ERIC ED328138: Reports from the Fields. Liberal Learning and the Arts and Sciences Major. Volume 2.

234 Pages·3.1 MB·English

by  ERIC

DOCUMENT RESUME
HE 024 183
ED 328 138
Reports from the Fields. Liberal Learning and the
TITLE
Arts and Sciences Major. Volume 2.
INSTITUTION
Association of American Colleges, Washington, D.C.
Department of Education, Washington, DC.; Ford
SPOJS AGENCY
Foundation, New York, N.Y.
REPORT NO
ISBN-0-911696-50-4
Jan 91
PUB DATE
234p.; For Volume 1 in this set, see HE 024 182.
NOTE
AVAILABLE FROM
Association of American Colleges, 1818 R Street,
N.W., Washington, DC 20009 (single copies $17.00,
20-99 copies $1- CO ea., 100+ copies $12.00 ea.).
PUB TYPE
General (140) -- Information Analyses (070)
Reports
EDRS PRICE
MF01 Plus Postage. PC Not Available from EDRS.
Colleges; *Course Evaluation; Educational Change;
DESORIPTORS
*Educational Improvement; Educational Needs;
*Educational Practices; Higher Education; *Liberal
Arts; Majors (Students); *Undergraduate Study; *Units
of Study; UniversitieNs
ABSTRACT
This report presents summaries of important issues
and needed changes in how colleges and universities treat the
undergraduate liberal arts major. This 7olume, volume 2, contains
abridged versions of 12 field reports, written by task forces
appointed by the participating learned societies. In the reports,
campus practices within the liberal arts majors across the country
are reviewed. The findings reflect the problems and challenges that
are present ii
these 12 majors, both within their disciplines and as
a part of liberal learning in general. The field reports take into
consideration the twin agendas of maintaining the irtellectual
purpose and coherence of the major program as designed by faculty
versus concern for the students' growing competence in making
connections through their particular study. The task forces' reports
in each field:
(1) formulate a rationale for concentrated study that
describes the specific contributions that advanced study should make
to the overall purposes of undergraduate liberal learning: (2) frame
a set of recommendations on ways to strengthen studies-in-depth in
the field; and (3) identify exemplary campus programs whose practices
suggest promising and significant ways that study-in-depth in the
field can contribute to liberal learning. An appendix contains
informatim on how to obtain the unabridged reports. (GLR)
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Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made
from the original document.
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LIBERAL LEARNING
AND THE
ARTS AND SCIENCES MAJOR
Volume 2
CYZ
REPORTS
E
FROM THE
2
FIELDS
"PERMISSION,TO REF-RODUCE THIS
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
i
MICROFICHE ONLY
MATERIAL
Once of Educational Research and Improvemant
HAS BEEN GRANTED BY
EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFP,AMATION
CENTER (ERIC)
A AC
iThis document has been reproduced as
received from the person or omanuation
originating It.
(MATION
O Minor changes have been made to Improve
reproduction guStity
IAMERICAN
OLLEuLS
TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES
Points of view or opinions stated in thisdocui
merit do not necessarily represent offtcssI
INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC)."
OE RI positron or poticy.
2
BESTIPHAVRARLF--
LIBERAL LEARNING
i-ND THE
ARTS AND SC:ZNCES MAJOR
Volume 2
REPORFS
FROM THE
FIELDS
PROJECT ON LIBERAL LEARNING,
STUDYINDEPTH,
AND THE ARTS AND SCIENCES MAJOR
3
THIS WORK WAS SUPPORTED BY
THE FUND FOR THE IMPROVEMENT
OF POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION,
US. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
AND
THE FORD FOUNDATION
Cover: Opere Vane (1743)
by Piranesi
Courtesy Library e , Congress
Published by
Association of American Colleges
1818 R Street, NW
Washington, D.C. :0009
Copyright 1990
ISBN 0-911696-50-4
4
CON 1 ENTS
v
FORENORD
xi
PROJECT PARTICIPANTS
1
THE CHARGE TO THE TASK FORCES
9
CHAPTER ONE
BIOLOGY
25
CHAPTER IVO
EcoNom[cs
43
CHAPTER nom
HISIM
61
CHAPTER MIR
INTERDISCIPLINAIW STUDIES
77
CI-TAPTER RVE
mAnumsna
97
CI-IAPTER SLX
PHILOSOPHY
117
cHAFTER sEvEN
PHYSICS
131
CHAPTER OGIff
POLITICAL SCIENCE
-
---
151
CHAPIER NNE
PS1CHOLOGY
169
CHAPTER TEN
REUGON
185
CHAPIER ELEVEN
SOCIMOGY
207
CHAPTER TWELVE
WOMEN'S STUDIES
225
Arremx
UNABRIDGED REPORIS
6
FOREWORD
program committees.
