Should General Education Classes be Required?

Letter to the Editor: The Daily Iowan

2005-11-23T10:55:00.000-08:00

In response to another University of Iowa student's article (Sanchez. Oct. 24th letter to the editor) that supports the idea that general education courses are a waste of time, student Claire Knudsen-Latta makes a few very good points on why taking general education courses are so important for college students. Here is what she had to say:
"Well, bully for you, Mr. Sanchez ("What general-ed courses give you," Oct. 24). I suppose that every student you've ever met has the drive and interest to learn about history, languages, and literature - and therefore has no need to have these subjects encouraged. Let me enlighten you, please.I have the sinking suspicion that you've never actually sat in on one of these undergrad gen-eds that you seem so against. You've never heard the honest question about the current king of France or the people in rhetoric who've never bothered to read anything above high-school level and don't know what those polysyllabic words mean.You stand there preaching about how taking classes in subjects that don't matter to the major in which you're enrolled is unnecessary. But you don't seem to take into account that by, for example, learning another language, you are in fact learning more about your own, that by studying the structure of musical compositions, you are learning how to identify patterns in abstract situations, and that by reading books above your comfort level, you are expanding your vocabulary and becoming more aware of the ways in which you can express yourself in written and spoken language.Now it's entirely possible that I'm just a raving liberal artist and that you're safe in ignoring me. But it's possible that I'm in the right and that by making people study things that they might ignore otherwise, the university is producing citizens who can function on a competitive level in this multicultural, multifaceted world of ours."
Claire Knudsen-LattaUI student
Posted by Kara

General Education = General Knowledge

2005-11-22T23:39:00.000-08:00

Many people complain about the voting and students/young adults today not knowing or understanding about any aspects of what is happening in the world today. General Education is a way to help jump-start student's interest in these areas. By gaining a more broad knowledge of the world and its subjects, students are already taking the first steps to being better informed. Therefore wouldn't it be dangerous to not make these kinds of classes required?
Posted by Katie

2005-11-21T07:42:00.000-08:00

As the media continues to evolve and advance and its role as a watchdog over the government and other institutions becomes more important, why aren't Universities falling under this watch? Shouldn't such a crucial institution as the American University be under the most scrutiny and vigilance? After all, it is the framework and root of creating an informed citizenry!

Dinosaurs and Disasters

2005-11-20T20:20:00.000-08:00

It seems as though the more and more people I talk to concerning their "chosen" general education courses, the more and more I realize that these classes are not a means by which the institution is aiding students in allowing them to broaden their horizons, but rather a means by which meaningless material can be absorbed and then forgotten shortly there after. In speaking to my brother, who is a college Junior, I asked him what kinds of gen eds he was taking. His response, "Dinosaurs and Disasters". It sounds like a discovery channel special similar to shark week or something. Let me remind you that my brother is a journalism major. Can anyone tell me how Dinosaurs and Disasters will help him become a better writer?

Gaining the Competitive Edge

2005-11-17T20:15:00.000-08:00

If students are looking to gain an edge over each other in the job field, many employers are looking to education as a factor in hiring process. According to recent surveys here are what some employers thought. "The survey also showed that employers desire tranferable skills, skills employees take with them to any job, such as written and verbal communication skills, the ability to solve complex problems, to work well with others, and to adapt in a changing workplace. These transferable skills are characteristic of a liberal arts education." The benefits of a liberal arts, and well rounded education are outweighing the disadvantages. Maybe all the extra hard work is worth it in the end. Posted by Katie

Getting The Job Done.

