Cynthia A. Wells - Realizing General Education: Reconsidering Conceptions and Renewing Practice: Aehe Volume 42, Number 2

Realizing General Education: Reconsidering Conceptions and Renewing Practice
Cynthia A. Wells
ASHE Higher Education Report: Volume 42, Number 2
Kelly Ward, Lisa E. WolfWendel, Series Editors

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ISSN 15516970 electronic ISSN 15546306 ISBN 9781119244653

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The ASHE Higher Education Report Series is sponsored by the Association for the Study of Higher Education (ASHE), which provides an editorial advisory board of ASHE members.

• Amy Bergerson
  University of Utah
• Bryan Brayboy
  Arizona State University
• Ryan Gildersleeve
  University of Denver
• Michael Harris
  Southern Methodist University
• Elizabeth Jones
  Holy Family University
• Adrianna Kezar
  University of Southern California
• Kevin Kinser
  SUNY Albany
• Peter Magolda
  Miami University of Ohio
• Dina C. Maramba
  SUNY Binghamton
• Susan Marine
  Merrimack College
• Christopher Morphew
  University of Iowa
• Robert Palmer
  SUNY Binghamton
• Michael Paulsen
  University of Iowa
• Todd Ream
  Taylor University
• Barbara Tobolowsky
  University of Texas at Arlington
• Carolyn Thompson
  University of Missouri, Kansas City
• Diane Wright
  Florida Atlantic University

General education is frequently heralded as distinctive to U.S. higher education. Colleges and universities tout the value of a general education in their mission statements and catalogues. The importance placed on a general education in the context of U.S. higher education bears out in that approximately one third of the typically 120 credits for the bachelor's degree in the United States consist of general education requirements (Lattuca & Stark, 2014). General education also has a long and contested history; moreover, it has experienced multiple periods of renewal over the course of that history (Boyer & Levine, 1981; Trowbridge, 1958). Greater comprehension of this muddled history and its imprint on varied philosophical and programmatic ideals in the present are vital to realizing the aims of general education.

In spite of seeming reverence for general education, there is little consensus as to what we actually mean by general education. Some argue that general education is about introducing specific subjects, whereas others point out that college graduates should share certain fundamental skills. Still another viewpoint is that essential texts are requisite to a general education. Differing perspectives not only make it challenging to consider the significance of general education but also open it up to a wide range of determinations regarding its effectiveness.

Beyond disagreement, general education is both resisted and resented in the current context. Questions are frequently raised about the point of general education, particularly but not exclusively among parents and students. General education is often considered something to get out of the way rather than a worthy end in and of itself or even a means to enriching the experience of earning the undergraduate degree.

General education is also implicated in much of the broader criticism facing higher education. Critique revolves around the lack of attention to questions of meaning (Kronman, 2007). General education is at the center of critique regarding the quality of student learning (Arum & Roksa, 2011; Donoghue, 2008; Keeling & Hersh, 2012). Concerns have also been voiced about fragmentation within the educational experience as well as disconnect between the academy and the societal context (Taylor, 2010). Revitalizing general education is often positioned as a means to addressing these concerns.

Our conceptions of and aspirations for general education are consequential in advancing the effective preparation of college and university graduates in the twentyfirst century. General education raises important queries of individual and social significance and influences how we respond to appeals for accountability, including the affordability and value of higher education.

This monograph is grounded in the premise that general education indeed matters but that divergent and largely implicit conceptions limit our ability to effectively navigate general education. While achieving consensus on the ideals of a general education is too lofty a goal, disentangling the divergent conceptions that hinder renewal and advancing a broader frame for comprehension are vital steps toward realizing the aims of a general education.

My contention is that general education represents a way of framing the notion that there is something valuable about an education that empowers individuals and gets at something larger than any single academic discipline. This conception is intentionally expansive, reflecting the fact that general education involves a variety of outcomes that can be achieved in different contexts and through a number of educational strategies. General education prescribes particular lenses for curriculum and educational practice while simultaneously encompassing a wide number of ideals, models, and programs.

Various conceptions of general education evolved over the course of the complex history of higher education in the United States. This monograph surveys this history, emphasizing the connection between general education and broader social and educational dynamics. By understanding the wide range of ideals espoused for general education and how they emerged over the past three hundred years, educational leaders will be better prepared to navigate the complexity of the present.