William Craig Rice
Encyclopedia
William Craig Rice is an American
educator. He is currently the Director of the Division of Education Programs of the National Endowment for the Humanities
.
Rice was born in 1955 in Washington, DC. He received his bachelor's and master's degree
s at the University of Virginia
, where his studies focused on English and American literature. He later earned an M.F.A.
and a doctorate
at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, where he won a Hopwood Writing Award
and the Brubacher Prize in the History of Education. His publications include: Public Discourse & Academic Inquiry, a study in the sociology of knowledge; Characteristics of Exemplary Schools; a special edited volume of the Harvard Review
commemorating Seamus Heaney’s
Nobel Prize
; and more than fifty articles, reviews, essays, stories, and poems in such periodicals as The New Criterion
, Policy Review
, The Sewanee Review, The Washington Post
, and The Common Review: The Magazine of the Great Books Foundation
. He has also worked as an Alfa Romeo
mechanic, a warden at the Adirondack Mountain Reserve
, and the manager of an antiques shop.
After his studies at the University of Virginia, he taught at the Webb School
in Bell Buckle
, Tennessee
, at Temple University
, and at the University of Pennsylvania
; and then undertook graduate studies at the University of Michigan
. From 1992 to 2001, he taught expository writing in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences at Harvard University
, where he also edited non-fiction for the Harvard Review
. While at Harvard he became involved in education reform as a consultant to the Massachusetts Board of Education
, helping to reshape curriculum frameworks and assessment in English Language Arts. He has been a Visiting Fellow
at Johns Hopkins University's
Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies
, and at the American Enterprise Institute
; an Ella Baker Fellow at Antioch New England Graduate School
; a consultant to the John Templeton Foundation
; and from 2001-2004 a staff member at the American Academy for Liberal Education
, where he created new K-12 programs. Furthermore he has been a consultant to the American Board for Certification of Teacher Excellence
, which offers an alternative route into the K-12 classroom for liberal arts college
graduates and career-switching professionals, and also to the education reform organization Achieve, which has launched the American Diploma Project to raise academic expectations in American high schools.
In 2004 he was appointed the President of Shimer College
, where he also served as a Professor of English, Education, and the Humanities. Amid controversy, the Shimer College
Board of Trustees announced in January 2006 that at his urging it had accepted an invitation to move the school to the Illinois Institute of Technology
campus on the south side of Chicago
. The move was completed in August of the same year. In August 2007 he left Shimer in order to accept his present position with the NEH
. He also serves as a Visitor
of Ralston College
.
His paternal grandfather was John Andrew Rice
, the founder of Black Mountain College
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
educator. He is currently the Director of the Division of Education Programs of the National Endowment for the Humanities
National Endowment for the Humanities
The National Endowment for the Humanities is an independent federal agency of the United States established by the National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities Act of 1965 dedicated to supporting research, education, preservation, and public programs in the humanities. The NEH is located at...
.
Rice was born in 1955 in Washington, DC. He received his bachelor's and master's degree
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
s at the University of Virginia
University of Virginia
The University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson...
, where his studies focused on English and American literature. He later earned an M.F.A.
Master of Fine Arts
A Master of Fine Arts is a graduate degree typically requiring 2–3 years of postgraduate study beyond the bachelor's degree , although the term of study will vary by country or by university. The MFA is usually awarded in visual arts, creative writing, filmmaking, dance, or theatre/performing arts...
and a doctorate
Doctorate
A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder to teach in a specific field, A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder...
at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, where he won a Hopwood Writing Award
Hopwood Award
The Hopwood Awards are a major scholarship program at the University of Michigan, founded by Avery Hopwood.Under the terms of the will of Avery Hopwood, a prominent American dramatist and member of the Class of 1905 of The University of Michigan, one-fifth of Mr. Hopwood's estate was given to the...
and the Brubacher Prize in the History of Education. His publications include: Public Discourse & Academic Inquiry, a study in the sociology of knowledge; Characteristics of Exemplary Schools; a special edited volume of the Harvard Review
Harvard Review
The Harvard Review is a literary magazine published by the Harvard University library system.Its origins can be dated to 1986, when Stratis Haviaras, the curator of the libraries' poetry room founded a magazine called Erato to publicize poetry room authors.The first issue included a poem by Seamus...
commemorating Seamus Heaney’s
Seamus Heaney
Seamus Heaney is an Irish poet, writer and lecturer. He lives in Dublin. Heaney has received the Nobel Prize in Literature , the Golden Wreath of Poetry , T. S. Eliot Prize and two Whitbread prizes...
