This paper addresses the issue of defining the concept of core curriculum by first examining some of the literature on the subject, discussing why there is resistance to defining "core," citing common uses for the term "core curriculum," and exploring the historical roots of core curriculum. Next, the paper describes eight…

Contending that college curriculum is best defined by a limited set of ideas which may serve as a useful means of structuring the association of the student and the teacher toward the end of individualized programs, the author outlines principles for use by curriculum developers. (JT)

Characteristics of liberal arts education and different approaches to educational modeling are examined. Attention is directed to: applications of graphic depictions; Venn-Euler diagrams to represent inclusion-exclusion phenomena as well as areas of commonality in learning processes and liberal education; the uses of flow charts for describing…

The general question of what an undergraduate education is and how it should be related, if at all, to society as a whole, is discussed. Particular reference is given to the issue of liberal education and its relationship with career education. The thesis is that, although career education and liberal education may be incompatible in a specific…

Transcripts of three conversations on liberal education, recorded at a 1977 conference at St. John's College, Santa Fe, are presented. The idea that great books are the best instruments for liberal education is addressed, and it is suggested that great books demonstrate to the student what is possible in the way of inquiry and expression, and that…

Noting that higher education across the centuries has constituted a continuing dialogue between the minds of ancestors and of contemporaries, this paper traces the history of the common or core curriculum at the university level and warns against the current state of affairs. The paper proposes that a pedagogy is needed that can both discern and…

Linguistics ought to do something besides train new linguists; there is a good deal about language that has philosophical and social import and should be a part of general education. In developing curricula for linguistics courses, four major distinctions have special relevance: (1) a philosophical vs a professional introduction to linguistics;…

Describes the rationale, format, and mechanics of a college European Studies major. (DB)

Considers the general education component of technical programs as a means of helping adults adjust to today's industrial changes in processes, machines, and management and thereby to hold jobs, move into new ones, and change careers. Reviews the literature on the general education needs of students in high technology programs and models for…

The loose smorgasbord distribution requirements and free electives of the '60s, have given way to more proscribed requirements and core programs. General education is a response to a need to reaffirm the connectedness among people. The agenda for general education is to teach those common experiences, relationships, and ethical concerns. (MLW)

Describes a survey of 200 corporate employers regarding the proportion of the vocational curriculum that should be devoted to general education. Responding employers (51 percent) felt that general education should comprise approximately 30 percent of the vocational curriculum, and that communication, critical thinking, and employability skills…

Traces the history of the debate over the definition of liberal education and the extent to which education should be liberal. Contrasts the position of Aristotle with those of his teachers, and of later theorists, including John Dewey, Mortimer Adler, Robert Maynard Hutchins, Allan Bloom, and E. D. Hirsch. (DMM)

Six studies of general education are described. A Penn State survey details changes in general education requirements over 15 years. UCLA's Higher Education Research Institute used the college catalog to furnish information about curricular dimensions and others attempt to determine the effects of general education. (MLW)

Explores John Dewey's contributions to the recent debate over the role of the classics in the college curriculum. Argues a "modified Deweyan solution" advocating flexibility in the selection and study of classic texts. (FMW)

The current discipline-based organizational structure of the college curriculum in which general education is treated as an isolated learning experience should be replaced with a more integrated curriculum. In addition, general education should take different forms in institutions with different missions. Such a curriculum redesign could help…