the law school, said Velvel, who declined to provide specific costs.

Students who perform well as juniors will be able to attend Massachusetts School of Law and complete their bachelor's degree during their first year of law school instead of afourth year as an undergraduate. Administrators hope to establish relationships with other law schools, community colleges, and graduate schools as the college develops, Velvel said.

"What is intriguing about it is they are going to provide students an opportunity to go on to law school,'' said Catherine Pride, an associate dean at Middlesex Community College who negotiates Middlesex's transfer agreements with other institutions. "That's something that can shorten a student's road to getting a law degree.''

Middlesex officials met with representatives of the new college about transfer opportunities, although they are waiting for more information before marketing the opportunity to students, Pride said.

Northern Essex Community College administrators, who also met with the new college's leaders, see it as a logical continuation of education for students in their history and legal studies programs, many of whom transfer to four-year institutions with the eventual goal of pursuing law school, said Ernie Greenslade, Northern Essex's spokeswoman.

"It is a nice fit,'' Greenslade said. "We're looking forward to seeing how the college evolves.''