For older Americans (I count myself among them), the college curriculum has become almost unrecognizable. The core they knew has eroded terribly and dozens of trendy new courses have taken their place. This might make students happy, but is it a good move?
In today’s Martin Center article, Anna Martina, a recent graduate of NC State, reflects on her university’s General Education Program (GEP) and finds it wanting. She writes, “If NC State revamped its general education requirements, it could cut out fluff classes, teach students important life skills, and strengthen the liberal arts.”
NC State students can fulfill their GEP requirements by taking such courses as:
- History of Rock 1: 1950s-1970s
- History of Rock II: 1980s-Present
- Plants in Folklore, Myth, and Religion
- Concert Dance History, and
- Ultimate Frisbee
Really essential for a sound education!
Martina continues, “The GEP mission statement explains that the program lays the ‘foundation for involvement in their communities as responsible citizens and leaders,’ but it lacks the very courses that would help achieve this mission. The only courses … that develop students’ practical skills appear to be two classes on public speaking and personal finance.”
She suggests that NC State offer more courses that have practical application for students after they leave college, as some other schools have started doing.
Martina concludes, “If NC State wants to show its commitment to a liberal arts education, taking life skills seriously is a good place to start. Some critics may say students should learn those skills before coming to college, but many students didn’t. Colleges can correct a failing in their education. After all, public universities have a duty to the public to produce good citizens that advance the interests of North Carolinians.”