Interdisciplinary studies are not only desirable but possible in the fiscal, ideological, and organizational context of the 1980s. Interdisciplinary studies are defined as inquiries that draw critically upon two or more disciplines and that lead to an integration of disciplinary insights. (MLW)

This report provides a guide for evaluation of the implementation of the general education component of programs of studies in Quebec. The college education reform of 1993 has had a particularly strong impact on the general education component of education programs. To gauge the scope of changes made to general education and of efforts made to…

Evidence that thought is a displaced social process contradicts the assumptions that the mind is a mirror of nature and thought a private, individual process. A curriculum that involves learning to identify beliefs, to analyze and express beliefs socially, and to understand and form communities of knowledgeable peers is described. (Author/MLW)

The modern research university has wiped out general and liberal learning in American colleges and universities. The need to restore a sense of purpose to colleges which offer general education is discussed, along with the importance of placing a proper value on teaching. (PP)

Describes the Nigerian educational system. Answers critiques of the liberal arts legacy of the colonial period by pointing out the contributions of the tradition. Advocates a balanced educational curriculum integrating science and technical education with a wide range of humanistic disciplines that address traditional and contemporary issues. (DMM)

Five curriculum designs appropriate for general education programs that have evolved in American secondary schools and colleges are identified: distribution requirements, required courses, correlated courses, combined courses, the integrative seminar, and core curriculum. The advantages and disadvantages of each are discussed. (Author/MLW)

Subject matter in general education is simply the vehicle for instruction. Beyond the disciplines themselves, general education should provide seven forms of competency: vocabulary, learning skills, methods of inquiry, perspective, understanding of limitations, ability to find implications, and sensitivity. (MSE)

An analysis of the undergraduate transcripts of 465 students from the University of Rochester who applied to medical school indicates a surprising breadth in undergraduate training, which is inconsistent with critics' claims of narrowness in premedical education. Medical educators are called upon to further specify the desired role of nonscience…

The liberal arts are described as the ideological framework for colleges of arts and science on which hangs the curriculum. A definition of liberal arts is proposed that views the liberal arts as a perspective consisting of seven elements: holism, humanism, history, analysis-belief, creativity, recreation, and values. (MLW)

Discusses Allan Bloom's "The Closing of the American Mind" and its implications for higher education. Examines Bloom's analysis of historical changes that involved universities in societal pressures, thereby weakening them. Supports Bloom's mandate that universities delineate their function and measure achievement against the fundamental…

A model for general education in the four-year university curriculum is proposed. The model, based on the Dutch experience, concentrates general education in the first year and provides a gradual transition to intensive study within the disciplines. Implications for the faculty and instruction are discussed. (MSE)

Identifies trends in student characteristics and enrollment patterns that have had a negative impact on college curricula. Reviews recommendations for the development of an effective general education component. Presents a systems model for curriculum planning that includes specific environmental characteristics. (DMM)

Principles for the administration and governance of interdisciplinary programs are drawn from several decades of experience in general education and in interdisciplinary centers, colleges, and schools. The principles are discussed in terms of the institutional context and include suggestions for garnering budgetary support, addressing faculty…

Discusses ways in which cultural diversity may be introduced into general education. Presents a series of classroom assignments for introductory college courses in literature, humanities, history, and philosophy designed to demonstrate that cultural diversity is not limited by ethnic, gender-based, or geographic parameters. (MAB)

Contends that technology is fundamental to postindustrial society, predating science, and with its own mode of inquiry. Advocates the inclusion of technological literacy in the general education curriculum on epistemological grounds. Suggests that technology be studied on its own merits, not because of its instrumental worth. (DMM)