The Saad Truth with Dr. Saad Dr. Caroline Levander - How to Reform Our Universities (The Saad Truth with Dr. Saad_934)
Dec 10, 2025
Dr. Caroline Levander is a Professor of English and Vice President for Global Strategy at Rice University, focusing on higher-education reform. She discusses the importance of fostering creativity in students and argues that creativity can be taught as a valuable skill. Levander explores the tension between specialists and generalists in academia, advocating for interdisciplinary approaches. She shares innovative examples from Rice, including new pedagogical practices that promote growth mindsets, along with insights on reading habits and global strategies for education.
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Teach Creativity As A Core Outcome
- InventEd argues U.S. universities haven't intentionally taught creativity to undergraduates.
- Caroline Levander claims creative capability is a teachable growth skill every student should develop.
Creativity Is A Growth Mindset
- Levander frames creativity as a growth mindset, not a fixed trait you either have or lack.
- She stresses creativity becomes more valuable in the AI-transformed workplace.
Samuel Morse: Artist Turned Inventor
- Samuel Morse moved between art and invention, mocking up the telegraph on his easel in his studio.
- Levander uses his career to illustrate how cross-disciplinary movement sparks discovery.
