The curricula in higher education not only provides guidance and direction for students, but aligns with industry standards to safeguard quality offerings in specific programs. While there has been increasing focus on the importance of the curriculum particularly for first year university students, very little is known about the curriculum and…

The general public, as well as scholars, employers, and college students themselves, expect universities to provide students with an education that prepares them to work in a diverse and international society. In response, many institutions have created mandatory diversity-related curriculum and/or courses. However, little to no research has been…

In our summer 2006 issue, we ran a comprehensive overview of how postmodernism has degraded composition on our campuses. Steve Kogan enlarges that indictment and charges that the movement has deliberately corrupted every area of English instruction--from the acquisition of skills and knowledge to the more fundamental mission of developing in…

Argues that an understanding of the objectives of general education must precede debates over delivery methods. Sees potential for agreement on objectives through recognition of the existence of a hierarchy of general education's purposes, comprising student liberation; the development of independent learning and thinking skills; and specific…

Describes the importance of becoming engaged in the process of mission review and construction in these days of program accountability and institutional assessment for reaccreditation at colleges and universities. Discusses how the study and practice of theater includes many of the principles of good education and relates to many general education…

The traditional college curriculum is seen as a collection of answers for students who do not yet have the questions; an alternative approach that nurtures students' capacities for inquiry is suggested and outlined. (MSE)

Oral communication competence is essential for career success and for effective participation as a citizen in a democratic society. Unfortunately, many students do not have oral communication competence, and even more unfortunately the success of graduating students rests heavily on their communication skills. Oral communication competence,…

A discussion is provided of the distinguishing characteristics of developmental education. First, the reasons for the lack of a clear definition are discussed, and the consequences of this ambiguity are highlighted in terms of the existing confusion over the purposes of developmental education. Next, the linguistic and theoretical bases of…

Curricular change for colleges for the twenty-first century is addressed. It is argued that the simple presentation of facts and solutions in schooling must be altered. Students must be prepared for an adaptive mode of living and learning since jobs may change drastically every 5 to 10 years. Criteria that can be used to judge curricula for the…

This discussion of the role of general education in community college programs in Ontario begins with an acknowledgement of the absence of a broadly accepted working definition of general education and an admonition to community colleges to accept the responsibility for providing students with a total education. Next, the paper proposes various…

A sample of 462 student affairs professionals responded to a survey questionnaire designed to conceptualize a model institution of higher education committed to facilitating the development of the whole student. The respondents represented 74% of a randomly selected population sample drawn from the membership lists of ACPA, NASPA, and NAWDAC. The…

Reform of undergraduate education will only succeed if undergraduate study is reconceptualized as a process of gaining proficiencies, learning to think critically, and strengthening character traits, not simply taking a series of courses. The college environment must also support this kind of individual development. (MSE)

Our higher education system does not nurture the inner lives of students or help them acquire the self-understanding that is the basis for a satisfying life, nor does it provide the safe and nurturing environment people need in order to grow. What is needed is a more holistic way of conceiving education, one that accepts the importance of…

Service learning in higher education can be a powerful method of citizen education, by building students' concrete civic skills in the areas of intellectual understanding, communication and problem solving, and civic attitudes of judgment and imagination. A basic condition is that broad definitions of service and citizenship be assumed, and used…

The extent to which U.S. colleges and universities contribute to the fulfillment of students' lives is discussed by Secretary of Education William Bennett in an address to Harvard University. Secretary Bennett's observations are based on his experiences as a law student, freshman proctor, and tutor at Harvard University, as well as his subsequent…