For years now, general education courses have been a common part of the curriculum at colleges and universities around the country. I have always wondered why general education was something that was so common. Why do we have general education in the college curriculum when some students are not math or English minded students? I wanted to find some answers to this question because having a college degree and succeeding in academics is so crucial in today’s society and personally, I am not a math-minded individual. The definition of general education according to Webster’s Dictionary is “a program of education (as in some liberal-arts colleges and secondary schools) intended to develop students as personalities rather than trained specialists and to transmit a common cultural heritage — compare liberal education.” In the early beginnings of general education the goal was to unify a core of knowledge for all students. (O’Banion) General education has changed over the years; their knew focus is to try and help students in their transitioning period into the college life and help them become a more well rounded student. “General education helps College students explore the spectrum of career fields awaiting them after graduation, highlighting the value of the analytical, problem-solving and communications skills honed within a liberal arts education.” (Lowenstein) Being a student at a nationally recognized university I can relate with many thoughts of other students around the nation. 

Students’ focus on general education as a set of requirements rather than of learning goals has further implications. As they progress through the institution selecting classes every term, they have an incentive to pay attention to the requirements (even though some do not pay enough attention); they have much less incentive to focus on the philosophy and learning goals, except at rare institutions where the curriculum is described only in terms of those goals such as Brown University. (Lowenstein) 

This quote was my original thinking coming into this research assignment, but after research my beliefs soon changed. If college students go through a general education curriculum they will be a more well rounded student, they will have an easier transition to the college life, and ultimately broaden their horizons about what they want to study for the rest of their college career. 

One of the earliest forms of general education dates back all the way to 1919 at Columbia University. They offered a course called Contemporary Civilization—and it was a required overview of knowledge and resources to help its students understand the world. (O’Banion) In the 1930’s Robert Hutchins was the President of The University of Chicago. He was one of the first people to integrate a common core into a curriculum and he called it “The New Plan.” The Journal of General Education first edition was written in the 1940’s by a man named Earl McGrath. McGrath wanted general education to “embrace the great moral truths, the scientific generalizations, the aesthetic conceptions, and the spiritual values of the race, ignorance of which makes men incapable of understanding themselves and the world in which they live.” (O’Banion) Harvard University is often looked at as one of the best universities this country has to offer, and they too played a key role in the aspect of modern day general education. In 1945 the Committee at Harvard reported General education in a free society; this report proposed a program at the university to make it a requirement that six common courses were taken by each student. Another college that played a key role into the beginnings of general education was Stephens College. A man by the name of B. Lamar Johnson created a list of twelve competencies that should be reflected by a person who is generally educated.  

-Exercising the privileges and responsibilities of democratic citizenship.

-Developing a set of sound moral and spiritual values by which he guides his life.

 -Expressing his thoughts clearly in speaking and writing and in reading and listening with understanding.

-Using the basic mathematical and mechanical skills necessary in everyday life.

-Using methods of critical thinking for the solution of problems and for the discrimination among values.

-Understanding his cultural heritage so that he may gain a perspective of his time and place in the world.

-Understanding his interaction with his biological and physical environment so that he may adjust better to and improve that environment.

-Maintaining good mental and physical health for himself, his family, and his community.

-Developing a balanced personal and social adjustment.

-Sharing in the development of a satisfactory home and family life.

-Achieving a satisfactory vocational adjustment.

-Taking part in some form of satisfying creative activity and in appreciating the creative activities of others. (O’Banion) 

This list of twelve competencies was copied by hundreds of colleges around the country in the 1950’s and 1960’s. This list became the key factors in having a good general education program in your curriculum. Having education that is general to every student creates an even playing field that can allow students to become more well rounded students.  

College students, now of days, are becoming more focused on a specific major coming into college before they even start classes. At The University of South Carolina our freshman year housing is major based which can be a good thing because you are surrounded by people who are going through the same courses as you. This can also limit students because they aren’t exposed to people with other majors on a day-to-day basis. This is where general education can be very helpful; it exposes students to other subjects that could lead to a possible major change. One student form James Madison University gives her opinions on general education by stating, “Putting aside all the negatives and the boring characteristics of gen eds, I think that its good to be well rounded with whatever major you are. I’m an art major, so even though I had to take math, econ, and every other gen ed, I feel like it makes everyone a more educated individual if they know a little bit of everything. So, I would encourage the liberal arts education over a non-liberal arts education.” (JMU Students YouTube) This statement by this student shows a perspective of someone who is going through the general education process. The student finds it boring and negative, but in the end they realize the importance of the general education curriculum in a liberal arts educational system. 

“A curriculum needs to be dynamic; it needs to be a subject of constant debate among faculty and students. In this sense, it needs to be a collaborative, shared enterprise undertaken and led, above all, by faculty members dedicated to fostering its broader ends and collectively planning, teaching, and revising its basic elements, from particular courses and labs to broader requirements and literacies. And it must be accompanied by excellent advising.” (Most, Wellmon) 

This quote from The Journal of General Education points out what needs to be accomplished between faculty and students to have a successful curriculum. It also points out how curriculum should be broad and how there needs to be people dedicated to teaching the broader ends of the required information. Broadening the curriculum is a key factor is helping the students become well rounded mentally and also academically. As they participate in the required courses given by the university students will have a broader view on the options their college has to offer. This allows them to not be held down to one particular major as soon as they start their college careers. 

