New curriculum a problem

With senior course registration approaching, advisers are discovering some problems with the new general education curriculum implemented in 2006.

Some members of the senior class — the first to graduate under the curriculum — are having trouble completing certain requirements, including an interdisciplinary component for which there are few available courses.

Academic advisers are working with seniors to make sure they are able to graduate on time — even without completing certain general education requirements exactly as written.

Students graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree from the College of Arts and Sciences or a Bachelor of Science in psychology are required under the new curriculum to complete three courses above the 199 level outside of their majors’ division. The divisions are fine arts, humanities, natural sciences and mathematics, and social and behavioral sciences.

Seniors, many of whom have put off the requirement, are particularly struggling to find fine arts classes that work.

Carolyn Cannon, associate dean for academic advising, said students who have not fulfilled the fine arts requirement can consult with academic advisers to choose a course below the 200 level if no other options exist.

Part of the difficulty in fulfilling the requirement is that only three fine arts departments exist: music, art and dramatic art. Many of those classes have few seats or have a prerequisite.

Academic advisers are working with seniors to ensure requirements are filled before graduation.

 “In situations where students are in their last semester and cannot fulfill the requirement based on their knowledge of classes that are available, they can go to their advisers and find a class that can serve as an alternative,” said Dee Reid, communications director for the College of Arts and Sciences.

Bobbi Owen, senior associate dean for undergraduate education, said administrators are unsure of the scope of students who are having difficulty meeting graduation requirements.

“We won’t really know what the problem is until seniors start registering for classes for the spring semester,” Owen said. “We would work with students who can’t graduate in May to find an option.”

Many seniors said they were frustrated about having to take courses outside their majors that sometimes conflict with their schedules.

“I understand what they’re trying to do as far as getting a diverse background with these general education requirements, but it’s a definite hindrance on taking classes that you need,” said Brittany Johnson, a senior history major.

Leslie Taylor, a senior English major in a class that meets the fine arts requirement, said the availability of classes often forces students to take inconvenient courses.

“I’m taking a God-awful class that I don’t even like because it was one of the only ones that would fit my schedule,” Taylor said. “I was worried there wouldn’t be a class I could take next semester because there’s a limited number of upper-level classes that fulfill the requirement.”

Seniors in some schools, including the School of Education and the School of Journalism and Mass Communication, are not required to take the supplemental courses, even if they are double-majoring in the College, advisers said.

Owen said the University has found the supplemental courses effective, despite minor issues this year. The curriculum will undergo a systematic review in fall 2010.

“We expect to make some adjustments in areas where it’s not working in the way we intended,” Owen said.



Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.