General education requirements have been a blessing or a burden to many students over the years.
While some say they help teach students foundations, they might not learn elsewhere, others say it’s too constricting.
We think general education requirements, gen-eds, are an integral part of the higher-learning system at Western Michigan University and cannot be abandoned.
Kalamazoo College has recently decided on a new curriculum, starting in Fall 2009, where students are no longer required to take mandatory gen-ed classes.
Instead, they only have to choose a major, take a foreign language class, complete a senior project along with five physical education courses and take part in three “Shared Passages” seminars that are meant to integrate all facets of the students’ education.
This program was designed to give students more flexibility and choice in their education process. Rather than taking required classes, students are encouraged to delve into areas they might not have thought about otherwise.
According to K College’s Web site, www.kzoo.edu, “… Research demonstrates that emphasizing student ownership of the ‘K’ experience, will enhance student responsibility for the experience.”
A program like this will expectedly be very welcomed at private liberal arts schools like K, but may not be the best choice for public universities like WMU.
Many students who attend private schools already come from middle-class, affluent educational backgrounds and are well prepared for the college experience.
Public universities see many more students who aren’t quite sure which educational path they plan on taking yet and perhaps haven’t been as well prepared for university life.
Gen-eds give those types of students a strong foundation that will enable them to better explore their options later on in college.
Without required history, foreign language, mathematics and writing courses, many students would not be prepared for 4000 level classes, let alone a career.
High schools all over the country don’t focus on college preparedness enough, thus sending their students to a new realm without the proper tools they need to succeed. Gen-eds in this capacity can give students time to catch up to those who were afforded those experiences.
We all complain about English 1050, how many math classes it takes to graduate and the proposed finance requirement, but where would we be without it?
No employer would hire a candidate who had never passed basic algebra and how many of us would voluntarily take it given the option?
Gen-eds serve a priceless function at WMU and other public universities by creating an even playing field for students and sufficiently preparing them for their future.
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