At the 2013 annual meeting of the American Historical Association, one topic of discussion among history department chairs was proactive approaches to staying relevant in the current higher education and employment markets.  Tracy Neal Leavelle of Creighton University in Omaha reported that efforts are under way there to reshape the core curriculum, including history, to focus more on strategic learning outcomes than pure content. By focusing on “discovery” rather than mere “exposure,” he said, “we demonstrate to students the value of history as a practice.”

They also discussed the importance of addressing several different audiences, including students and administrators, when explaining how studying history contributes to developing critical thinking skills that are necessary in the job market.