This two-volume report, Liberal
The participating learned societies
Learning and the Arts and Sciences
and their respective task forces are
Major, presents the results of a
listed on page xi. Information on ob-
three-year review of liberal arts and
taining any or all of the twelve sepa-
sc,ences majors within the context of
rate reports is on page 225.
liberal education. Initiated by the
Association of American Colleges,
Toward a wider dialogue
the review has been planned and im-
We rant to emphasize that this work
plemented in cooperation with
is preliminary. While these volumes
twelve learned societies, each of
contain specific precepts and recom-
which considered its own major in
mendations, their primary recom-
relation to concerns and questions
mendation is a call for serious
addressed across the entire project.
faculty dialogue about central issues
The work of this project has been
addressed in these pages:
guided by a National Advisory
O What is the arts and sciences ma-
Committee formed by AAC in con-
jor supposed to contribute within
sultation with the participating
the context of a !;beral education?
learned societies. Volume One of
O Are there common touchstones
this report, The Challenge of Con-
for any liberal arts and sciences ma-
necting Learning, was prepared by
jor? Should differing or competing
members of the National Advisory
assumptions about the purposes of a
Committee. It proposes a set of orga-
major across departments and do-
nizing principles important for am
mains be directly addressed?
arts and sciences concentration.
O Have departments specified their
Volume Two contains abridged
expectations for students' liberal
versions of twelve field reports on
learning? Can faculty members ex-
specific majors by task forces ap-
pointed by the participating learned plain how particular requirements
and intellectual practices serve com-
societies. These reports provide presi-
mon goals for students' learning?
dents, academic administrators, and
Can students?
faculty members with a summary of
O Do faculty members review stu-
important issues and recommended
dent work over time in relation to
changes in each reviewed field. The
departmental goals? Are the results
twelve learned societies separately
are publishing unabridged versions
of such discussions used to review
of their own reports; they are de-
and revise program goals?
O Do program requirements and
signed to stimulate dialogue and self-
examination in departments and practices support students in bring-
r.
7
a-
vi
REPORTS
FROM THE
FIELDS
portant learning.
ing together different parts of their
learning, within the major and in re-
The aut1,-Irs of Integrity minced no
words on the shortcomings of the
lated fields?
0 What can departments do to en-
undergraduate major. "The under-
graduate major...everywhere domi-
courage fuller participation by stu-
nates, but the nature and degree of
dents of all backgrounds?
0 What are the appropriate rela .
that concentration varies widely and
tionships between major programs
irrationally from college to college.
Indeed, the major in most colleges is
and other parts of the undergraduate
little more than a gathering of
curriculum? Should some part of
courses taken in one department,
general education be structured to
lacking structure and depth."
provide critical and integrative con-
Reports from two other AAC proj-
texts for study in particular majors?
ects undertaken subsequent to the
These fundamental questions
publication of Integrity echo this
about majors in the context of liber-
stringent judgment. In the 1989
al education require and deserve
campuswide faculty discussion.
Structure and Coherence. Measuring
the Undergraduate Curriculum, a
Integrity and the arts and sciences
study of seniors' transcripts from lib-
major
eral arts and sciences majors in
The stimulus and point of departure
thirt:-five institutions, Robert
Zemsky of the University of Pennsyl-
for this review of arts and sciences
vania raises pointed questions about
majors was the discussion of the bat.-
the "real curriculun " that American
caldureate degree in AAC's landmark
undergraduates experience. Too
1985 report, Integrity in the College
many students, he reports, are tak-
Curriculum. A Report to the Academic
Community. That report challenged
ing "advanced courses" in subjects in
which they have had little or nL. pri-
colleges and universities to consider
what kinds of learning a student
or curricular experience. In such a
ought to achieve in any liberal arts
context, what becomes of "depth" as
and sciences field, whatever the stu-
a goal for advanced study?
dent's area of concentration. These Faculty members in another AAC
reports address concentrations them-
project (1986-1989) on using external
selves, asking what liberal arts and examiners to assess student learning
sciences majors should contribute to
in arts and sciences majors also rais-
students' liberal learni :g and what
ed questions about the effectiveness
kinds of curricular structures and
of learning in college majors. In that
practices are needed to support im-
project, faculty members prepared
vii
FOREWORD
comprehensive written and oral ex-
well as national organizations.
