Curriculum reform is the focus of this comprehensive handbook directed toward faculty, administrators, and students. A systems model for curriculum planning is proposed as well as an examination of four major areas: general and liberal education, area concentration, experiential learning, and calendar and degree programs. Within each area the book identifies key issues, discusses the strengths and weaknesses of different approaches, provides a historical context, outlines major trends, and describes a variety of innovations that institutions might adopt. Examples of curricular innovation were freely adapted from descriptions found in college and university catalogs and brochures. It is concluded that institutional diversity as expressed through curriculum is a necessity in U.S. postsecondary education. Appendix A provides a list of institutions used in the study, and major organizational sources of information on curricular innovation are provided in Appendix B. (LC)