GUEST COLUMNIST: Another look at the new Gen Req

We find Weinberg's proposal for depth in areas distinct from the major very interesting and a worthwhile goal. However, there are problems in constructing a general requirement around this notion. CUE's approach is to free students to have the opportunity to achieve both breadth and depth. The reduction from 10 to four courses, an emphasis on breadth, depth and coherence and the development of thematic clusters of courses are all designed to help students achieve Weinberg's laudable objective without making it a specific requirement. It is CUE's belief that when the talented faculty in SAS begin to develop the courses for which CUE has provided a general framework, exciting and intellectually worthwhile courses will result. Weinberg believes the new courses will be superficial, non-rigorous and will lead to confusion. CUE, on the other hand, has confidence in the ability of faculty to develop an effective program that will engage faculty and students alike and that will achieve or even exceed our objectives for the revised Gen Req. A pilot gives us the opportunity to make curricular decisions based on actual experience rather than theoretical debates. It is impossible in CUE's view to settle in the abstract the debate over discipline-based courses versus interdisciplinary courses. CUE is proposing four interdisciplinary courses -- out of at least 32 that comprise a student's undergraduate curriculum -- that do not currently exist on this campus. Let's try them and see how effective we can make them. The experience will be especially important in the sciences. CUE agrees with Weinberg and his colleagues who argue that we should provide students with the "fundamental physics, chemistry or biology that is absolutely needed to make informed decisions on health and environmental policy." Currently, students can avoid all contact with physics, chemistry and biology at Penn. All students in the pilot program will meet several of these three science disciplines in some depth and in ways that will engage them while at the same time exploring related historical, social, political and ethical issues that are also critical for informed decision making on such issues as health and environmental policy. One of the advantages of CUE's proposal is that it is a genuine trial. And the end date is set. There will be an enormous amount of consultation with the faculty over the five years of the pilot. CUE will not be surprised if the whole structure looks quite different five years from now, as experience will generate improvements. It is CUE's hope that the current General Requirement will also be strengthened as the pilot proceeds. In due course the faculty will make a decision, based on experience, regarding the optimal set of requirements for the College curriculum.