Nobel Prize
Nobel Prize
The Nobel Prizes are annual international awards bestowed by Scandinavian committees in recognition of cultural and scientific advances. The will of the Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, established the prizes in 1895...
; and more than fifty articles, reviews, essays, stories, and poems in such periodicals as The New Criterion
The New Criterion
The New Criterion is a New York-based monthly literary magazine and journal of artistic and cultural criticism, edited by Hilton Kramer and Roger Kimball. It has sections for criticism of poetry, theater, art, music, the media, and books...
, Policy Review
Policy Review
Policy Review is one of America's leading conservative journals. It was founded by the Heritage Foundation and was for many years the foundation's flagship publication. In 2001, the publication was acquired by the Stanford University-based Hoover Institution, though it maintains its office on...
, The Sewanee Review, The Washington Post
The Washington Post
The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
, and The Common Review: The Magazine of the Great Books Foundation
The Common Review
The Common Review is the quarterly magazine of the Great Books Foundation. The magazine specializes in nonfiction essays and articles "about the books and ideas that matter", as well as reviews of new books, letters, and editorials. The magazine has been twice nominated for the Utne Independent...
. He has also worked as an Alfa Romeo
Alfa Romeo
Alfa Romeo Automobiles S.p.A. is an Italian manufacturer of cars. Founded as A.L.F.A. on June 24, 1910, in Milan, the company has been involved in car racing since 1911, and has a reputation for building expensive sports cars...
mechanic, a warden at the Adirondack Mountain Reserve
Adirondack Mountains
The Adirondack Mountains are a mountain range located in the northeastern part of New York, that runs through Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Fulton, Hamilton, Herkimer, Lewis, Saint Lawrence, Saratoga, Warren, and Washington counties....
, and the manager of an antiques shop.
After his studies at the University of Virginia, he taught at the Webb School
Webb School (Bell Buckle, Tennessee)
The Webb School is a private coeducational college preparatory boarding and day school in Bell Buckle, Tennessee, founded in 1870. It has been called the oldest, continuously operating boarding school in the South...
in Bell Buckle
Bell Buckle, Tennessee
Bell Buckle is a town in Bedford County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 500 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Bell Buckle is located at ....
, Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
, at Temple University
Temple University
Temple University is a comprehensive public research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Originally founded in 1884 by Dr. Russell Conwell, Temple University is among the nation's largest providers of professional education and prepares the largest body of professional...
, and at the University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
; and then undertook graduate studies at the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
. From 1992 to 2001, he taught expository writing in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences at Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
, where he also edited non-fiction for the Harvard Review
Harvard Review
The Harvard Review is a literary magazine published by the Harvard University library system.Its origins can be dated to 1986, when Stratis Haviaras, the curator of the libraries' poetry room founded a magazine called Erato to publicize poetry room authors.The first issue included a poem by Seamus...
. While at Harvard he became involved in education reform as a consultant to the Massachusetts Board of Education
Massachusetts Board of Education
The Massachusetts Board of Education is the state education agency responsible for interpreting and implementing laws relevant to public education in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Public education in the Commonwealth is organized according to the regulations adopted by the BOE, which are good...
, helping to reshape curriculum frameworks and assessment in English Language Arts. He has been a Visiting Fellow
Visiting fellow
A visiting fellow is an academic, often a senior academic, who is undertaking research at a different institution than his or her main institution for a limited period of time, often but not necessarily at a foreign institution. A visiting fellow can be paid or unpaid; sometimes the salary is paid...
at Johns Hopkins University's
Johns Hopkins University
The Johns Hopkins University, commonly referred to as Johns Hopkins, JHU, or simply Hopkins, is a private research university based in Baltimore, Maryland, United States...
Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies
Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies
The Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies , a division of Johns Hopkins University based in Washington, D.C., is one of the world's leading and most prestigious graduate schools devoted to the study of international affairs, economics, diplomacy, and policy research and...
, and at the American Enterprise Institute
American Enterprise Institute
The American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research is a conservative think tank founded in 1943. Its stated mission is "to defend the principles and improve the institutions of American freedom and democratic capitalism—limited government, private enterprise, individual liberty and...
; an Ella Baker Fellow at Antioch New England Graduate School
Antioch University New England
Antioch University New England is a private graduate school located in Keene, New Hampshire. It is part of the Antioch University system that includes campuses in Seattle, Washington; Los Angeles, California; Santa Barbara, California; and Yellow Springs, Ohio.- History :In 1964, Antioch College...