2005-11-17T19:49:00.000-08:00

An article from the internet site Headhunter, written by Nick Corcodilos, (which helps customers in their job search and through the hiring process) has a very interesting take on Liberal Arts classes. Nick himself was a Liberal Arts major and truely believes that it has helped his career and he has the proof. Nick worked for a CEO who couldn't write well, but the CEO was surrounded by people who could translate his phenomenal ideas onto paper to communicate his ideas properly. Thanks to Nick's Liberal Arts degree, he had an edge over other job candidates who he said "couldn't write to save their lives" and Nick credits his good communication skills to his Liberal Arts education. Though Nick is very thankful for his Liberal Arts educational experience which has helped lead him to success, he feels that one thing that can become a challenge to Liberal Arts majors is presenting their qualifications for job interviews. In the article he says that in order to find the job that best utilizes your qualifications, you have to "map" your skills to the job that you want, because the realization is that Liberal Arts majors have a vast array of knowledge in many different fields which qualifies them for many different jobs.
Posted by Kara

When it Comes to Informing

2005-11-16T18:49:00.000-08:00

When it comes to informing the public, the media is the medium to go through. But at the same time, isnt it also the job to show the public stories that they want to hear? This issue of whether general education classes has had little recognition from the media. What needs to be made aware to the people who are attending universities is how affective are these classes? What do they prepare people for and what could be some potential pro's and con's to having them? Most of the public never questions whether liberal arts classes should be required becuase they assume they are their for a reason. If, these questions are put forward and the media shows what the controversy is then more people will partcipate in finding the best sollution. How should the media do this without taking a stance on the situation?

College Dropouts

2005-11-15T14:23:00.000-08:00

Students in Australia are opting out of taking general education courses and are going straight for a professional degree. They are choosing professional degree programs such as accounting, surveying, and physiotherapy because they want to score a high paying job as soon as possible. The majority of professors and many students want to have at least one year of required general education courses because they feel that they are necessary in allowing students to have a well rounded education. At these professional colleges, students are not getting a proper education, often causing them to leave the college without a degree. By starting an Australian Liberal Arts university (modeled after ones in the United States), professors feel that a Liberal Arts education could be very beneficial to students while decreasing the dropout rates and at the same time they could compete with the professional degree programs, improving the quality of their teaching.
Posted by Kara

Are students really concerned?

2005-11-15T12:48:00.000-08:00

There have been a few editorials in the paper and responses to those editorials but are students really concerned with changing the general eduaction requirements? At least on the University of Iowa campus I haven't seen any picket lines or any protests about gen ed courses. The student government doesn't even have gen ed courses on their agenda. Do students really have big problems with these required classes? Yes there have been some editorials, and yes you hear students say things like "wow I wish I didn't have to take a required course," but is there enough outrage and protest to this subject for an actual debate or do students not care enough to change it?
Posted by Katie

Interesting classes

2005-11-14T22:48:00.000-08:00

Some students have complained that general education classes are boring, Stacey Perk, "Schooling’s Useless Lessons" was mentioned in an earlier blog saying "Not only did the gen-ed classes waste my time and money, but they also hurt my GPA. Being forced to take classes makes them less interesting." Although her argument makes sense, every major also has certain requirements that must be fulfilled in order to graduate. These requirements are mandatory and many times there are even pre-requisites within a major that must be taken before other classes. Even though someone has begun taking the classes for their major, which they obviously have an interest in, it does not mean they are through with requirements. Many majors force students to take classes that have nothing to do with their desired career goals, however, the classes are necessary in order to receive a degree. No college student has the luxury of going through school only taking classes that they love or are completely interested in.

Student Bloggers

2005-11-14T12:39:00.000-08:00

Although as discussed in an earlier entry, it appears as though some students feel that discussion based courses are in fact "dumbing down our educational system", perhaps the art of blogging should begin to seep into more classrooms. Afterall, who better to rely on for informed, relatively intelligent information than eachother. Blogging is an excellent way it seems to not only get an opinion out but to also participate in discourse on a different level than that of a discussion based course. Blogging may just be an excellent addition to University general education courses!

The media watchdog

2005-11-13T18:22:00.000-08:00

This post is in progress.

Dumbing Down?

2005-11-13T13:51:00.000-08:00

In an October article published in the Daily Iowan the question was raised as to whether discussion based courses are, "dumbing down our educational system?" The author, Herrig claims that these courses contribute very little to our overall learning experience because they are essentially rooted in the opinions of our fellow classmates. Herrig feels as though it is both a waste of time and money to be sitting in a 50 minute discussion, only to leave with a better knowledge of what his peers opinion is on the matter. This issue has direct correlation with many general education courses because many of them are comprised of a lecture and followed up with a discussion of some sort. The issue then becomes, should the University be keeping a closer watch on the content of these discussion based courses? After all, we come to a University for a higher education that is not based on opinion, persay, but on fact and knowledge.

