Professors John T. McGreevy and Gregory Crawford, chairs of the Core Curriculum Review Committee at the University of Notre Dame, have published a letter in The Observer, Notre Dame's campus newspaper, explaining the process underway for reviewing the University's core curriculum. The letter also invites students to express their thoughts on what should be included.
Importantly, the letter clarifies what has -- and has not -- occurred so far. The Professors note:
No recommendations for any change, let alone decisions on whether to implement recommendations, have yet been made. The committee plans to issue a draft report in fall 2015 based on its analysis of the ideas and feedback gathered, at which point the conversation will continue as the entire University community responds to the assessments and recommendations presented in that working document.
What has begun is the search for answers. How can Notre Dame as a Catholic university prepare and inspire undergraduates to serve their families, their communities and the global society, including the Church? What do our students most need to know to prepare for life after college? How best can Notre Dame instantiate its Catholic identity in the core curriculum, engaging and inspiring as many faculty and students as possible? How can we develop a curriculum that embodies the Catholic idea of the unity of knowledge across disciplines? How do we challenge students coming to Notre Dame with increasingly strong and sophisticated backgrounds in areas as diverse as math and history? Should we permit Advanced Placement testing, and if so, how? Who should teach entry-level courses, and why?
The Committee will issue a preliminary report in the Fall of 2015, "at which point," write the Professors, "the conversation will continue as the entire University community responds to the assessments and recommendations presented in that working document."
For additional information about Notre Dame's Curriculum Review, see the official University web site.
