Following the release of the Degree Qualifications Profile (DQP) in 2011, many institutions of various types tried out different ways to use the DQP. Although over 680 institutions have used the DQP to date, until now the impact of the DQP on institutions and students has not been documented in a systematic manner. To determine the effects of DQP…

Think of the United States Military Academy and the typical images are of duty, character, leadership, and possibly even regimented conformity. Intellectual liberation, integrative innovation, and holistic development--hallmarks of a liberal education--are not always associated with the public's perception of the West Point experience. Yet,…

Author claims that college admissions officers should deemphasize the need for a high school student taking all academic subjects in order to gain admission to college. (HS)

What happens in a writing center is always directly linked to a particular curriculum. If the "old regime" featured a 2-course writing requirement, the writing center director generally teaches in the English department and the center works closely to support composition and technical writing and advanced composition sections. Student writers may…

A participant in a conference on interdisciplinary general education at the college level highlights some of the issues addressed there: institutional limitations and opportunities; interdisciplinarity versus the power of deep disciplinary inquiry; cross-disciplinary linkages versus interdisciplinary inquiry; and the role of student development…

This discussion of the role of general education in community college programs in Ontario begins with an acknowledgement of the absence of a broadly accepted working definition of general education and an admonition to community colleges to accept the responsibility for providing students with a total education. Next, the paper proposes various…

Tailoring programs to fit children is different from designing programs that exclude them. The many skills exhibited in gifted behavior can be taught, learned, and acquired to some degree by all children. (CJ)

Though student-designed programs have been justified by references to humanism, systems theory, and romantic idealism, a more secure foundation lies in developmental theory. When properly advised, it is suggested, student-designed programs resemble the most desirable processes of liberal education. (Author/MLW)

Observations are offered on the curriculum of American higher education. It is noted that the curriculum is a major part of an institution's statement about itself, and the societal impact of higher education is likely to be determined more by the kind of people college graduates become than by what they know when they leave college. The…

Reviews aspects of foreign language instruction (FLI) often cited as incompatible with the goals of general education. Argues for inclusion of FLI at the center of general education, describing the critical linguistic skills and cultural learning gained through language study. Offers six suggestions for restoring FLI to the liberal education…

This speech discusses the development of a true undergraduate liberal education for the 21st century that is also global in scope. It argues that liberal education is failing in its goal to truly educate students. The mission of every college or university should be to advance students' knowledge, skills, abilities, and values for an international…

As part of an effort to reinforce the general education competencies of students in its Associate in Applied Science degree programs, Waukesha County Technical College (WCTC) conducted two needs assessment surveys to develop a list of critical life skills for integration into existing curricula. Each of the identified skills can be developed in 2…

Designed as a forum for views on issues concerning the humanities in two-year colleges, this journal begins with "A Call for Common Learning," in which Ernest Boyer discusses the goals of education and outlines six themes which students should study to understand themselves, their society, and the world in which they live. Responding to…

This report describes significant phases in the development of Southeast Missouri State University's "University Studies" program instituted in 1988 as part of a general movement among American institutions of higher education to review and redesign their general education curricula. The report highlights unique program characteristics,…

In fall 1975 a study of the General Education program at Miami-Dade Community College (MDCC) was initiated to determine the appropriate role of an open-door community college in preparing students to live in and contribute positively to society. The central assumption underpinning the three-year study was that a General Education program should…