Call For Chapter Proposals: Core Curriculum

Academia is facing considerable challenges due to the demographic cliff as well as changing perceptions of education in the modern world. The stiff competition for students has to led to revisions in admission policies, transfer policies, and to debates about where credits should fall in a student's academic program.

The role Faculty play in terms of governance at higher learning institutions varies, but generally, it is most strong in the area of curriculum management. And, as the pressure to revise core curricula/general education credits is growing, faculty who teach core courses are also facing a decline in tenure track positions. All of these issues combined create situation in which transformation is being pushed for, and may be warranted, but the climate is hostile to meaningful debate, discussion, and design.

It is incumbent on those who believe in liberal arts to education to practice what we preach and thoughtfully examine the role of core curricula in modern times. We may not have time fore this in our individual institutions, but in this work, we can come together and explore the meaning of core curricula, reflect on what has been, and creatively design core for future students.

This book intends to do the following:

1) Reflect on what general education means for current students.
2) Examine what core curricula has been in the past.
3) Offer innovative solutions for modern institutions to continue to offer rigorous and relevant core education.

Julie Tatlock, PhD

tatlockj@mtmary.edu