The Evolution of the Gen-Ed Curriculum

Maksim Malukoff

HUMN 220

Blog #1 

The article discussed the history of the Western Civilization course and its impact on educational philosophies. The rise and fall of encapsulates the issue of what are the most important things to learn in school. In the 1960’s, following years of acceptance of the Western Civilization general education requirement, the debate resurfaced over “what, precisely, was the body of historical knowledge that all men should know.” (pg. 723). Part of the problem was that the best professors did not want to spend their time with general education courses; rather, they preferred to focus on the high-end work in their respective fields. This combined with a resurgence of the “curricular do as you please” attitude led to the fall of the Western Civilization course.

            

The article raises some interesting questions relevant to Geneseo students, especially those of us currently enrolled in Humanities. Is studying the humanities truly important for all Geneseo students pursuing any degree? Science and math majors (I am a math major myself) in particular may object to this requirement, but I believe that the skills learned in HUMN 1 and 2 will pay off in the long run for any degree. The question I mentioned earlier about the body of knowledge that everyone should know is a very subjective question. There is too much literature, history and culture available to study that it is impossible for everyone to have the same universal foundation of knowledge. However, the skills that HUMN teaches students can be a binding factor that all young scholars should have. Critical reading, critical thinking and writing are all skills that are emphasized when studying the humanities. Regardless of your major, it is difficult to argue that these skills aren’t important.

            

One reason why the humanities works well as a general education requirement at Geneseo is because teachers from a variety of disciplines teach the course. The article mentioned the difficulty of professors from different fields working together to establish an interdisciplinary general education course. At Geneseo, professors from multiple fields teach the humanities in their own unique way. I think that this relates to the original purpose of the Western Civilization course at Columbia, to incorporate “other fields of knowledge into a panoramic overview of the process of civilization.” (707).

           

  Regardless of your major or how you feel about the literature in HUMN, the skills that you learn are invaluable for students and I think it makes sense as a general education requirement. HUMN involves a unique analysis of classical literature and it provides insight into the history and evolution of civilization.