- Boyer discusses several tensions in what are often heated discussions of what a college curriculum should entail. Identify one central tension Boyer discusses and describe some of the pros/cons and values behind it. How would you enter the debate, right now? Support your response with a quote from Boyer and at least 4 sentences of explanation.
One of the central tensions Boyer discusses is the campuses being torn between focusing on careerism or the goals of liberal learning. I would say a pro to focusing on careerism would be that it would be helpful for people who have picked a major but a con would be it wouldn’t be beneficial for the students who don’t have a plan and kind of need the liberal arts. If I were to enter a debate on this right now I would advocate for the side fighting for a balance of the two because I think that both sides are important and need representation at a school. If I had to pick one side I would probably go for the liberal arts side just because of where I personally am right now I see taking liberal arts courses as the most beneficial.
- What is Boyer’s “Enriched Major” idea, and how does he imagine it as a response to a key tension? Support your response with a quote and at least 3 sentences of explanation.
His enriched major idea is encouraging students to not only explore a field in depth but also to help them put their field of study in perspective. “The major, as it is enriched, will respond to three essential questions: What is the history and tradition of the field to be examined? What are the social and economic implications to be understood? What are the ethical and moral issues to be confronted?” He thinks that by making an enriched major, it will intertwine a major and general education. He also thinks that this will help students to move from depth to breadth and look at things in a larger context.
- “Essential questions.” Boyer lists three things a major has to address, through its coursework, in order to be considered “enriched.” Start looking around the UNE website or course catalog of at least two majors you’re considering. Do they seem to be enriched in the way Boyer describes? Provide evidence.
Majors that seem like a possibility to me are business, communications and english. Yes I would say business is an enriched major because with taking it you could easily find answers to the three enriched major questions. English also could be an enriched major but the answers to the questions may not be as clear as business for example in the social economic way.
