Pope Center to honor college courses

The Pope Center for Higher Education Policy used to skewer college classes in its "Course of the Month" selection, which heaped scorn on classes with a multicultural, feminist or pop culture theme.

Now it's taking a more positive approach, with its first Spirit of Inquiry Contest, according to a news release. The goal is to find the best undergraduate courses "that allow students freedom to explore ideas within the context of a serious academic discipline," the release said.

The faculty member who teaches the winning course will receive an award of $1,000 for education and research-related expenses, Jane Stancill reports. Second and third finalists will receive awards of $750 and $500.

That could provoke a ruckus among professors who have fought against proposed donations to UNC-Chapel Hill and N.C. State from the John William Pope Foundation, which tends to fund conservative causes.

Students are encouraged to nominate courses in the Pope Center's new contest. If a student nominates the winning course, he or she will receive $250 worth of textbooks. Courses taught at all public, private and community colleges in North Carolina are eligible.