Because the number of proponents of Competency-Based Education (CBE) continues to swell, it is important to consider the impact this trend may have—not just on liberal education, but also on democracy itself. As the business community and political leaders continue to apply pressure on academia to adopt the CBE model (primarily to shorten the time […]
Resources | curriculum
Letting General Education Lead the Way: A Case Study from Ursinus College’s New Core Curriculum
General Education reform seems to visit colleges periodically and regularly—much like strategic plans, fund-raising campaigns, and external departmental reviews. And much like these other initiatives, it is often met with similar enthusiasm, even cynicism. While General Education curricula are found at all types of institutions of higher education, we at small residential liberal arts colleges […]
Guiding Principles for Curriculum Reform in General Education
When General Education requirements occupy half of your curriculum, it is time to consider reform. This task is never easy and the process is often quite lengthy. My question as a relatively new Dean was: “Does it have to be this way?” With new ideas and enthusiasm, I followed our president’s unveiling of a new […]
Engaging Chicago: How a Major Curricular Shift Leads to Profound Engaged Learning Opportunities for Students
Much has happened on American campuses since the National Society for Experiential Education (NSEE) was founded in 1971. Experiential learning has become a major component in American higher education, often times supported and sustained by campus centers for community engagement that were implemented in the 1980s and 1990s. Towards the end of the 1990s, some […]