Running head: CASE STUDY #1

Case Study #1: Core Curriculum in Higher Education

Tempris Daniels
Loyola University Chicago

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Analyzing a schools core curriculum can help a student affairs professional gain a better
understanding of what type of institution best fits their practiced needs. The purpose of this case
study was to describe five aspirational institutions in higher education. In this case, the writer
chose five liberal arts colleges within the cities of Chicago, Boston, and New York. Using the
web-based knowledge gained on each institution, the goal is to compare and contrast each
institutions core curriculum while providing evidence, based on classroom readings to support
or challenge the institutions concepts.
Part I. Describe
Augustana College
The first aspirational institution I viewed was Augustana College, a small liberal arts
school located in Rock Island, Illinois. Based on the institutions core curriculum, Augustana
builds their program on an engaged learning experience (Augustana College). The first core
courses for students are the liberal studies classes (LSFY 101, 102, and 103), also considered
first-year composition courses. These courses help students develop their writing skills and form
well-structured arguments. The second core outlined are foreign languages where each student
must complete a college-level foreign language course or demonstrate their proficiency in a
foreign language by testing into a 200 level class. Students are however are exempted from
completing the foreign language requirement if a student fulfilled four years of language in high
school (Augustana College).
The third core is Christian traditions where each student is required to complete one
course throughout their four-year experience at Augustana. Students have the choice of enrolling
in one of the five courses relating to Christian traditions. Scholars have the choice to explore
historical developments, sacred texts, theological claims, ethics, or practices within Western
Christian traditions (Augustana College). The fourth core curriculum requirement is learning

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communities where each student must complete two courses from different academic disciplines.
Examples of learning communities included study aboard experiences, honor courses, and
multiple courses within ones major and/or minor (Augustana College).
Additionally as part of the core curriculum, the fifth core is learning perspectives. As
part of learning perspectives, each student must complete one course from of the following areas,
as well as three additional courses in any area. These learn perspectives include:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Perspectives on the Arts

Perspectives on Human Values and Existence
Perspectives on Individuals and Society
Perspectives on Literature and Texts
Perspectives on the Past
Perspectives on the Natural World.

Many of these perspectives are seen within a students major and minor (Augustana College).
Additionally, while many of these learning perspectives help students fulfill their graduation
requirements, students also must complete suffix requirements. These suffix requirements
include: global perspectives (G), diversity (D), investigative requirement (I), and quantitative
reasoning (Q). Lastly, scholars are also required to complete two physical education courses. It
is important to note that varsity and club sport athletes have the opportunity to earn one credit
through their participation in their perspective sport (Augustana College).
Columbia College Chicago
My second aspirational institution is Columbia College Chicago, a liberal arts and
sciences (LAS) institution. Each undergraduate student must complete the requirements of the
core curriculum, consisting of the following courses in four general areas. The first core is
foundations of communication: knowledge and practices, which includes first-year seminars,
writing and rhetoric I and II, and oral communication courses. The second core is culture,
values, and ethics groups, which consist of courses relating to humanities, literature, and social

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sciences. The third core is historical narratives and civic consciousness, which includes all
history related courses. The final core is the physical and material world, consisting of
mathematics, sciences, and sciences with lab component courses (Columbia College Chicago).
The number of LAS core credits depends on the degree the undergraduate is earning. A
student earning a Bachelor of Arts must complete 42 LAS core credits, a BS student must
complete 39 LAS core credits, and BFA and BMus students must complete 36 LAS core credits.
Additionally, to go along with LAS core requirements, students must complete six LAS courses
at the 2000 level or higher scale, one global awareness (GA) and one U.S. pluralism (PL) course
(Columbia College Chicago).
DePaul University
The third institution I reviewed was DePaul University where their undergraduate core
curriculum consists of two primary components: common core and the six distinct learning
domains (DePaul University). The common core creates milestones for students throughout their
four-year experience. Year one consists of the Chicago quarter, focal point seminars, quantitative
reasoning and technological literacy, and first-year writing. The second year includes a seminar
on multiculturalism in the U.S. and the third-year creates the opportunity for students to become
involved in an experiential learning course. A students senior year is meant as a time for them
to complete their capstone course (DePaul University). In addition, students must complete
courses in each of the six learning domains, which are as follows:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Arts and Literature

Philosophical Inquiry
Religious dimensions
Scientific Inquiry
Social, Society and the Modern World
Understanding the Past.

