Because of their commitment to the voluntary measurement and improvement of student learning outcomes, colleges and universities that are members of the Council of Independent Colleges (CIC) have been at the forefront of the national shift from teacher-centered to student-centered learning. The institutions participating in the CIC Degree…

Assessment in higher education is addressed in these proceedings of the 1987 conference of the North East Association for Institutional Research. Papers and authors include: "Assessing the Status of Assessment" (Peter T. Ewell); "Has the Middle Class Been Pressured the Most? Multivariate Analysis of Parental Contributions to Higher…

This set of five essays explores the pros and cons of undergraduate core curricula in colleges and universities. Core curricula are seen as either providing the ideal educational base and a shared background, or as a loss of diversity and a protective shell that faculties can use to avoid considering the relevance of a liberal arts education. (JMD)

Fairleigh Dickinson University (New Jersey) students take four core general education courses from the second half of the freshman year through the first half of the junior year. All sections have the same syllabus, and faculty teaching them on separate campuses review and refine the courses together. Core course faculty participated actively in a…

The process being used by the University of Montevallo (Alabama) to evaluate the outcomes of its general education program is presented. Emphasis is on the triangulation procedure used to evaluate the validity of the outcome measure selected--the College Outcomes Measures Project (COMP) Test of the American College Testing Program (1984). The…

Efforts to evaluate the general education component of baccalaureate degree programs at ten colleges using a uniform assessment formula are described. The colleges were participants in the American Association of State Colleges and Universities' Academic Program Evaluation Project (APEP), which proposed that outcomes of baccalaureate education can…

STANDPOINTS, a model for general education which focuses on the common learning experiences crucial to the quality of personal and corporate life, was developed at Central YMCA Community College. When developing the model, time, faculty development, student involvement, and leadership constraints were recognized, and a three-phase process was…

As part of a statewide articulation initiative, a general education core curriculum was developed for all Illinois colleges and universities to facilitate the transfer of students pursuing baccalaureate degrees. This report describes the development of the curriculum and reviews component courses. First, an overview is provided of the curriculum,…

While curriculum development can be difficult, implementation of changes can be equally problematic. However, implementation of a new program offers many opportunities for campus renewal and curriculum development, reevaluation of academic and administrative practices, and enhancement of community and institutional relationships. (MSE)

This report provides both an overview and a detailed analysis of the general education core in the undergraduate curriculum in Virginia's colleges and universities. Sixty-eight campuses participated in the study, including all 15 public four-year institutions, all 24 public two-year institutions, 20 private not-for-profit institutions, and 9…

Inquiry education cuts across conventional distinctions between liberal arts and professional programs and is supported by specially designed curricula and pedagogies. The establishment of Hampshire College is described. The idea that undergraduate education should promote students' intellectual independence was a strong thread through the…

North Carolina State University (NCSU) is a Research Intensive (Research I) university located in Raleigh, the state capital. Increasingly over the past ten years, NCSU faculty interested in issues of teaching and learning have used the term "inquiry-guided learning" (IGL) to describe the kind of learning they are trying to promote. The…

During the 1988-89 academic year, the public community colleges in Illinois reviewed the general education component of their baccalaureate/transfer degree programs. Subsequently, the colleges were asked to respond to a series of questions about the following: (1) the relationship of the general education curriculum to program objectives and other…

Curricular efforts at 10 colleges and universities in response to the Association of American College's report, "Integrity in the College Curriculum," are described. Reactions to this publication are also discussed by Mark H. Curtis in the essay "R Plus One: Reflections on the Impact of 'Integrity in the College Curriculum.' The…

Liberal education projects supported by the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education are described. Many Fund projects are surveyed in order to indicate the range and relevance of their approaches to liberal education. (MLW)