aminations in their fields for gradu-
The project's National Advisory
ating seniors on their own and
Committee first framed a set of orga-
similar campuses. They then served
nizing questions, the Charge to the
as external readers and oral inter-
Task Forces, which appears on page I.
viewers for seniors who took the ex
The charge was the subject of an all-
aminations. Many examiners report,-
project conference in March 1989.
ed that seniors are less skilled than
For their responses to the charge,
their instructors had expected in in-
the learned society task forces used a
tegrating learning across courses.
variety of sources, including cata-
All these findings challenged AAC
logues, formal and informal campus
to ask .,hether recent campus reform
surveys, analyses of pre%lously aad
has focused disproportionately on
able data, and discussions with stu-
general education. Discussions in
dents. Preliminary drafts of the
1987-88 with learned societies indi-
reports were circulated for cuinment
cated that many of them would wel-
by each task force and were further
come participation in a collaborative
discussed at the societies' annual
review looking simultaneously at
meetings and other gatherings.
At the same time, project staff
general and field-specific goals for
arts and sciences majors. In 1988-89,
members reviewed spec& major
AAC secured funding from the U.S.
programs in disciplinary and inter-
Department of Education's Fund for
disciplinary arts and sciences fields.
Institutions and project parnupants
the Improvement of Postsecondary
were invited to nominate campus
Education (FIPSE) and the Ford
Foundation to support such a re%im.
programs that exhibit unusual integ-
rity and vitality in their conception
The review of arts and sciences
and implementation of the major.
majors
More than 150 programs were nomi-
The project, titled "Liberal Learning,
nated, a sampling is included in the
Study-in-depth, and the Arts and
"Promising Practices" section of Vol-
Sciences Major," has been coordi-
ume One.
nated by AAC and guided by a Na-
AAC also surveyed students per-
tional Advisory Committee. It was
ceptions of their learning in the ma-
structured to generate a broad dia
jor. Distributed informally by faculty
logue about college majors that
members participating in the task
would include students as well as fac
forces and analyzed under the direc-
ulty members and administrators,
tion of Theodore Wagenaar, profes-
campuses and specific programs as
sor of sociology at Miami University
9
a-
C._
vEi
REPORTS
FROM THE
FIELDS
our thanks to the leaders of the
of Ohio, the survey provided sugges-
twelve learned societies for their
tive infc,mation on students' experi-
many contributions to this effort.
ence of intellectual coherence and
connected learning across ten of the
We acknowledge especially the
seventy-one teacher/scholars who
fields in the project.
served on the task forces. Individu-
Both the preliminary task force re-
ally and collectively, they brought a
ports and distinctive campus prac-
remarkably high standard of intel-
tices were discussed at AAC's 1990
Annual Meeting, "Undergraduate
ligence, openness, critical perspec-
tive, and simple stamina to a
Majors and the Claims of Liberal
Learning," and the project benefitted
den-landing set of activities.
from many who took part in that
With particular appreciation, we
thank the scholars who served as
meeting. A subsequent all-project
task force scribes and took their
conference in February 1990 pro-
vided a further opportunity for more
committees' respective field reports
from early drafts through numerous
dialogue and reflection across partici-
pating fields. Final drafts of the re- iterations to the final editions. Well
chosen by their respective societies,
ports in Volumes One and Two were
the scribes served as both guides and
completed in late 1990.
servants to the larger communities.
AAC and all of higher education
Acknowledgments
stand much in their debt.
AAC and the participating learned
Thanks also are due to the thir-
societies are grateful to F1PSE and
teen members of the National Advi-
the Ford Foundation for their will-
sory Committee, who ably provided
ingness to support a uniquely collab-
leadership and integration to a com .
orative dialogue on the major. We
thank in particular Peter Stanley, di- plex range of activities. They set a
rector of education and culture at high standard for the kind of colle-
the Ford Foundation, who first artic-
gial engagement recommended in
ulated some of the most significant
these two volumes.
issues with which thc project grap
The project is especially grateful to
Jonathan Z. Smith, scribe for the
pled, and Chtiries Karelis, executive
National Advisory Committee. In
director of FlPSE, whose probing
that role, he took exemplary care
questit.;.s and continuing commit-
that each part of the Project Charge
ment exemplify the best traditions of
and the Volume One report from
liberal inquiry.
the National Advi: .ry Committee
On behalf uf AAC's Board of Di-
represent the conrect views of the
rectors and members, we also extend
i 0