National Curriculum for College Education

By: Keilah Long
The education in the United States for college education is different in any region you may visit. Some regions may have liberal arts or vocational curriculum while others may be a comprehensive university. College itself encompasses three types: community, liberal arts, or a college within a university. With the many different types of colleges and curriculums in place across the nation, one would believe that they all should be on one curriculum. This begs the question, would a national curriculum be beneficial to college education?

Currently in the US there is no national curriculum in place. Most states and national associations recommend or implement standards for college education. With this in mind, there is really nothing in place to control what exactly students are learning in college. The university system is very decentralized and the states maintain administration of public universities and community colleges. Most states tailor their curriculum around the region they’re in while abiding by the standards for college education. The current curriculum for many colleges across the US has had the same basic courses that were used as far back as the 17^th century. As the US is evolving and centralizing, the college curriculum should revamp itself also.

The US has slowly been centralizing many of its transportation systems, broadcasting systems, publishers, and textbook manufactures. “In American life as a whole there are many centralizing tendencies that influence education” (Punke 345). As the US centralizes its railroads and television networks, when will college education be the next centralizing trend? “To assume that educational instructions at any level can stand apart from such national developments is to assume that they will be isolated­- and ignored” (Punke 346). While the US is centralizing its different features, the legal developments seem to be siding with a national curriculum.

Some legal developments have promoted a centralizing movement not only with college education but primary education. Mainly the legislation that has been passed relates more with salary, school terms, lunch programs, grants for buildings, teacher’s certification, and different state aids. Harold Punke noted in National Curriculum that:

“With the setting up of junior colleges we are seeing the merger of counties or perhaps the beginnings of regional consolidation… The importance of regionalism depends partly on the extent of regional control and support, as compared with state control, of institutions that serve on a regional basis.”

(344)

With community colleges in place along with universities and liberal arts colleges, one can conclude that all the colleges should centralize their curriculums.

            Community colleges are a place where you can achieve an associate’s degree or prepare yourself to transfer to a four-year college. Community college’s curriculum is either career based or continuing to a university, which may or may not benefit the student. While some students are fine after achieving their associate’s degree, the other students have to deal with transferring their credits that they’ve already received to an institution that may or may not use those courses as prerequisite. The lack of a national curriculum hinders the transfer as they look to achieve a bachelor’s degree.

            At one of the best schools in the country, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, they receive an influx of transfers every year. Some transfers only completed one year while most have received their associate’s degree. When the transfers meet with their advisors, they come to the sad reality that some or most of the courses aren’t prerequisite that their major needs. They are stuck to either take summer classes for the next two years or stay extra years in order to complete their bachelor’s degree. This not only is an inconvenience for the student but also is very expensive, especially after completing two years at a community college.

            A national curriculum would benefit the transfer and other students achieving a bachelor’s degree by having the same courses for the first two years across the nation. “The two-year general-college curriculum does offer a desirable common background for all students at a university, in whatever division they may be planning to continue their education, there is no reason to restrict it to a single university…the two year general-college curriculum [can] be the minimum requirement for entrance into any of the degree-conferring divisions of a university.” (Chambers 140) With a national curriculum in place across the nation transfers, would not be compelled to only apply to universities close to the community college but could apply anywhere their degree plan may take them.

            Besides the benefit of transfers alone, a national curriculum can benefit students all around. A national curriculum for colleges can help students who may be unsure of where they may be heading in life. The first two years can be used as a “finding yourself” moment where students can see what they may want to do for the rest of their lives. With all the prerequisites the same for the first two years, students can use this time to make sure they really want to major in their specific division. L.P. Chambers supports the need of a national curriculum in A General-College Curriculum by stating:

“The student needs not merely a few contacts with subjects outside his ‘area of concentration,’ but a well rounded picture of his physical and social environment- especially the latter, for one cannot understand the events of his day or evaluate the policies of his government unless he knows the historical, social, economic, and psychological backgrounds of political events.”

(135)

            “Centralization of the curriculum assumes that centralization is undesirable- that unwholesome domination by the federal government will follow. There is little evidence to show that such ‘dominance’ has been contrary to the educational welfare of children-if one looks at school lunches, school buildings, [and] teacher evaluations.” (Punke 347) Making a national curriculum would not be hurting the student’s quest to receiving their bachelor’s degree, but helping them by centralizing all two-year courses across the nation to better the education for college students.

Works Cited

Chambers, L. P. "A General-College Curriculum." The Journal of Higher Education 18.3 (1947): 135-40. JSTOR. Web. 30 Mar. 2015

Punke, Harold H. "National Curriculum." The Elementary School Journal 68.7 (1968): 343-48. JSTOR. Web. 30 Mar. 2015.