Discusses future changes in society and the importance of an education that teaches problem solving. (PD)

Effects of individualized and structured curricula on academic performance and follow-up satisfaction of students in an individualized university degree program were compared. Results indicated no differences in persistence, graduation rate, academic success, and course selection patterns. The groups differed significantly in their evaluation of…

There are many uses of computers appropriate in a liberal arts setting, but a college's culture and its administrative approach to computers should be congruent. The college can also actively use its culture to support computer use, building on faculty and student experience and interests. (MSE)

A sampling of projects resulting from the Sloan Foundation's program of grants to encourage a central place for quantitative reasoning and technology in the college curriculum is presented. (MSE)

The crisis in the humanities is linked to society's prevalent attitudes which assume that the humanities are extraneous to the real needs of society. The humanities can help in "developing a moral and imaginative framework for action." (MLW)

"The Experimental College" tells the story of a 4-year academic experiment at the University of Wisconsin established by Alexander Meiklejohn. Aimed at finding a method of teaching that would help students develop "intelligence in the conduct of their own lives," the Experimental College discarded major requirements,…

The history of liberal education in the United States is a reflection of U.S. History. Among the influences on its existence and development are the needs of the church and of science, the rise of specialization, changing campus life-styles, and the need to correct and build on secondary education. (MSE)

Pepperdine University's long-range plan to assure that its liberal arts graduates are computer literate includes faculty training, microcomputer availability to faculty and students, faculty committees addressing long- and short-range curriculum needs, and course development for information technology literacy. Available from California Higher…

Hampshire College, representing an innovative response to student discontent, and Amherst College, the exemplar of the liberal arts tradition, are compared. Seen from Amherst, Hampshire's curriculum is trendy, its standards lax, a remnant of California counterculture. From Hampshire, Amherst appears a bastion of cultural elitism and authoritarian…

The character of academic disciplines profoundly influences the curricular organization and pedagogical practices of undergraduate education. A critical interpretation of liberal arts disciplines and their place in undergraduate education is discussed, with a positive rationale for a different approach to undergraduate education outlined.…

Traditionally, the goals of a liberal arts education have been expressed in terms of "self-actualization,""self-realization," and other terms implying self-fulfillment. The reality is that focus on measurable "achievements" tends to put students out of touch with the functioning of their own psyches. (MLW)

Reveals the dangers of the unchecked proliferation of special interest courses; e.g., overlap of course content with established offerings; ignoring major aspects of a subject in favor of minor aspects and failure to gain a comprehensive understanding; conflicting credit-granting policies; and needless competition with area schools. (AYC)

The role of colleges and universities in promoting the health of their students and of the community's youth is examined, and initiatives to develop partnerships with community groups are discussed. One suggested approach is to integrate health-promotion activities into the college curriculum, through public service projects and coursework.…

A new undergraduate program that stresses interdisciplinary connectedness, formal reasoning, intercultural understanding, and speaking and writing skills implemented at Hamline University is described. The Hamline Plan provides skills that students demand: computer literacy and real-life work experience. (MLW)