Are these the required slacker courses?

2005-11-12T22:24:00.000-08:00

Because General Education courses are required and because they normally don't hold students' interest, are they considered the 'slacker courses' of college? Even Stacey Perk states in her editorial that she never gave these courses much attention because she didn't see their purpose. If students reguard general education courses as worthless or a waste of time, is it worth the administration's time and effort to require them? Some professors think that they will never be able to convince some students of their full meaning and are all full the abandonment of their "failed pursuit." It may be possibe that these professors are tired of seeing their lectures empty and students blowing off their assignments. If the professors are beginning to forget the purpose of a liberal arts education is there any hope for their future?

The 21st Century Media

2005-11-11T10:41:00.000-08:00

Over the last hundred years, media has transformed from telegrams to television. What we think today is a basic way to communicate while eliminating space and time such as the Morse code seems prehistoric. We are now seeing a powerful and possibly dangerous new form of media emerge which are know as weblogs or more simply, blogs. Blogs are often used to spark discussion about current issues or find out more information about a certain topic of interest. But, in some cases these blogs can be damaging to others reputation. Anyone can randomly attack a company or an individual with holding no real credibility by creating a blog. These blogs can be damaging to the reputation of the victim and can do serious damage. Are blogs a resourceful tool for the public or a way for individuals to spread their radical beliefs like a wild fire?

Study Shows That Liberal Arts Education Is Useful!

2005-11-10T21:32:00.000-08:00

A study conducted by Wabash College along with the University of Iowa followed 900 students through their first three years at 16 different colleges. They included liberal arts colleges, public and private research universities, and comprehensive regional institutions, using students varying by sex, race, ethnicity, and age. They found that students with a strong liberal arts education had significantly positive outcomes in many areas such as reading comprehension, critical thinking, science reasoning, writing skills, openness to diversity and challenge, learning for self-understanding, sense of responsibility for one's own academic success, preference for deep and difficult intellectual work, positive attitude toward literacy, and plans to obtain a graduate degree. The outcome of their study showed that liberal arts education differed in different ways for different students. They found that a liberal arts education was more important for students of color and students with low pre-college academic abilities.
In conclusion, those conducting the study found that "although liberal arts education has often been assailed by critics because of its high cost and its history of educating upper-class gentlemen as part of their preparation to take positions of civic and economic leadership." Their study also suggests "that the liberal arts experience of a student and the liberal arts emphasis of an institution are particularly beneficial for students from underrepresented groups and for those who have less developed academic ability. The beneficial outcomes of a liberal arts education that we uncovered through this research do not depend upon institutional selectivity or institutional type." (http://liberalarts.wabash.edu/home.cfm?news_id=1382)
Based on these findings, and many others provided in previous blogs, a liberal arts education seems to be more beneficial than useless. Let us know what you think!!!

Posted by Kara

Real Results from Blogging?

2005-11-10T19:36:00.000-08:00

When trying to speak out on issues such as general education, is online blogging a way to take actual action or is just a pool to empty our thoughts in? Are these blog sites as effective as forming a picket line outside the office and showing the "man" face to face what you stand for. When it comes to issues such as general education what courses of action would help students achieve their goals? If students are really looking to end general education requirements, the student government board is the first place to start. If students want to actually change the system and plan needs to be formed and presented to the administration. Though online blogging is a good way to bring students together to help form and assemble their thoughts, it seems results would be better had from direct action.
Posted by Katie

Courses in Common

2005-11-09T23:44:00.000-08:00

As a college freshman I took introduction to psychology, which fulfilled a general education requirement. In discussion we would do group activities and I ended up finding out that one of the girls in my group not only lived in the same dorm, but in the same hall. We had never really ran into each other because we lived on opposite ends, if we had not taken psychology together we never would have become friends let alone roommates for the past three years. General education classes allow students with different areas of study to take the same classes. This generates not only a more diverse group of students, but also a more diverse exchange of ideas. As students get older the classes become smaller and more specific, many of the same students take the same classes depending on their career goals. I am grateful that I was able to experience different students and ideas in my general education classes because for the past year and a half I have felt like I accidentally enrolled in courses in common for upperclassmen.

