1971

Formerly the study abroad campus of Stanford University, CA, Harlaxton College is taken over by the University of Evansville. This is followed by an extended period of numerous relatively short term courses imported with few changes from the Evansville home campus. There are also language programmes for international non-English speakers.

1981

Resident faculty members first consider the introduction of an integrating course programme taken by all Harlaxton students in order to increase their appreciation of the foreign environment to which they have come. Though not yet put into practice, this idea keeps resurfacing, with general questions being raised as to scope and contents (World Studies? European Studies? British Studies?) until, in 1989, it is firmly committed to also by decision makers on the home campus in Evansville. During the 1980s, a programme is established which allows American students to get to know and regularly meet with British families in the area.

1990/1

Under principal Dr Angus Hawkins, FRHistS, the so-called Harlaxton Experience is relaunched as a single semester programme for American undergraduates. At the same time, the interdisciplinary British Studies course is systematically worked out and first put into practice by the principal himself, faculty member Dr Peter Elmer, young faculty member Dr Helen Snow (who is also a member of our current faculty), and their colleagues. It follows an uninterrupted period of teaching the course and fine-tuning it, as well as some conference and publication activity in the field of British Studies.

2005

New principal Dr J. Gordon Kingsley's vision of the British Studies programme further encourages the continual revision and adaptation of the British Studies course as well as the 'Harlaxton experience' as a whole. The integration of local, regional, and 'British' references now becomes a notable feature of most courses offered at Harlaxton - including, wherever possible, those by American visiting faculty. In the context of increasing the public and academic profile of Harlaxton college, the principal and British Studies faculty establish a Centre for British Studies.