Course Description
General education and specialization in undergraduate education. Curricular trends, contemporary practices, persistent challenges, and external influences in the development of courses and programs in higher education.
Athena Title
ACADEMIC PROGRAMS
Semester Course Offered
Offered every year.
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Course Objectives
1. To examine the historical developments and philosophical perspectives affecting academic programs in U.S. higher education, 2. To identify internal and external influences that affect curricular decision-making, design, implementation and evaluation, 3. To develop awareness of the diversity and complexity of contemporary higher education through a review of various curricular approaches and programs, 4. To identify and examine critical components and dimensions which define and affect curricula structure, 5. To examine the inter-relatedness of various issues facing higher education and curricular responses to those issues.
Topical Outline
A. Historical and Philosophical Perspectives on the Curriculum: Major Events 1. Colonial Period and Curriculum: Primary Purposes, Practices, and Priorities 2. 19th Century and the emergence of universities, special purpose colleges, and diversity in degrees and programs. 3. 1900-1944: Experimentation with curricular ideas and introduction of the GI Bill 4. Last 50 years: Mass Education, Changing Demographics, Curricular Diversity, and External Influences B. Contemporary Viewpoints and Curricular Responses 1. Mission, Goals and Purposes in Contemporary Higher Education 2. Shifting Expectations: Core Curriculum and General Education (objectives and outcomes) 3. Liberal Education 4. Professional studies 5. Interdisciplinary Studies 6. Diversity and Multicultural Education: Women's Studies, Ethnic Studies, African-American and Area Studies 7. International Education and Global Awareness 8. Distance Education C. National Reports on the Status of Higher Education 1. Sponsoring Agencies/Associations 2. Problem Identification 3. Suggested Solutions 4. Disciplinary and Field-based reports 5. Reports on Graduate Education 6. Reports on Undergraduate Education D. Academic Programs: Planning, Implementing, and Evaluting 1. Components of the Curriculum 2. Terminology and Definitions 3. Levels of Change: Course, Departmental, Institutional, System 4. Kinds of Change: Amount, Structure, Length 5. Models of Academic Planning