Normalizing the Institution

2005-11-09T21:23:00.001-08:00

While looking at the media and its effects on this issue, I realized that I have been looking in the wrong place. I've been looking in the newspapers and online to find information when I have been witnessing it every time I go to class. What normalizes the way we perceive the college education and especially the liberal arts aspect is the college institution itself. Everytime a new student comes to the University of Iowa for freshmen orientation, they are bombarded with a number of classes that they have to take. Many of these classes, which carry no relevance to what they want for their future career are made necessary for them to graduate. Although students at first embrace these classes because of the new lifestyle that comes with it, they soon understand many of the classes are the same and are not going to help them "discover" themselves in the next couple of years. Is it fair to make new students take these classes or should there be an exception to the rule?

Gen Ed's for All!

2005-11-09T08:53:00.001-08:00

In speaking with my roommate recently, I discovered that she, as a fifth year senior graduating this December, is currently enrolled in a general education course entitled, How Things Work. If the title itself isn't embarrassing enough, then certainly the fact that a super senior is not only eligible to be enrolled in such a course, but furthermore needs it to complete her graduation requirements. Based on many of the articles related to this topic, a current theme appears to be that gen ed courses are there so as to "guide" students as to their future career paths, and of course to create well-rounded individuals. My question is, as a fifth year senior, isn't it a little late to be producing well-rounded students and more importantly a little late to be "guiding" them as to their career paths.
It is basically proof positive that the University is failing to either a) educate students on the intended purpose of these gen ed courses, or b) ensure that students are taking these courses for their intended purpose. This upholds many of the responses to Perk's article which stated that gen ed courses bring down GPA's and do not contribute whatsoever to a students ability to enter the world as a more diverse individual. Why isn't the University exploring alternative options, and if they are how come the paying students don't have a voice in these important curriculum decisions?

Are Gen-Ed Courses Needed?

2005-11-08T20:31:00.000-08:00

In response to the first letter to the editor from student Stacey Perk, many responded attacking her for her opinion about general education courses being a waste of time and money. There was one person who agreed and also explained how he has gained an extensive array of knowledge, not by attending general education classes but through personal experiences. University of Iowa graduate student Rodrigo Sanchez wrote a letter to the editor in support of Perk's article saying that you don't have to take a college course on a certain subject to gain knowledge in that subject. "I speak three languages, yet I have never taken a college language course. I am well read, yet I have never taken a college English or literature course," said Sanchez. He feels that he is very well informed despite having not taken any general education courses. Being a physics major, Sanchez says that in his major, and many others majors at the University of Iowa, "the best way to learn is by actual practical experience, not by means of courses." Do you with Sanchez in that knowledge is better gained through experience or better learned in the classroom?
Posted by Kara

Does One Voice Make A Difference?

2005-11-08T18:06:00.000-08:00

Currently at Pennsylvania State University, a smiliar debate is going on about what to do about general education classes. Two faculty members have devised a plan in which students would plan, and impliment their own general education program. This would be under strict supervision from each students advisor and there would be general guidelines, but all this would be to create a "foundation for lifelong learning." Is this different from what we have now?
Currently students pick and choose what general education courses they take, and with their advisors approval, enroll in them. Is this just the administrations way of hearing the problem and pretending to propose a solution? How well do students believe their voices make a difference? According to Lippman, people do not speak out or bother to become informed because they think that their one voice alone will do nothing. Do students and young adults today still follow this trend? Even with all the promotion done for the 2004 Presidential Election vote, stats say that young adult participation was still at an all-time low, with less than half the registered voters in this age group participating. (And this was for the election of our nations President!) If young adults today won't participate because they believe they can't make a difference, then why would they speak out for general education courses? Even though the issue is more local and has a more direct effect on them, do students believe they can make their educators listen and actually focus on their issues at hand?
Posted by Katie

Who are employers looking for after graduation?

