About the Making the Grade Project

About the Making the Grade Project

During the fall 2025 semester, Vanderbilt Buchanan Library Fellows examined the role of higher education in society. Working with the team in the McGee Applied Research Center for Narrative Studies, students explored Vanderbilt’s Television News Archive (TVNA) to assess how the national news media have covered higher education for the past 50+ years. As members of the Vanderbilt University community, we understand the value of the college experience, from gaining knowledge to propel future careers and building our personal networks to conducting impactful research. But public opinion about the value of higher education is becoming more divided, with a 2024 Gallup poll showing that Americans’ confidence in higher education as an institution is on the decline.

Fellows, faculty and staff dug into TVNA news clips to see how the media has talked about issues surrounding higher education, from student protests and the rising cost of tuition to academic freedom and scientific discovery. Fellows also drew upon other resources, such as public opinion polls, to develop their research questions and theses. For the culminating projects, fellows curated their own digital exhibit showcasing an aspect of higher education in society. Exhibits were shared at the end-of-semester showcase and will be published on the McGee Center website.