Where's the Money?

April 26, 2006

What Students Should Know

"…most of the issues that vex humanity daily…can be solved only by integrating knowledge from the natural sciences with that of the social sciences and humanities. Only fluency across boundaries will provide a clear world view of the world as it really is, not as it appears through the lens of ideology and religious dogma, or as myopic response to immediate need." Wilson, E.O., p. 62

I don't always agree with E.O. Wilson, but the passage above offers a profound truth, one we would do well to heed as we examine our own curricula. What do we want our students to know? Surely both depth and breadth matter—enough depth to be considered learned, skilled and competent in a particular discipline and enough breadth to carry on a meaningful conversation with individuals across a variety of disciplines. Reinsmith noted (2006, p. 56), "The continuing fragmentation, even within disciplines, has resulted in a situation where dialogue among disparate faculty is a rarity." This is grave. Serious problems, especially social problems, can be resolved only by bringing to bear expertise from a wide variety of disciplines in a coordinated and systematic way. Moreover, most employers expect their employees to work in multidisciplinary teams.

This brings us back to the central question: How should we address curricula? Wilson promoted a "consilience" of knowledge where the branches of knowledge are seen as interrelated and constituting a whole. Colleges of Family and Consumer Sciences have always held this perspective. I strongly urge that we continue to foster this perspective. We must encourage a broad intellectual curiosity in all of our students. As professionals we should also seek, celebrate, and honor the mutuality of academic work. We can draw guidance from the national Consensus Goals for Student Learning (see below).

The CHS curriculum committee has been meeting regularly all year, but curriculum is of concern to all. Open discussions in departments and college meetings might help determine our curricular values and commitments. I sincerely hope the revisions to our general education curriculum will reflect the principles of breadth, depth and interdisciplinary thinking and learning.

I wish you well,

Cheryl Achterberg

Figure 1. Consensus Goals for Student Learning (from Meacham and Gaff, 2006, p. 9)

• Strong analytic, communication, quantitative and information skills
• Deep understanding and hands-on experience with the disciplines that explore the natural, social, and cultural realms
• Intercultural knowledge and collaborative problem-solving skills
• Civic, social and personal responsibility
• Integrative thinking and the ability to transfer knowledge from one setting to another

References:

Meacham, J. and J. G. Gaff. 2006. Learning goals in mission statements, implications for educational leadership. Liberal Education. 92(1):6-13.

Reinsmith, W. 2006. The plight of the generalist. Liberal Education. 92(1):56-60.

Wilson, E.O. 2006. Back from chaos. The Atlantic Monthly. 291(3): 41-62.