Jared S. Rife, M.A.

I approach each class as a chance to teach learning. I do so by expecting a high standard of work from students. Their learning should require effort and diligence. Although at times they will lose their motivation, this is where the practice of learning becomes paramount.

I may be the professor, but I come away from each class having learned something from students. If not, then I am being too much of a “sage on the stage,” or I am not committed to students raising their own voices. I help them learn by first presenting material in multiple media formats. I use primary and secondary source documents, images, music, film, literature and monographs.

Second, I encourage the students to study. By study, I want them to make connections to other material in the class and outside the class. I want the students to make connections to their lives, to their ethnicity, race or religion. Finally, I want them to formulate their own opinion and add their voice to the discussion of scholarship that is already going on around them. They can express their voice in class, on papers or exams or even outside of class.

Jared Rife serves as the director of General Education and Humanities. He is working on his Ph.D. in American Studies from Penn State University. He earned his master’s in American Studies from Trinity College and his bachelor’s in American Studies from Brigham Young University. His areas of focus include 20th and 21st century history, folklore, literature, film and culture, with a particular interest on depression-era college students and activism. He has published articles on religious folklore and children's games.

He and his wife Rachel have four children, Jackson, Madison, Emerson and Ellison. He’s a fan of Boston-area sports teams. In his free time, he enjoys traveling and good food.