; a consultant to the John Templeton Foundation
John Templeton Foundation
"The John Templeton Foundation is a philanthropic organizationthat funds inter-disciplinary research about human purpose and ultimate reality. It is usually referred to simply as the Templeton Foundation...
; and from 2001-2004 a staff member at the American Academy for Liberal Education
American Academy for Liberal Education
The American Academy for Liberal Education is a United States educational accreditation organization.- Accreditation :AALE provides two types of accreditation for higher education institutions that offer general education programs in the liberal arts...
, where he created new K-12 programs. Furthermore he has been a consultant to the American Board for Certification of Teacher Excellence
American Board for Certification of Teacher Excellence
The American Board for Certification of Teacher Excellence is a non-partisan, non-profit organization, founded in 2001 via a grant from the U.S. Department of Education, dedicated to recruiting, preparing, certifying and supporting teachers...
, which offers an alternative route into the K-12 classroom for liberal arts college
Liberal arts college
A liberal arts college is one with a primary emphasis on undergraduate study in the liberal arts and sciences.Students in the liberal arts generally major in a particular discipline while receiving exposure to a wide range of academic subjects, including sciences as well as the traditional...
graduates and career-switching professionals, and also to the education reform organization Achieve, which has launched the American Diploma Project to raise academic expectations in American high schools.
In 2004 he was appointed the President of Shimer College
Shimer College
Shimer College is a very small, private, undergraduate liberal arts college in Chicago, Illinois, in the United States. Founded by Frances Wood Shimer in 1853 in the frontier town of Mt. Carroll, Illinois, it was a women's school for most of its first century. It joined with the University of...
, where he also served as a Professor of English, Education, and the Humanities. Amid controversy, the Shimer College
Shimer College
Shimer College is a very small, private, undergraduate liberal arts college in Chicago, Illinois, in the United States. Founded by Frances Wood Shimer in 1853 in the frontier town of Mt. Carroll, Illinois, it was a women's school for most of its first century. It joined with the University of...
Board of Trustees announced in January 2006 that at his urging it had accepted an invitation to move the school to the Illinois Institute of Technology
Illinois Institute of Technology
Illinois Institute of Technology, commonly called Illinois Tech or IIT, is a private Ph.D.-granting university located in Chicago, Illinois, with programs in engineering, science, psychology, architecture, business, communications, industrial technology, information technology, design, and law...
campus on the south side of Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
. The move was completed in August of the same year. In August 2007 he left Shimer in order to accept his present position with the NEH
National Endowment for the Humanities
The National Endowment for the Humanities is an independent federal agency of the United States established by the National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities Act of 1965 dedicated to supporting research, education, preservation, and public programs in the humanities. The NEH is located at...
. He also serves as a Visitor
Visitor
A Visitor, in United Kingdom law and history, is an overseer of an autonomous ecclesiastical or eleemosynary institution , who can intervene in the internal affairs of that institution...
of Ralston College
Ralston College
Ralston College is a liberal arts college in Savannah, Georgia, United States. It was founded on February 1, 2010 and as of December 2010 is not yet accepting applications for admission. The patrons of Ralston College are Harold Bloom, Hilary Putnam, and Salman Rushdie. The members of the Board...
.
His paternal grandfather was John Andrew Rice
John Andrew Rice
John Andrew Rice, Jr. was the founder and first rector of Black Mountain College in Asheville, North Carolina. During his time there, he introduced many unique methods of education which had not been implemented in any other experimental institution, attracting many important artists as...
, the founder of Black Mountain College
Black Mountain College
Black Mountain College, a school founded in 1933 in Black Mountain, North Carolina, was a new kind of college in the United States in which the study of art was seen to be central to a liberal arts education, and in which John Dewey's principles of education played a major role...
.
External links
- The National Endowment for the Humanities: Division of Education Programs
- Transcript of PBS Discussion on the National Endowment for the Arts
- Shimer College
- How to Move a College - Chicago Public RadioChicago Public RadioWBEZ is a noncommercial, public radio station broadcasting from Chicago, Illinois. Financed primarily by listener contributions, the station is affiliated with both National Public Radio and Public Radio International; they also broadcast content from American Public Media...
- an interview with William Craig Rice about the move of Shimer College - Who Killed History? An Academic Autopsy - an article by William Craig Rice
- I Hear America Singing - an article by William Craig Rice