Raleigh, NC — The James G. Martin Center for Academic Renewal is proud to announce the release of its latest publication, Blueprint for Reform: General Education. This comprehensive guide provides a detailed roadmap for revitalizing general education programs in colleges and universities, emphasizing the need for a coherent, content-rich curriculum that prepares students to be informed citizens and rigorous thinkers.
In today’s rapidly changing society, where disciplinary specialization dominates, general education stands as a crucial counterbalance, fostering a shared cultural and intellectual foundation. However, as the publication outlines, many current general education programs are falling short. They often lack structure and content, focusing instead on generic skills, which can lead to fragmented and inadequate student learning experiences.
Blueprint for Reform: General Education challenges this status quo by presenting a model curriculum designed to equip students with essential knowledge in history, literature, philosophy, civics, and science. The publication advocates for a return to a liberal arts-focused general education that deeply engages students with the key ideas, events, and cultural traditions that have shaped Western civilization, particularly the United States.
“General education, when done right, is more than just a series of courses; it is the intellectual backbone of higher education,” said Jenna Robinson, President of the Martin Center. “Our blueprint provides clear and actionable recommendations to ensure that general education programs fulfill their vital role in preparing students for the responsibilities of citizenship and the challenges of the modern world.”
The publication includes practical steps for policymakers, university boards, and faculty committees to reform general education programs. These recommendations include:
- Implementing a university-wide policy adopting a liberal arts-focused general education curriculum.
- Limiting the number of courses that count toward general education requirements to ensure a coherent education.
- Eliminating courses based on “diversity, equity, and inclusion” (DEI) or “critical race theory” (CRT) as general education requirements.
Blueprint for Reform: General Education is now available for download here. For more information or to schedule an interview with one of the authors, please contact Shannon Watkins at 919-828-1400 or swatkins@jamesgmartin.center.