Where Columbia Beats Harvard

Where Columbia Beats Harvard (Wall Street Journal 9-3-10)

In their football rivalry that dates back to 1877, Harvard holds a commanding advantage over Columbia, the Crimson leading 53 to 14. Yet in a contest between their undergraduate curricula, Columbia has more than held its own.

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In contrast to Harvard's curriculum, which will require constant revision and new justifications because it must keep pace with changing conditions, Columbia's curriculum (and others like it) has a stable foundation because it is organized around timeless themes expressed in works that are unlikely to go out of style.