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CHAPTER
22
Breaking Traditions in
CU'TiCUlUm Design
C. Eugene Allen
Diana G. Oblinger, Rapporteur
In this discussion on breaking traditions in curriculum design, 1
plan to share some observations, raise some questions, and chal-
lenge us to think about some improved ways of designing and
delivering a curriculum that is appropriate for the challenges of this
decade. it is not the purpose of this chapter to provide a literature
review on curriculum development.
This is a decade that has acquired many labels that are relevant
to undergraduate education. Some of the following terms have
been used to describe this era: the information age, the global and
international era, the biological age, the decade of the undergradu-
ate, and the environmental decade. Each of these labels implies
that there are educational needs to be addressed. When agricul-
ture passed from the labor to the mechanical era and then from the
mechanical to the chemical era, it was necessary to make numer-
ous adjustments to the agricultural curriculum. This decade, with
its multiple advances and challenges, will tax our abilities to ad-
equately prepare undergraduates for the complexities of the world
in which they will live and work. The recognition of this fact and
what we plan to do about it are the basic reasons for the national
conference.
Bringing About Change
Observations at my own institution and others have led me to
conclude that bringing about a major change in courses and cur-
riculum at the undergraduate level is similar to confronting death,
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BREAKING TRADITIONS IN CURRICULUM DESIGN
but unfortunately, in the curriculum area, even the seriously ill fre-
quently hang on and achieve another birthday. If this is as com-
monplace as I suspect it is across many disciplines and colleges,
then the problem of adequately addressing undergraduate educa-
tion is made even more serious. When the world around us is
rapidly evolving, it seems appropriate that our curricula must do
the same.
Kenneth Christiansen of The Defiance College (Defiance' Ohio)
has brought a perspective to curriculum change that seems helpful
(Christiansen, 1988, 1989). In working with curriculum change and
studying the feelings that were a part of it, he concluded that cur-
riculum change is an "emotional as well as an intellectual process."
As such, the emotional feelings are part of the normal reactions to
grief over the loss of familiar ways. Christiansen (1988, 1989) ad-
vises that administrators working with the emotional part of curricu-
lum change can assist the process by understanding the three stages
of Grief work" described by Eric Lindemann (1944). These have
been summarized (Christianson, 1988, 1989) as follows:
1. Give up the past. Form a realistic view of what was lost by
talking with another about the conflicts and pain of losing the past.
2. Build a realistic picture of the present. Understand that noth-
ing is definite or enduring. Change is natural. Curriculum must
change as times, knowledge, students, and needs change.
3. Form new relationships for the future. Focus ahead. Decide
how personal, professional, and institutional needs wild be met.
I have found this linkage to the grieving process to be useful in
more fully understanding some of my own successes and failures
in changing what 1 do or in working with course and curriculum
changes either as a faculty member or a college dean. With this in
mind, it should not be surprising that there are deep emotions tied
to the curriculum because of ownership and what has become
accepted as The way it is done., In this sense, the changing of
curriculum really is challenging a tradition with the idea that some-
thing different could be better. Such a challenge can easily put
many faculty in a very defensive mode. In 1984, when I was
interviewing for the position of dean of the College of Agriculture, I
was asked what 1 would do if I had one wish as a new dean. My
response was that I would have a button that could eliminate all
courses and the college curriculum each decade. The reason for
this response was to be able to do something meaningful in rede-
signing the curriculum and that this could best be done when fac-
ulty are in an offensive rather than a defensive mode. My assump-
tion was that if there was no curriculum to defend, then everyone
would be more likely to contribute to the vision for the new curricu-
lum. After becoming dean, this concept became known as the
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AGRICULTURE AND THE UNDERGRADUATE
Dean's Sunset Wish," and from this evolved Project Sunrise in the
College of Agriculture at the University of Minnesota. The term
sunrise was chosen to depict a new day or a new curriculum.
Project Sunrise was funded by the Kellogg Foundation and resulted
in some significant changes in curriculum, how faculty teach, and
how the college's majors are structured. For example, there is
much more emphasis on active learning, decision-case studies, in-
terdisciplinary approaches, the need for breadth in undergraduate
education, and the way that student advising is done. (Additional
details about this project can be obtained by writing to the Dean,
College of Agriculture, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN 55108.)