2005-11-07T22:03:00.000-08:00

The Chronicle of Higher Education published an article by Carol Schneider and Debra Humphreys that argued that employers are no longer looking for employees with one strong area of focus, instead they are looking for well-rounded individuals that are skilled in a wide array of areas. Putting a stop to general education classes would do the exact opposite. In fact maybe there should even be an increase in the requirements of general education so that the end result would be college graduates who have a variety of strong points. In reality there are very few jobs where the employee only has to be capable of completing one task or knowledgeable in one area. It makes sense that students should begin broadening their horizons by taking on more classes in different areas.

Experts Run Amok?

2005-11-07T09:54:00.000-08:00

There is no doubt that the goal of most Universities, and College grads for that matter, is to enter into the "real world" as a more rounded, educated individual. The question is, are general education courses necessary for the production of such individuals? Are there other ways in which the University can generate students who possess whatever the magical elements are to create a well-rounded facade? As John Dewey would argue, perhaps if the public is not educated enough then highly educated "experts" must step forward and we must entrust the government body to make important decisions.
I ask, is this what we really want? Maybe, those highly educated "experts" are what Universities should strive to fabricate? A Jack of no trades, but an ace of one? After all it would appear that our society is run mostly by those highly educated experts, who seem to have one-up on the rest of the citizenry. If everyone in the system were to become specialists in their particular field of study then maybe (this is just a suggestion) things would run smoother. There would be less confusion among College students, who seem for the most part, to be trapped in a black oblivion when it comes to choosing their given path. How often do you hear a student reply, "I have no idea" when asked the question, "What do you want to major in", and this reply comes after two years of general education courses.
So, should we heed the policy of John Dewey and begin to remedy the problem of a public that is not educated enough? Or, should we continue to entrust our Universities and government to make important decisions?

Where does the media come in?

2005-11-06T21:24:00.000-08:00

The reason why this topic does not recieve much attention is because the way society is forced to believe that having a liberal arts education is the norm and there is no reason to change it. Why do we think like that? I would argue the media creates the confomity so many people come to believe even if they don't agree with it. Just think, if you come into college knowing what you want to be, why is it nessesary to spend the countless hours and an outrageous amount of money to learn information that you might never use in your life? This idea is something that many people have never thought about because to us college seams perfect the way it is and there is no reason to fix it if it's not broken. But, if the media can inform the public about this message than who is to say they wouldn't agree with it? To allow the option of bypassing general education classes is changing the very concept of college which is to broaden your horizons and interests. The catch is that the only way this will happen is if the public demands it, not the government or even the institutions themselves because the money that funds them are coming from the men and women who attend school. The media is the vehicle for which this idea has the only chance to manifest.
GenEd6
Jack

Choosing the Core

2005-11-06T14:12:00.000-08:00

With the recent outpouring of opinions and articles concerning the relevance and overall importance of general education courses in producing, "well-rounded, intelligent individuals", perhaps the question should be raised, where has this issue been all along? Why are media outlets and particular individuals just now questioning the relevance of courses which have been in practice since, conceivably, the foundation of U.S. universities? It is alarming to think that after four years at a University for which you pay thousands of dollars, the coursework and requirements are just now coming to the surface as a public issue.
Yes, with editorial responses such as "Learn Don't Whine" where students such as Danielle Bradley have a voice regarding the subject, it would appear as though there is at least some public discourse over such a fundamental and essential institution as a public university. Shouldn't questions such as, "should general education courses be required?", be a topic with public and media invested interest more often - or at least it should have been discussed sooner.
It is both alarming and relatively reassuring that all it takes is an article like, "Useless Lessons" printed in the Daily Iowan to evoke inquiry into the value of such courses. Perhaps the credibility and interests of universities should be questioned more often - after all they are
for-profit institutions!?!
By: Julie

Are Students Becoming More Responsible?