Another factor of general education is to broaden the horizons of students so that they can have a choice to select a major if they find out they prefer one subject over the other. According to the University of Memphis, the purpose of taking the required general education courses that are completely unrelated to student’s majors is to broaden their horizons. (Martorano) This shows an example on how one of the focuses of general education is to help broaden the perspectives of students and what they will ultimately study in the future. The Arts and Sciences program at the University of Virginia have classes that are required to be taken by every student in the program. These classes are foreign language, two writing courses, social sciences, humanities, historical studies, and math/ science. “What these requirements have done quite well is expose students to the breadth of study available in liberal education. Students must, for example, take science or math classes, and they must take humanities classes.” (Most, Wellmon) Through this example we can see that there are universities that put in place required courses so that their students can have a broader point of view and not limit themselves to anything. One James Madison University student says, “I came into JMU undecided, but was forced to take an art history class, it was Garth 206, and I didn’t really think I was going to like it that much, but then after the class I decided that I wanted to major in it because I found out that I really loved it, and I loved my professor, and that’s my major now.”  (JMU Students YouTube) This quote truly shows how general education can help some people ultimately decide on what they are going to major in. Dean Ian Baucom, who is the dean of the College and Graduate School of Arts and Sciences says, “The liberal arts education that our students receive in the College holds true, professional value in the global economy they will be entering and helping to remake. . . . The liberal arts will empower them to open doors of discovery, and we want those discoveries to lead to passions and vocations that attach deep meaning to their lives” (Most, Wellmon) Another example shows us how the liberal arts education really strives to broaden our horizons and “open doors” for our future by having us go through a general education curriculum. Universities that participate in the general education curriculum strive to make their students well rounded individuals, they strive to help students broaden their horizons for the future with whatever they may do, and they also strive to help students have a terrific transition into their college lives. 

Transitioning into college can be difficult for some people. Some new students may struggle with being away from home or larger class sizes. Students may also struggle with their teachers not willing to work with them as much as they did in high school. The general education curriculum helps the transition from high school to college by allowing students to ease into their classes by taking courses they have been learning for many years.  At the University of Virginia they have a very small general education program called, COLA. COLA helps first year students with their transitions into life away from home and life in the classroom. “I felt that with all of the confusion and stress transferring from high school to college brings, cola really helped me sort through issues. These weren’t major life issues but simply how to make the most of my time, how to pick a major, what organizations to get involved in, etc. I really feel like it kept me focused and grounded in my first semester.” “Enrolling in the cola seminar was one of the best decisions I made. I instantly bonded with the professor, and he was a good advisor for me. As far as the class itself is concerned, I learned how to read and interpret scientific literature, primary sources or otherwise, in a more skeptical and thorough manner. I learned to think like a scientist, which I would not have gained had I only taken large introductory science courses with an emphasis on memorization. I was challenged and grew from it.” ”I loved my cola class! Not only was it an interesting class/topic, but it allowed me to get to know my first year adviser on a more personal level. I’m one of few out of my friends who has taken a cola and many of them said they have only met their advisers once. I still am able to list mine on recommendations and it has had a positive impact on me being able to talk to someone like her. I think all first years should be encouraged to take a cola.” (Most, Wellmon) These three quotes by different students who were enrolled in the COLA program at UVA show that this general education program had a positive impact on all of them, and helped them transition into college by enjoying themselves in the classroom instead of being intimidated by what they are learning. Mark Lowenstein describes why it is important for students to participate in general education classes. “by focusing on intentionality in students’ plan for selecting general education requirements and, above all, by facilitating students’ integration of all their educational experiences into a coherent whole.” (Lowenstein)  This shows us another example of how the general education curriculum wants us to have a smooth transition into our classes and life at college. 

The argument against general education is most of the time fought by students and people who are not academics. “General education courses should not be required for college students. For many, they are a waste of time and money that could be better spent elsewhere.” “It would be much more beneficial to spend the first two years studying more thoroughly for your major than wasting your time worrying about your grades for general education courses.” (Pracz) These two quotes from an article on Northern Star are obviously against general education, but the claims have no meaning to them. They have no evidence or reasoning behind what is being said. 

Due to our institution’s focus on professional education, sometimes our general education curriculum has been a point of contention. When our major programs have felt pressured by their accreditors and the labor market to expand the practice-based education of their students, one of their responses has been to look for a reduction of general education requirements. For some students, general education requirements have been seen as a distraction from their training in fields such as architecture, health care, or fashion design. And although our existing general education core curriculum, the College Studies program, was carefully sequenced, regularly improved in response to assessment, and based on relevant outcomes, students often had trouble recognizing the goals or value of the general education curriculum. (Shrand) 

This approach on why general education shouldn’t be required is much different from the previous examples. This particular university dedicates themselves to preparing their students for a professional career. They give reasons and information on why general education needs to be reformed at that particular college. Generally speaking, the arguments for major universities to not require general education are still vacant. 

If college students go through a general education curriculum they will be a more well rounded student, they will have an easier transition to the college life, and ultimately broaden their horizons about what they want to study for the rest of their college career. “Graduates will be poised for longer-term success when they possess—in addition to depth in the fields they choose as specializations—broad, big-picture knowledge of the world they are navigating (physical, cultural, historical, socioeconomic); well-honed intellectual and practical skills that prepare them to deal with the complexity of that wider world; proficiency in integrating, adapting, and applying their learning to complex problems; and a grounded sense of ethical and civic responsibility for their uses of knowledge.” (Schneider) This author wrote an article on excellence in the real world after you attend a liberal arts education. One of the main points they have is that broad, big-pictured knowledge helps be successful in the long run. Through research and time spent in the classroom I believe that general education helps students in every aspect of life. They can be smarter individuals on a many topics others would have no knowledge of. Students also will have a smoother more successful transition into college just from attending the required courses set by their university. Ultimately the goals of general education are accomplished by the people who participate in them and those individuals will have an opportunity to become better people, and better students.  
