Higher education is not only about money. At whatever appropriate cost as borne by whomever, it is supposed to provide life-long value to the students and to society. Yet some critics now complain that in the current system, with its rising costs, students are not in general learning much if anything, and there is a good deal of data to suggest…

The direction of innovation and reform in science education is moving toward a student-centered learning paradigm that is organized around core concepts and competencies, and engaged through empirically supported instructional practices. What forms of assessment would support these educational aims? Several characteristics of a compatible…

The defining task for undergraduate departments is the design of a major, including the number and content of courses as well as other requirements. Department members must weigh the desire to produce graduates superbly prepared for further study against the charge that the major requires too large a share of an undergraduate's course options.…

This article presents the author's examination of the role of faculty in the new academy. He contends that undergraduate education reforms that were launched in the last three decades of the twentieth century, although creative and energetic, have not been fully integrated into the central mission of most institutions, structured into the reward…

Arons's article on the role of critical thinking in the liberal arts curriculum is criticized for its assumptions about the high level of intellectual development of faculty and its condescension toward students. It is suggested that Arons's proposals for faculty development in critical thinking be extended to include both teaching and scholarly…

The purpose of the university is enough different from that of the liberal arts college that there exists a systematic bias against and neglect of liberal arts in the former. Insights are given into the causes of and solutions to this problem. (MSE)

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.…

An exact humanistic context, it is argued, should guide efforts to review the condition of undergraduate education. The contextual implications for students and faculty, as well as for the way curricula are organized and implemented within and among the academic disciplines are discussed. (MLW)

Many of the curricular reforms of the last decades merit continuation, it is argued, even if formal evaluations are difficult to establish. Self-regulation through internal audits and consultant review are seen as safeguards for the quality of innovative programs. (Author/MLW)

Northwestern University's recently revised undergraduate curriculum is described. Six distributional areas of required study are: natural sciences, formal studies, social and behavioral sciences, historical studies, values, and literature and fine arts. The plan reflects the need for compensatory and transitional courses as well as for…

The spotlight on higher education has never been more intense than during the 1980s. Two central themes for response are the need to create greater campus community and cohesiveness and the need to tilt against rampant vocationalism and restore the liberal arts to the place of primacy in undergraduate education. (MLW)

The programs described illustrate innovative ways in which six institutions help students develop a sense of intellectual connection, focus, and achievement through their undergraduate majors. Examples are Hollins College (creating a learning community within the philosophy major); New School for Social Research (students connect learning through…