case study #1

1Running head: MOBERG BRAUER CASE STUDY #1

Case Study Number One:

Exploring Core Curriculum at Five Midwestern Liberal Arts Colleges

Hallie Moberg Brauer

Loyola University Chicago

2MOBERG BRAUER CASE STUDY #1

Exploring Core Curriculum at Five Midwestern Liberal Arts Colleges

When trying to understand how different types of institutions think about and construct

systems of Core Curriculum, it seems intuitive to compare apples to apples rather than apples to

oranges. Thus this exploration of Core Curriculum seeks to examine five small, private, liberal

arts colleges in the Midwest region of the United States. It is a useful exercise to explore and

understand the curriculum at each of these institutions, as well as to compare and contrast the

similarities and differences between schools with a liberal arts foundation. Finally this

exploration will seek to understand and evaluate how well each institution might meet the

expectations of providing meaningful learning and development experiences.

Description

Denison University

The general education plan for Denison University seeks to strengthen students in three

areas. It seeks to have students develop competencies, to expose students to a wide variety of

disciplines, and finally to promote the development of a global perspective, (Denison University,

2015). These three areas are reached through taking classes in several different areas of study

including fine arts, sciences, social sciences, humanities and then one interdivisional class from

one of many areas. There are then two additional areas that students must fulfill. The first of

those is a foreign language requirement. The other requirement is that students must fulfill three

requirement areas, one oral communication requirement, one written communication

requirement and one power and justice requirement. According to Denison University, “The

General Education requirements ensure that students develop core liberal arts competencies and

encounter a broad range of liberal arts inquiries… In addition, the requirements expose students


to a diversity of perspectives that enable them to interact more effectively in an increasingly

interdependent world” (Denison University, 2015).

DePauw University

The core curriculum of DePauw University focuses on four major sections of a students

learning. These include ‘Breadth’ which then goes into detailing the general education

requirements each student must complete to meet the requirements for a liberal arts foundation.

The next is called ‘Depth’ which focuses a student into a traditional major track, where he or she

focuses specifically in one area of study. The third area of focus is on three main competencies

that students must demonstrate by graduation, the competencies of expository writing,

quantitative reasoning, and oral communication. The final section of the core curriculum focuses

on extended experiences. The university website describes this as having value since, “Through

Extended Studies opportunities, students can intensively focus on a particular topic, problem or

skill-set, which enhances their liberal arts education” (DePauw University, 2015).

With these four areas of curriculum focus, students are expected to finish a degree in four

years and living in community on campus for those four years unless a student is studying off

campus or abroad. This curriculum is designed to give students a traditional liberal arts

education, while preparing them for continued studies or meaningful employment in the future.

Earlham College

The general education program at Earlham College is made up of two parts. The first

consists of five areas of requirement including analytic a reasoning requirement, a scientific

inquiry requirement, a perspectives on diversity requirement, an arts requirement and a wellness

requirement. Each of the requirements requires students to take one to two classes focusing on

this area of intellectual and personal development. In addition to this, each requirement has


several learning outcomes that students should expect to leave the class with. For example, the

learning outcomes for the arts requirement are as follows, “Developing artistic skills and

techniques, experiencing art as an active participant, enhancing personal creativity, developing

confidence in one's own ideas, and understanding, appreciating and recognizing the discipline

necessary to successfully produce art forms” (Earlham College, 2015). Such learning outcomes

are quite detailed for each aspect of each requirement a student will have to meet before

graduation.

