The Global Core… It’s Nebulous!
After picking up on the vaguely changed Major Cultures requirement last week, we inquired with the good folks at the Committee on the Core to figure out what exactly we have to do to get this one out of the way. Profs. Patricia Grieve and Roosevelt Montas (the subject of an interesting profile here) had this to say:
“The immediate change to the ‘Major Cultures’ requirement, besides the change in name, is the revised mission statement — which reflects more accurately the educational goals of the requirement — and the elimination of the A, B, and C course lists in favor of one single list of approved Global Core courses. These changes, which the Committee on Major Cultures and the Committee on the Core instituted in the spring, are preliminary steps to a more comprehensive review of the requirement. That review will begin this fall, and will involve extensive consultations with departments, faculty, and students. For the moment, however, what we have achieved is the elimination of some clumsy bureaucracy and the laying out in broad outline where we want to go with the requirement — namely, towards a more cogent offering of seminars that parallel the depth and rigor of Literature Humanities and Contemporary Civilization. The existing courses in Latin American Humanities and African Civilizations provide useful models of the direction in which we want to proceed.”
Could that mean that no Global Core class will have prerequisites?
Bwog asked for further clarification, and learned that while courses that currently have prereqs, like language courses, will continue to require them — but that otherwise, the A, B and C list classes don’t have to be taken in sequence. “The intention of the requirement is to have a mix of students of different disciplines and interests, as we have in Lit Hum and CC, and so it is my sense that we would want to include many courses that do not have prerequisites,” wrote Grieve.
But don’t get comfortable with however things end up this fall — everything is likely to change again as the system gets revamped.
Oh, also, the broken class list link will be restored slightly before school starts.
Tags: academics, core curriculum, global core, major cultures
12 August 2008 @ 8:55 AM · 17 comments
on 
I told you it sounds like bullshit.
that doesn’t sound toooo bad…though it does screw over people who went to all the trouble of obeying the correct order, all in one discipline. Seems like you’ll be able to do any old thing now.
To me, this sounds better. But what appears better in theory isn’t necessarily better in practice, I’m aware. It’s hard to tell for now.
all they have really done is made major cultures, i mean “global core,” an easier requirement… wasn’t that the opposite of what the point was…
oh, and Lat Hum is a joke… so i hope they don’t use it for too much of a model
LAT HUM?! AF CIV?!
Good God, what about ASIAN HUMANITIES, the original MC course which has been around for 50 years and which IS a direct counterpart to LH and CC.
i agree. Asian Hum was amazing. Best MC class. ever.
I am so excited for Asian hum next semester
Man, I sure am glad those guys went on a strike (of a hunger variety) for this.
“Bwog asked for further clarification, and learned that while courses that currently have prereqs, like language courses, will continue to require them — but that otherwise, the A, B and C list classes don’t have to be taken in sequence.”
pls fix
i just wish they’d offer a few more sections of art and music hum.
harvey dent = lee bollinger
Lest anyone forget, the hunger strike didn’t actually bring about this change, which was already under discussion. All the hunger strike did was move up announcement a bit. In fact, the hunger strike accomplished nothing, and it’s important to recognize that if you’re a crazy person who’s planning something similar.
dammit, now I have nothing to keep myself busy this semester. maybe achmed will come to town…
is a god on Earth.
If someone has to revamp the core, I’m glad it’s him.
Roosevelt Montas is amazing!!!! Goooo Montas!!!! He is definately up there with Gulati and PrezBo and such as a professor that students love :)
a class on the benefits of colonialism? Highlight some of the great things it has done such as giving India the educational system it needed to rise to the prominence it has. Or how it gives a bunch of talentless hacks like mercer and his ilk a major since they don’t have the mental capacity to study anything of real value or difficulty? God I’m so glad I’m out of there. Amazing how CU actually enforces prejudice by shoving bullshit down your throat like those hunger striking bastards did.
YES. does this apply to class of 09?