Curriculum Content Issues
The Project Sunrise experience and other experiences as a fac-
ulty member, administrator, and external program reviewer at other
institutions have led me to the following observations and conclu-
sions about undergraduate curricula, majors, faculty attitudes, and
education needs in general. The first of these addresses issues
relevant to the content of the curriculum.
· Too many faculty at research universities view the needs of
the undergraduate primarily from a discipline point of view rather
than recognizing the equally important aspects of interdisciplinary
education. Undergraduates should be viewed as future alumni who
will pursue multiple careers in their lifetimes, rather than as future
professors who devote their entire careers to the narrow confines
of a disciplinary area or subdiscipline. Only a small percentage of
undergraduates will work in the narrow confines of a discipline for
most or all of their careers.
· In too many departments and colleges, the primary changes
that occur in courses and the curriculum are determined by who is
retiring and who is hired. With the rapid expansion in new informa-
tion, this is an increasingly unacceptable way to shape the curricu-
lum. There is a need to more widely recognize that everything
cannot be taught in an undergraduate program, but that certain
concepts and principles must be taught as part of an appropriate
foundation for present and future learning that is a part of how we
define an Educated person." Among these "musts" I would include
as examples the areas of communication skills, problem solving,
cross-cultural understanding, important disciplinary concepts, and
sufficient grounding in liberal arts and interdisciplinary courses to
serve as a foundation for further personal or professional growth by
the individual.
· The liberal arts and general education requirements of the cur-
riculum should not be viewed just as requirements but as ways that
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BREAKING TRADITIONS IN CURRICULUM D=iGN
truly enhance the intellectual growth of the individual. These courses
should include not only the important aspects of the social, physi-
cal, and biological sciences, as well as the humanities, but also
interdisciplinary courses that address major societal or world is-
sues. in the latter regard, this is a natural way to improve rel-
evancy and to involve faculty from professional and liberal arts
colleges in jointly taught interdisciplinary classes. With some cre-
ative efforts by faculty, fewer students would view these courses
as Just requirements toward a degree," and it would also serve to
demonstrate the necessity of multiple considerations in addressing
complex, real-world issues.
· The courses that may be most critical to setting the stage for
an undergraduate education are not necessarily the introductory-
level courses for a number of departments or disciplines. in other
words, the sum of a series of disciplinary courses is not, in my
view, equal, for general education purposes, to a few well-struc-
tured interdisciplinary courses that integrate material from a variety
of disciplines. For example, an interdisciplinary course(s) on world
food and hunger taught in an integrated way by faculty from differ-
ent disciplines and taken by students from many majors should be
a very different experience from the sum of disciplinary courses on
introduction to food science, field crop production, and economic
aspects of food distribution. These disciplinary courses may also
be important to the curriculum, but in general, they would not be
appropriate for the broader integrated understanding that many people
believe is increasingly important.
· Improving the communications skills of undergraduates in all
areas is a very high priority of many employers, and it is a respon-
sibility that must be visible in many parts of the curriculum rather
than just in a few courses offered by the English, speech, or rheto-
ric departments. Improving our communications skills comes from
repetition that has the benefit of a helpful critique. When the cur-
riculum does not emphasize communications and computer skills
across the curriculum or in many courses, it seriously reduces the
chances for improvement through practice. Likewise, when faculty
require no essay test questions or give full credit when students
use sloppy grammar, they are reinforcing poor communications
habits. Research papers, oral presentations in class, student class-
room discussions and debates, organizational activities, and labo-
ratory or field trip reports are some of the ways that communica-
tions skills can be given some attention beyond the few credits that
may be required in the curriculum. Finally, it goes without saying
that any undergraduate today who is not at least semicomfortable
with using a computer at the time of graduation will probably be at
an immediate disadvantage.