The second part of the general education program at Earlham College is made up of two

designations. The first designation is to happen at the sophomore or junior level where a student

will complete a research experience and work in collaboration with a librarian to learn how to do

appropriate and extensive academic research while earning their undergraduate degree. The

second designation prompts students to focus on an immersion experience ranging from working

closely applying theory to practice, to studying abroad. These designations are to benefit the

students, as well as to guide faculty when designing their courses for students. (Earlham College,

2015)

Taylor University

Of the five core curriculums being discussed in this description, the one described by

Taylor University is perhaps the most extensive, but also the one that features the most unique

requirements of its undergraduate students. This is perhaps because it is an overtly religious

institution. The core curriculum requirements feature many of the other areas that the other

institutions prioritize including social science, science, fine arts and mathematics. However

Taylor University places a strong emphasis on other types of curriculum that focus on the

physical and spiritual development of students. Students must complete six credits in the area of


spiritual foundation, and this is coupled with a requirement of completing two credits in the area

of stewardship of the body. Taylor University describes their goal to be, “With this idea of

immersion, Taylor University intentionally integrates faith and learning on our campus... This

integration isn’t defined by a devotional, prayer before class, or the required Bible courses.

Instead, it is woven throughout classes and life on campus” (Taylor University, 2014). Extensive

classes are offered on campus to help students achieve this integrated approach to their faith

based undergraduate experience.

Wabash College

The final institution to explore is Wabash College, which is one of the few remaining all

men’s colleges in the country, located in rural Indiana. This general curriculum is perhaps the

most general of the institutions explored. It is laid out in six parts and each part details an aspect

of curriculum or standard of academics that each student must complete to graduate. The first

aspect is to complete a freshman experience. The second details language requirements students

must meet involving demonstrating proficiency in English and in a foreign language. The third

lays out distribution requirements in the areas valued by the liberal arts including literature, fine

arts, behavioral sciences, natural sciences, mathematics, history, philosophy, and religion. The

final three parts detail more practical aspects of student curriculum including choosing a major, a

minor and minimum requirements for graduation. This is the only institution that details

numeric requirements in terms of GPA in their core curriculum.

These six parts are valued by the institution because the faculty stat that, “We believe that

it leads people to freedom, helps them choose worthy goals and shows them the way to an

enduring life of the mind” (Wabash University, 2015).


Comparison

There are many similarities between the core curriculums of these five institutions. This

is perhaps to be expected as each seeks to serve a similar type of student as well as they were

founded on similar principles. Yet there are some differences that stand out, which perhaps

relate to the distinctions between the institutions unique histories and distinctive missions.

One noticeable similarity is that all but one institution, Taylor University, have a specific

foreign language requirement somewhere in their core curriculum. This is quite interesting as

not all institutions require this. These along with the focus on a vast array of subjects across

several disciplines are evidence that these institutions hold strongly to the traditional tenants of a

liberal arts education. All of the institutions focus on a student’s ability to write clearly, reason

quantitatively and ask student to engage in experiences outside their chose area of study. Broad

focus of core curriculum is important, and features prominently in many of these institutions

educational goals.

There are also differences that are drawn to the surface through this type of examination

and comparison between core curriculums. Only Earlham College and Denison University

feature specific aspects of social justice understanding in their core curriculum. Denison’s is

featured in their Competency on Power and Justice, and Earlham’s shows up in their Perspective

on Diversity Requirement. It is surprising that in five institutions trying to produce well-rounded

citizens, this is not a focus everywhere. Taylor University, it could be argued offers this type of

perspective to its students through its Spiritual Foundation Requirement, however it is not

explicitly stated the way the other two institutions feature it.

Another striking difference between the institutions is that only two institutions feature a

focus on extended studies, or immersion experiences. These two are DePauw University, which


places a large emphasis on abroad education during their Winter Term experience offerings or

May term class offerings. This is a requirement of all students to participate in, and seems to

allow students to focus on skills or have intensive experiences outside the classroom. In addition

to this, Earlham College places direct emphasis on Immersion Experiences through their

designation dedicated to just that. This designation is to help students in many ways have

meaningful developmental experiences tailored to their own needs and academic and career

goals. The focus these two institutions places on experiential learning is unique to them out of

these five institutions.

Integration

On the surface level it would appear that these five institutions have worked to design

curriculum that will achieve the goals that L. Dee Fink sets out in the first chapters of his book,

Creating Significant Learning Experiences (2003). And many of the institutions have redesigned

their ideas and structures of their Core Curriculum. It was not clear why, but it could have

something to do with the fact that institutions are trying to better cater to the new generation of

the millennial generation which Linda Nilson makes clear is an important priority for institutions

in the first chapter of her book, Teaching at Its Best: A Research-Based Resource for College

Instructors.

