Despite efforts of both administration and faculty, the intent and the execution of new curricular initiatives are not always in alignment. To understand how the declaration of a campus-wide general education initiative was being implemented, this article combines analyses of syllabi and courses from across disciplines. In an initial review, the…

Seton Hall University's new core curriculum includes a pair of Signature Courses and a third-year Signature Course developed within departments, two composition classes, a university life course, and five proficiencies. This article describes the process leading to the development of this new curriculum and provides advice on general education…

Suggests 10 guiding principles for the development of multicultural core courses, focusing on broad course content, faculty expertise, proper teaching methodology, faculty development, modest goals for students and faculty, acknowledging concerns about the courses, piloting and evaluating the courses, open course development, and publicity. (MAB)

This article argues that core curriculum history surveys should promote critical reading and thinking skills, a basic knowledge of history, and a sense of self-awareness. Self-awareness is suggested as an alternative to attempts to promote student civic character by such means as service education. It also outlines the interconnection of teaching…

This article examines a six-year process of reforming the core curriculum at a midsize public research university, showing how a seminar for first-year students, a lengthy campus-wide dialogue, and a multidisciplinary community of faculty produced a new core curriculum focused on inquiry, communication, and undergraduate research. (Contains 1…

Discusses the importance of historical study within general education. Reviews the rise and fall of the Western Civilization course as the core of general education in the humanities. Suggests ways a revised version of this course can be restored to a central place in the curriculum. (AYC)

Reports on a survey of chief academic officers of colleges and universities regarding curricular changes in general education. Most felt curricular reforms resulted in higher quality and greater coherence in the educational program, and a greater understanding and appreciation of general education among campus constituencies. (DMM)

Offers an overview of Nigerian higher education. Analyzes three approaches being taken to introduce general education into the university curriculum (i.e., proscribed course of study, distribution-across-disciplines, and core general education courses). Discusses the difficulties being encountered, including faculty disinterest and rigid academic…

Highlights and criticizes changes in the traditional core curriculum during the 1960s and 1970s. Points to weaknesses in the current "return to basics" trend infiltrating core curricula. Calls for a clearer definition of undergraduate curriculum goals and the adoption of guidelines in order to eliminate the formlessness of the current system. (CAM)

When faculty members think about curriculum, they think about course content. Debates about general education reflect this focus. Drawing on a case study, this article considers, rather, the politics and process of curricular change. It argues that success in this realm depends on the skill of academic administrators. (Contains 2 figures.)

Discusses Lyotard's view of the narrative as a story through which meanings are legitimated. Reviews the development of the core curriculum of New York's Columbia College, arguing that it represents a "grand narrative" of the college. Discusses the effect of this narrative on students and faculty. (26 citations) (AJL)

Responds to Howley and Hartnett's article, which views the core curriculum at New York's Columbia College as an example of Lyotard's "grand narrative." Argues that the authors fail to note the negative effects of not considering other groups, such as women and minority groups, in a powerfully defining narrative. (AJL)

Using the pedagogical principles of Theodore Gross as a basis, suggests a purpose and content for general education. Stresses the importance of developing critical thinking skills, the role of intellectual discrimination in moral decision making, and the efficacy of oral-aural pedagogy, especially with urban open-admissions students. (DMM)

Reviews aspects of foreign language instruction (FLI) often cited as incompatible with the goals of general education. Argues for inclusion of FLI at the center of general education, describing the critical linguistic skills and cultural learning gained through language study. Offers six suggestions for restoring FLI to the liberal education…