The two-part activity outlined in this paper reveals to undergraduate students that assumptions made in theory building remain unquestioned until one steps outside the initial realm of expectations, and that theories adopted have a demonstrable impact on behaviors. Part I defines a theory, describes the roles of assumptions and knowledge in…

This monograph reports on a curriculum development program sponsored by the Association of American Colleges (AAC) which supported the creation and delivery of undergraduate liberal arts courses about philanthropy. The discussion begins with three basic premises: (1) that American institutions of higher education in recent years have not given…

The idea of order in geometry is explored using the experience of assignments given to undergraduates in a college geometry course "From Space to Geometry." Discussed are the definition of geometry, and earth measurement using architecture, art, and common experience. This discussion concludes with a consideration of the question of whether…

Four manifestations of organizational and professional segmentalism are discussed: the influence of the graduate school and the resulting preeminence of professional specialization; faculty orientation toward the discipline (and the department) rather than the institution; overspecialization in undergraduate degree programs; and faculty reward…

Based on the Carnegie Foundation study of baccalaureate programs, which found that many colleges are confused as to their mission and are fragmenting the disciplines into smaller and smaller pieces, a case is made for revising the higher education curriculum. Coursework is fragmented because of the growth of specialized fields within the…

Linguistics can make major contributions to the undergraduate liberal arts curriculum, as exemplified in the relationship between linguistics and the English curriculum. The major points of contact between English and linguistics are the areas of stylistics and poetics. In the study of English, linguistics can enrich descriptions of texture…

Views from the Middle Ages to the Modern Era are traced concerning the role of faculty in collegiate education, the curriculum, and desired learning outcomes. Previous educational thought concerning faculty, curricula, and mission provides a historical paradigm in which the ideological orientation of the 1985 Association of American Colleges'…

Perspectives on the 1985 Association of American Colleges' report, "Integrity in the College Curriculum," are presented, with attention to connections between the report and ideas from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Using quotes from philosophers and scholars, attention is directed to: why the report was written and what it is…

The history of the liberal arts college from its origins in the medieval universities of Western Europe and England is traced, and the present changes in the liberal arts colleges in the United States are considered. In France and Germany, instruction in the liberal arts became the responsibility of classical secondary schools as the universities…

The importance of research training for the undergraduate psychology major is examined. Undergraduate research projects should provide experience in generating a design, implementing the project, writing the report, and presenting it to others. Research training courses should be tailored to fit both the individual student's needs and abilities…

The standard prescriptions for reforming undergraduate education include better students, more time on basic academic subjects, more clinical experience, and more rigorous and standardized evaluation of students at all points in the program. Further scrutiny of these recommendations is presented. (MLW)

Notes that one-semester field methods courses in sociology often lack adequate time for students to learn appropriate techniques and still collect and report their data. Describes how undergraduate students bypass this problem by using multiple observations of a single event to quickly form a corpus of ethnographic data. (JDH)

Describes how sociology students in undergraduate research methods are involved in conducting an annual poll for the university. The emphasis is upon interviewing as a general data-gathering method. Includes information about how useful research problems are determined and the process used to design and implement the poll. (JDH)

The undergraduate curriculum must consider international and intercultural implications. The study of other cultures must be part of a liberal education, and graduates must have the skills and information to be informed citizen-workers in a world community. (MLW)

Examines the future directions of music education at both the undergraduate and inservice levels. Recommends five ways to improve undergraduate education, including the student teaching experience. Delineates important aspects of an on-the-job training program which would increase personal satisfaction and professional status. (JDH)