It seems that there is a clear attempt in the design of the core curriculums at use in these

institutions to meet the standards that Fink has set out. Particularly it seems that the areas of

Foundational Knowledge and the Human Dimension (Fink, p. 35, 2003) that Fink describes are a

priority for these institutions based on the fact that they focus on the areas of liberal arts ideals.

Each of the five core curriculums has a focus on a wide breadth of imparting foundational

knowledge to its students. Each details between five and ten areas where foundational


knowledge must be applied. At least four of the institutions are also focused on students learning

about themselves and others. This can be seen in the focus discussed above of on areas of social

justice focus, spiritual focus, and focus on experiential and immersion learning. Institutions who

promote education in these areas clearly hope that students will learn about themselves and

others in a productive way during their undergraduate experience. Thus these institutions are to

be lauded for designing such ideals for their students to achieve.

However, it is less clear simply by the design of the curriculum if they are truly

succeeding in teaching students in the Learning How to Learn, Integration, and Application areas

of Fink’s model for teaching. This is because it is hard to know if students are truly learning in

the ways that the institutions truly hope they are. Each of these core curriculum plans look quite

similar to the examples that Fink gives in his book about the types of ideal learning students

would achieve in the classroom. Professors hope that students will learn things like, “Apply and

use what they learn in real-life situations,” (Fink, p. 11) and to have their students, “step outside

one’s view and to be reflective of this process” (Fink, p. 12). These aspirations of professors

sound quite similar to the aspirations and goals of the core curriculum of each of these five

universities. However, it is impossible to know by studying a website and what it says if

institutions and faculty are truly succeeding at meeting those lofty goals of the liberal arts

education.

Earlham College is the only institution, which makes explicit reference to supporting

faculty in achieving their goals, stating specifically that its designations are not only for guiding

students but also to, “Guide faculty and departments in determining whether an existing course

fits the new designations of Research, Immersion Experience. In some cases, adding the

designation will involve altering the course to meet or better meet the defining features”


(Earlham College, 2015). The information goes on to promise support of many different

varieties to help support faculty seeking to change their courses to fit into designations. Fink sites

that to truly be able to transform the way institutions of higher education teach, to meet these

standards of core curriculum faculty need to, “Feel that their institutions truly value better

learning and better teaching and are willing to provide faculty with what they need to in order to

learn new ways of teaching” (Fink, p. 12).

While these institutions say that they value these important and idealistic outcomes for

their students, it is not clear from their websites and detailed outlines of the core curriculum they

teach, with the exception of Earlham College that the institutions are ready to provide faculty

with the support they need to make Fink’s and college professors ideal visions for education,

reality.


References

Denison University. (2015). General education program. Retrieved from

http://denison.edu/academics/curriculum/general-education-majors-electives

DePauw University. (2015). Graduation requirements: college of liberal arts. Retrieved from

http://www.depauw.edu/academics/academic-resources/advising/graduation-

requirements/

Earlham College. (2015). Curriculum guide. Retrieved from

http://www.earlham.edu/curriculum-guide/general-education-program/

Fink, L.D. (2003). Creating significant learning experiences: An integrated approach to

developing college courses. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Nilson, L.B. (2010). Teaching at Its Best: A Research-Based Resource for College Instructors.

San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Taylor University. (2014). Foundational core curriculum requirements. Retrieved from

http://www.taylor.edu/dotAsset/a5f4093f-1ecd-4477-ac62-1f296ac1ae77.pdf

Wabash College. (2015). The curriculum. Retrieved from

http://www.wabash.edu/bulletin/home.cfm?this_year=2014&site_code_id=911

http://www.taylor.edu/dotAsset/a5f4093f-1ecd-4477-ac62-1f296ac1ae77.pdf

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