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All of these areas were chosen as they reflect the liberal arts and sciences curriculum DePaul
University endures for their undergraduate population to receive (DePaul University).
Emerson College
The fourth institution, Emerson College, is located in Boston, Massachusetts. Emersons
goal is to challenge their students to communicate and think with insight, substance, and clarity
(Emerson College). The general education requirements for students include three categories:
foundations, perspectives, and global and U.S. diversity. First, the foundations perspective
thrives to strengthen a students writing and speaking skills where students must complete two
written communication courses and one oral communication course. In addition, a student must
complete one quantitative reasoning course (Emerson College).
The second category is perspectives where scholars practice their understanding of the
physical and social worlds. Students must complete one course from each the following
perspectives: historical, interdisciplinary, ethics and values, aesthetic, literary, social and
psychological, and scientific. The last category is global and U.S. diversity where students gain
a better perspective of social justice topics by completing one global diversity course, one U.S.
diversity course, and one world language course (Emerson College).

Vassar College
The last institution I researched was Vassar College located in Poughkeepsie, New York.
This institution is a coeducational liberal arts college and is highly ranked among liberal arts
colleges in the country (Vassar College). What makes this institution unique is that there is not a
core curriculum and very few requirements for students to meet (Vassar College). However,

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students do chose between 30 departments, 6 interdisciplinary programs, 51 majors, 11

multidisciplinary programs, and 1,000 courses to complete their studies allowing them to explore
any and all of their interests (Vassar College).
Part II. Compare
Each of the five institutions I chose to research, are all institutions that highly impact
undergraduate students. Each institution provides a liberal arts education, offering students the
opportunity to learn and grow. Through their missions and core curriculum, each institution
expresses the fact that they want their students to leave more culturally aware than when they
entered as first-year students. Along with cultural awareness, these institutions strive for their
students to learn superior writing and oral communication skills. The skills these students
develop assist in their ability to become active learners, practicing their problem solving
proficiencies in new environments such as study abroad and within their communication courses
(Bransford, 1999).
In detail, Emerson and Augustana College both express the need for students to engage in
the world through study aboard and/or foreign exchange programs as well as completing foreign
language courses before graduation. Experiences such as these provide internal dialogues,
enhancing a students ability to learn independently and in a way that best appeals to them
(Bransford, 1999). Furthermore Augustana College and DePaul University require religion
courses as part of their core curriculum based on the institutions religious background
affiliation. As said in Bransford (1999), schools and classrooms must be a learner centered
(p.34). Providing religion as part of an institutions core curriculum as well as study aboard
opportunities allows learners to work together versus individually inside and outside of the

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classroom. Reflection within the classroom can create an amazing dynamic and leave a lasting
impression on the students.
Another comparison among institutions is between Columbia College Chicago and
DePaul University where it appears both follow a strong four-year core curriculum timeline for
students. During each year, students have milestones that are completed to help them reach their
graduation requirements. In many ways, this teaches students to see the difference between
information and knowledge (Nilson, 2010, p. 8) by completing the milestones set. Information
can be delivered to students during the academic year but by building off of this information
shows that students understand what they are learning. In large, these institutions along with
Augustana College requires students to complete a capstone project by the completion of senior
year and this project is a chance for students to showcase their knowledge.
The last major comparison between these five institutions is that they are all located in a
major city or no more than a three-hour drive away. What this allows is for the institutions to use
the city they are in to provide even more learning opportunities for students. For example, as
part of the core curriculum, DePaul University requires students to complete a Chicago quarter,
which offers students the chance to discover and explore the City of Chicago. Augustana
Colleges core curriculum allows opportunities for students to discover the Rock Island area as
well as field trips to Chicago to enhance their learning. Vassar College, allows students to
complete internships in the city along with professors travelling with their students to television
studios, theaters, and art galleries to further learn outside of the classroom (Vassar College).
Along with the opportunities to explore a citys offering, technology must also be used to
enhance an institutions core curriculum. Many new technologies are interactive yet none of the
curriculums outlined the use of technology. As read in Bransford (1999), technology allows the