· in general, our educational system from the elementary to the
doctoral levels places a high premium on individual accomplish
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AGRICULTURE AND TfJE UNDERGRADUATE
meets. However, we increasingly hear that there is a need for
employees to work as teams or in cooperative ventures that ac-
complish an organizational goal. This need should not be lost on
how we teach or how we structure some classroom or laboratory
activities. Some group projects can be built into the curriculum and
can range from relatively simple to much more complex and time-
consuming tasks or projects. There is a need for appropriate struc-
turing and monitoring, but when they are done well, group projects
can be a very positive addition and a stimulating and different kind
of learning experience.
· There needs to be more integration of significant issues into
the regular courses of the curriculum. Examples from issues like
water quality, food safety, animal welfare, global markets, climatic
effects, government policies, ethics, and the impacts of new tech-
nologies can frequently be integrated into regular courses as highly
relevant considerations, even though these subjects may be entire
courses by themselves. Such a practice helps to tie courses to-
gether and to demonstrate that most significant issues cannot be
solved by simple answers.
From these examples, I have tried to address some curriculum
issues that pertain to content and philosophy. In considering such
issues, one should always be mindful of questions like the follow-
ing:
· What are the highest priorities and goals for students in this
curriculum?
· How can this curriculum be improved to meet the lifelong per-
sonal and professional learning needs of the students who are en-
rolled?
· What is the feedback from alumni and the employers of our
graduates about this curriculum?
Process Items in Curriculum Revision
Next, I will address some issues that seem relevant to the pro-
cess of bringing about curriculum change. We can have the best
ideas around, but if we cannot get them incorporated or imple-
mented, then they can only be discussed rather than tested. Too
often, good ideas are never tested because the process for imple-
mentation and sustaining the change is inadequate for the chal-
lenges that must be addressed.
· Major curriculum change is sometimes approached in a revolu-
tionary rather than an evolutionary way. My sense is that although
revolutionary change may be needed, there is a significant chance
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E3REAKING TRADITIONS IN CURRICULUM DESIGN
of failure if a sufficient number of faculty have not bought into the
changes in a sufficient way to sustain them. Two points can be
made. First, getting people to buy in takes time, and saving time at
the beginning may destine the curriculum change for failure either
in the short or long term. Second, fewer revolutionary changes are
necessary if a meaningful evolutionary process Is in place and is
operating each year. A revolutionary process is usually necessi-
tated when meaningful evolution in curriculum is absent. In this
situation, even small curriculum changes may be difficult. Further-
more, it is difficult to imagine an administrator or administrative
team that can change the curriculum in the absence of significant
faculty support. The key is how one gets the faculty to buy into the
need for change, determine the process to be used, and develop or
take ownership of the concepts that are to be incorporated into the
curriculum.
· Creative group thinking and brainstorming about many issues,
including undergraduate curriculum and education, are affected by
the people, the surroundings, the timing in relation to other issues,
and the time allowed for the discussion. it is for this reason that
the department or college conference room seems to be such an
ineffective place to achieve creative group thinking, at least in the
beginning of the process. In this regard, I believe that a significant
part of the success of Project Sunrise must be attributed to a few
very productive joint faculty and administrative retreats that were
held off campus with the specific purpose of discussing various
dimensions of this project. These retreats were a critical part of
bringing many people ton board" and developing a collective vision
of where we were going.
· Picking the right people to lead the curriculum change effort is
a critical first step. Even though there may be a great temptation
for the leadership on such a project to come out of the dean's
office, I believe that there is a more ideal model. There is always a
significant risk that if the leadership is from the dean's office, it will
become the "dean's project" rather than a more widely adopted
"college curriculum project." it should not be difficult for the dean
to pick key and respected faculty, a few interested students or
recent alumni, and one or two key administrators to serve on the
curriculum revision committee. The dean and the deans office can
then serve by providing a vision for revision, by inspiring and sup-
porting the committee so that this vision expands throughout the
college, and then by serving to challenge the committee and other
faculty to achieve certain goals. The dean must also be a cheer-
leader for the change and set sufficiently high standards so that
what is done makes a read improvement for the customer, which, of
course, is the student. in bringing this about, the following thoughts
may be useful. Remember that:
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AGRICULTURE AND THE UNDERGRADUATE
1. Most faculty are very proud and, as such, will not fol-
low someone on a committee whom they do not respect.