2005-11-05T17:11:00.000-08:00

In response to the "Useless Lessons" editorial, one person wrote to the Daily Iowan "Stacey Perk's opinion article exemplified my worst-case nightmare scenario of college-student attitudes. I found myself hoping as I read it that it was just an inflammatory attempt to spark controversy."
In response to the original editorial many students used their ability to voice their opinion not as a way to criticize gen-ed classes, but instead they rallied in support. Implied in the original editorial is that gen-ed courses require excessive work that will end up being a waste of time and tuition because it will not help us out further in our careers. The general response to this has been disagreement from the student body. Does this indicate that maybe students are becoming more responsible and taking school work and their ability to voice their opinions more seriously? It has been a general social myth that 'generation next' would turn out to be lazy and irresponsible but are we seeing a shift away from this? This could be an indicator that students today don't mind rolling their sleeves up and getting the work done. It also shows how when they feel misrepresented, students speak up. All six responses to the editorial were voicing opinions that were contradictory to the original editorial. Clearly students are becoming more involved and aware.
Posted by Katie

A Brief History of Liberal Arts Education

2005-11-05T15:31:00.000-08:00

"The term liberal arts has come to mean studies that are intended to provide general knowledge and intellectual skills, rather than more specialized occupational or professional skills." (Wikipedia.com) Professor Robert Harris, from the University of California focused his studies on the integration of faith and learning. In his presentation on "The Purpose of a Liberal Arts Education" he provides many important reasons on why taking general education courses are so important for a college student to take. He gives many reasons that support his argument, and a few of them are given here. A liberal arts education teaches you how to think and how to learn. A liberal arts education allows you to see things whole and also enhances wisdom and faith. A liberal arts education makes you a better teacher and helps contribute to your happiness. Harris also goes into the uniqueness of a liberal arts education.
Robert Harris's presentation helps bring to light the important role that the Liberal Arts program plays in helping to develop a well rounded student, who will learn how to think for themselves and who will have the opportunity to obtain a wide range of knowledge instead of just one specified field.
Posted by Kara

"Learn, Don't Whine"

2005-11-03T16:06:00.000-08:00

"Learn, Don't Whine" was the title of an editorial posted in response to the editorial titled "On Schooling's Useless Lessons" written by Stacey Perk, many students immediately responded in disagreement with her opinion on general education courses. One of those responses was from University of Iowa student Danielle Bradley who said
"the purpose of general-education programs in high school and college is to produce well rounded, intelligent individuals, and journalism, medical, law, and all other graduate schools consider the GPAs of applicants because they are indicators of how well a student is able to meet any challenge." Danielle goes on to explain why she thinks that gen. ed courses help in any career that you will find yourself in because it gives you the basic background knowledge in a variety of subjects, and assits in giving students a more diverse education rather than just studying one topic during their college career. In her closing argument, Danielle ends with "in my opinion, any student who thinks education is useless is useless to society." This is just one example of how one student is in support of the general education program. Read on to view more opinions about this issue.
Posted by Kara

Students Speak Out

2005-11-03T14:08:00.000-08:00

Recently in the Daily Iowan, students have been speaking out on the topic of General Education Classes. Numerous letters to the editor have been published in response to an editorial that was sent in to the Daily Iowan called "On Schooling's Useless Lessons" submited by Stacey Perk. A few things Stacey offers to the arguement are:
"For open majors, the general-education requirements are great. For [a person with their career picked out] they were a waste of tiem and tuition. Not only did the gen-ed classes waste my time and moeny, but they also hurt my GPA. Being forced to take classes makes them less interesting... These gen-ed classes caused my GPA to plumet. I worried that these classes - ones that I would never use - were going to hurt my chances of getting into the journalism school... How is this fair? I shouldn't have to give up my dream of working at Glamour magazine because my GPA was low - all because of some stupid gen-ed classes that I was forced to take. Let's just get rid of them."
Responses to the article were vastly diverse. These different viewpoints ranged from agreeing with Perk to proving how gen-ed classes are beneficial. With so many student responses will universities actually consider the removal of general education classes?
Posted by Katie