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opportunity for students to learn by doing, to refine their ideas, and build new knowledge.
Technology seems to be part of possible new curricula goals for institutions but does not seem to
be a pressing matter, for the liberal arts school listed.
Part III. Contrast
With institutional comparisons come differences that make each school unique and
attracting a certain population of scholars. Augustana College seemed to be the only institution
researched with such a lengthy core curriculum involving many different aspects of education
including writing, foreign language, arts, and humanities to name a few. More importantly, this
institution requires multiple classes in many of these learning perspectives outlined above,
allowing the opportunity for students to double major. With such a lengthy core curriculum, one
may doubt the effectiveness of the curriculum. As stated in Fink (2003), colleges need to
assemble good curriculum, good instruction and good faculty who can interact well with
students (p.9). What does it mean to have a good curriculum? Does having a good curriculum
suggest a lengthy website page or can it mean one paragraph explaining the core curriculum
requirements?
Columbia is unalike Augustana College where a students LAS core curriculum credit
requirement is based on what degree they are earning. A Bachelor of Arts student must earn six
more core credits than a BMus student. This type of requirement steers a student to declare their
major sooner rather than later in order to complete the required amount of core credits.
Additionally, DePaul University speaks about their liberal arts curriculum and the fact that it is
not discipline-based. DePaul hopes students can make the connections between their different
courses and apply it to their discipline. This seems to be different from other institutions that
connect students majors/minors with their core curriculum. Among all the credits earned by

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students, what is missing is the answer to what makes learning significant. Students can earn any
amount of credits asked of them but as an institution we must show students how these courses
help them learn about themselves (Fink, 2003).
Based off of the core curriculum information given, Emerson seemed to be the only
institution offering waivers for multiple general education requirement based off a students
SAT/ACT exam score and/or high school coursework. This is not to say other institutions do not
offer exemptions (as seen by Augustana and their foreign language department), but Emerson
makes exemption opportunities very clear as part of their core curriculum. Alongside this fact,
Nilson (2010) says that millennial students view higher education as an expensive yet necessary
consumer good. Education is not a privilege earned by hard work and outstanding performance.
Based off of Nilsons statement, students may look to receive a waiver for a class because they
are looking at the end goal rather than the process it takes to get there.
Finally Vassar College is completely fascinating where there is not a core curriculum.
This institution is known for producing fantastic students and they achieve this goal without a
core curriculum. Nilson (2010) describes the many ways people learn and one of these includes
one learning better when the material evokes emotional and not just intellectual or physical
involvement (p.4). Vassar College seems to want that emotional response from their students
but it seems risky for students to have no core curriculum to review. The hope is that the lack of
curriculum sparks students to become driven, show their emotions, and gives them the freedom
to choose their own path for their four-year education. Their communitys technique simply
opens the mind of their students to explore.
As one compares and contrasts the core curriculum of five institutions, it is important to
note that while research of these institutions has happened, assessment of each core curriculum

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has not occurred. This makes it challenging to determine if one or all of these institutions has a
supportive core curriculum for their students. This is a major gap in the research. Assessing a
students growth is one way to measure the failures or successes of the curriculum (Bransford,
1999). In the end, assessment will also allow the opportunity for institutions to receive feedback,
revise, and enhance the core curriculum for students.

References
Augustana College, (n.d.) Explore the liberal arts core curriculum. Retrieved January 19, 2015,
from http://www.augustana.edu/academics/core/advising/advising-tools-forstudents/explore-curriculum

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11

Bransford, J. D., Brown, A. L., & Cocking, R. R. (Eds.) (1999). How People Learn: Brain,
Mind, Experience, and School. Washington, DC: National Academy Press
Columbia College Chicago, (n.d.) LAS core curriculum. Retrieved January 19, 2015, from
http://www.colum.edu/academics/las-core-curriculum/#core-requirements
DePaul University, (n.d.) Core curriculum. Retrieved January 19, 2015, from
http://academics.depaul.edu/liberal-studies/first-year-program/Pages/chicago-quarter.aspx
Emerson College, (n.d.) General education requirements. Retrieved January 19, 2015, from
http://www.emerson.edu/academics/academic-services/academic-advising-center/generaleducation-requirements#Gen%20Ed.%20At%20a%20Glance
Fink, L.D. (2003). Creating significant learning experiences: An integrated approach to
developing college courses. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Nilson, L.B. (2010). Teaching at Its Best: A Research-Based Resource for College Instructors.
San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. (Ch. 2).
Vassar College, (n.d.) Vassar admissions. Retrieved January 19, 2015, from
http://admissions.vassar.edu