The Status of General Education in the Year 2000: Summary of a National Survey.

Overview & Synopsis

This report summarizes the result of a survey of undergraduate general education in a national sample of colleges and universities. It was conducted during 2000 through two electronic surveys; one of chief academic officers and a second directed to the administrator most responsible for day-to-day administration of a general education program. Responses were received from 279 chief academic officers and 200 general education administrators. One of the most surprising findings was that general education remains a high priority item on the majority of campuses, with 57% of the responding institutions currently conducting a formal review of the general education program, and 43% planning a review in the next year. Over the last 10 years, general education has increased as an educational priority. General education reforms of the past decade have resulted in a variety of new approaches, including increased interest in thematic programs. In spite of the high level of interest in general education from campus and external sources, there is little evidence that academic leaders have made many advances in developing shared educational values and embedding them in the life of the institution. Students often display a preference for specialized study, and the advance of general education is slowed by the organization and values of the academy itself. An appendix contains a profile of responding institutions. (Contains 14 references.) (SLD)