Gregory Nobles and Steve Usselman, professors in the School of History, Technology, and Society (HTS,) are part of a national effort aimed at evaluating and harmonizing the higher education history major. Sponsored by the American Historical Association (AHA), the project utilizes a process known as "Tuning." Nobles serves on the executive committee, and Usselman is a faculty advisor for the project.

In addition to defining the core elements of historical study, the Tuning project seeks to identify what a student should understand and be able to do after completing a history degree program.  Developed by European institutions seeking to integrate their curricula following unification, the approach looks to articulate the underlying purposes of a program of study. Rather than focusing merely on content such as dates and names, Tuners stress how historical study develops analytical abilities and communication skills, while also preparing students for lifelong civic engagement. Students, instructors, and potential employers gain a fuller appreciation of why and how history is important.

At the recent national meeting of the Association of American Colleges and Universities, held in Atlanta in January, Usselman participated in a panel sponsored by the AHA and offered insights on the Tuning project. Usselman, chair of HTS, also examined the role of clusters and minors, which provide opportunities for non-majors to experience Georgia Tech’s unique brand of historical inquiry. In February, Usselman and Nobles will attend a workshop in Washington sponsored by the AHA. Nobles is a former HTS chair and now directs Georgia Tech’s Honors Program.

The AHA is the first national professional organization in the United States to embrace Tuning. Georgia Tech is of particular interest to the AHA because the HTS major is interdisciplinary. Students combine the study of history with coursework in sociology, sometimes in team-taught courses.  The AHA also found intriguing how the School’s courses simultaneously serve HTS majors and provide social science electives for students in fields such as engineering and the sciences.