Therefore, this committee should consist of the most re-
spected faculty who are involved in undergraduate teaching.
2. Although many faculty do not like to be told by their
peers or administrators that it is time for some change, they
are frequently more willing to listen to respected alumni
and key employers of their students. The input and interest
of such key groups should be sought early in the process.
3. The dean or whoever appoints the curriculum revision
committee must be an avid supporter of the project through
words and action. If the committee is appointed, given their
charge, and basically told to report back when they are
done, you can almost guarantee that nothing significant will
happen except the probable wasting of much time in com-
mittee meetings.
· There is great need for faculty to feel that the time they spend
working on curriculum change is not wasted. Remember that it
would be unusual if many of them were not grieving and asking
themselves, What is in this for me?" A good administrator should
be sensitive to these feelings and provide assistance and answers
to these kinds of questions through actions, support, and enthusi-
asm for the project. When it is time for annual evaluations, the
faculty who have made important contributions should receive ap-
propriate praise and salary adjustments.
The collective vision for what is needed and what can realisti-
cally be achieved in curriculum revision for any unit is very depen-
dent on the process that is used. Curriculum revision by its very
nature requires that faculty give up some of the old curriculum,
assist in creating a new curriculum, and then deliver the new cur-
riculum to the students. Thus, whereas the administrators are theo-
retically in charge of distributing financial resources, for all practical
purposes the faculty are in near complete control of the curriculum
as givers, creators, and distributors. This means that the process
for bringing about a change in the curriculum is more dependent
upon leadership and less dependent upon the allocation of finan-
cial resources, as sometimes happens in bringing about a change
in a research program. With this in mind, it should come as no
surprise that it is sometimes very difficult to make significant changes
in the curriculum. With regard to the process for curriculum change,
the following questions may be helpful:
· Who are the key faculty who can provide the leadership for
this change? What are their rewards for doing a good job?
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BREAKING TRADITIONS IN CURRICULUM DESIGN
· How can faculty come to be owners and believers in curricu-
lum change?
· What is in this proposed change for students, faculty, and the
college or unit?
· What are the challenges and disincentives to bringing about
significant curriculum change?
Conclusions
I hope that this discussion has challenged the reader to think
about some of the process and content considerations involved in
curriculum revisions. I would like to conclude by sharing a few
quotes from a sobering and thoughtful special report from The Carnegie
Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching by Ernest L. Foyer
( l 990). 1 have chosen the following:
· The 1 990s may well come to be remembered as the decade of
the undergraduate in American higher education.
· What activities of the professoriate are most highly prized?
· At no time in our history has the need been greater for con-
necting the work of the academy to the social and environmental
challenges beyond the campus.
· Disciplines have become increasingly divided.
· The educational experience of students frequently lacks coher
ence.
· Should some members of the professorial be thought of prima-
rily as researchers, and others as teachers?
· Designing new courses and participating in curricular innova-
tions are examples of yet another type of professional work deserv-
ing recognition.
These quotations serve to emphasize some of the points that
need to be considered in designing a curriculum and providing
appropriate incentives for the faculty who create and deliver the
curriculum. if this is to be the decade of the undergraduate, there
is much that remains to be done with the ongoing process for
curriculum evolution and the real and perceived values assigned to
teaching compared with those assigned to research.
References
Moyer, E. L. logo. Scholarship Reconsidered: Priorities of the Professori-
ate. Princeton, N.J.: The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of
Teaching.
Christianson, K. 1988. Core for anyone; on coping creatively with the
needs of a faculty that is undergoing major curriculum changes. Paper
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AGRICULTURE AND THE UNDERGRADUATE
presented at the Association of Integrated Studies Meeting, Arlington,
Tex., October 1988. (Available from K. Christiansen, The Defiance Col-
lege, Defiance, Ohio.)
Christiansen, K. 1989. Professional growth through curriculum develop-
ment; coping with the pain of change. Paper presented at the Fresh-
man Year Experience Conference, Cincinnati, Ohio, November 10, 1989.
