Normative Theory, Scholarship and the Need to Disagree: Conversations with Marc Lowenstein

Conversations and correspondence with Marc Lowenstein delve into the origin of his philosophy of academic advising and his work on advising. Discussions range from helping students articulate the logic of their curriculum through integrative learning, to exploring why the notion of a normative theory is essential for a constructive and relevant discourse on advising, to probing why this discourse should be critical. This article presents Marc Lowenstein's reflections on these and related topics and intends to contribute to a critical discourse on the scholarship and philosophy of advising.