(Available from K. Christiansen, The Defiance College, Defiance, Ohio.)
Lindemann, E. 1944. Symptomatology and management of acute grief.
American Journal of Psychiatry 101: 1 41-1 45.
RAPPORTEUR'S SUMMARY
Context
AS a basis for the discussions, Eugene Allen described Project
Sunrise at the University of Minnesota. Their process of curriculum
revision spanned 3 years, during which time 17 departmental ma-
jors were reduced to 11 interdepartmental ones. The process in-
volved a coalition of faculty, the dean, and the vice president.
In developing a mindset toward curriculum change, the experi-
ences at The Defiance College were reviewed. Curriculum change
should be considered both an intellectual as well as an emotional
process. To cope with the emotional side, we were reminded of
the death and grieving process.
The central role of the faculty is a key element in curriculum
change. Because the curriculum Belongs" to the faculty, it is their
tradition(s) that is being challenged. They are the ones being asked
to make changes. Curriculum tends to be a reinforcing process;
that is, it is repeated year after year. Research, on the other hand,
is constantly changing. This tends to make it more difficult to
accept challenges to and changes in the curriculum.
Process
Faculty must take the lead in curriculum change. it is best to
select respected faculty leaders. Consider only one representative
from a department. This makes it easier for faculty to see the
points of view of faculty in other departments. The administration
should be involved as Cheerleaders.'' Recall that in the delibera-
tions, the question of what is in this for me?" must be answered
either directly or indirectly.
The group process is extremely important in facilitating curricu-
lum change. It is the group, not an individual, that develops the
vision that will be articulated to the rest of the faculty. To encour-
age the development of effective groups, consider using retreats to
begin the process. The following is an important reminder: devel
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BREAKING TRADITIONS IN CURRICULUM DESIGN
aping group cohesiveness and formulating a plan will require sig-
nificant time. Most colleges invest 2 to 3 years in curriculum change.
To foster the impetus for change, it may be useful to bring in
outside groups or individuals. Employers and alumni can provide
useful feedback on the preparedness of graduates and suggest
programmatic changes. The techniques used include focus groups
and "executives in residence."
In implementing curriculum change, provision should be made
for faculty development. Most curriculum changes require the cre-
ation of a new awareness in faculty, the acquisition of new skills,
and the need for alterations in the current modes of faculty-student
interactions or classroom presentations.
Universities that are willing to discuss their processes with oth-
ers include (but are not limited to) the University of Minnesota, the
University of Hawaii, the University of Nebraska, and the University
of Wisconsin.
Content
The amount of disciplinary content in revised curricula may ap-
pear to be reduced. However, recall the frequency with which
professionals change careers. The focus of the undergraduate cur-
riculum should be on developing well-rounded professionals rather
than teaching future professors. The content of degree programs
should be based more on the principles and skills that will
serve graduates over a 40-year professional life rather than on fac-
ulty research topics or the current mix of faculty expertise. His-
torically, colleges of agriculture have tended to offer courses based
on what faculty are interested in rather than what the students
need.
While revising curricula, attention should be paid to the contribu-
tion that colleges of agriculture can make to nonmajors. The gen-
eral educational value of a course on, for example, world food and
hunger, taught in an interdisciplinary mode, can be substantial.
Core competencies can be woven into courses in colleges of
agriculture. Components of writing, speaking, the development of
teamwork, discussions of ethical issues, and the incorporation of
real-world examples will enhance the quality of graduates from col-
leges of agriculture.
Criteria for Assessing Success
in assessing the success of curriculum changes, two measures
are suggested: (1) the attitude toward teaching and (2) the change
in graduates, as perceived by the students as well as by employ
ers.
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AGRICULTURE AND THE UNDERGRADUATE
Key questions
Throughout the curriculum change process, it is important to
recall some key questions:
· Who are the key faculty7
· What are the rewards for doing a good job of curriculum change?
O How can faculty be owners of the process of change?
· What are the challenges and disincentives for change?
· What will the curriculum be?
· How will the curriculum be designed?
· Who will deliver the new curriculum?
198
Representative terms from entire chapter:
breaking traditions
