The Return of the Broad University Curriculum

Abstract

How should the modern university resolve the conflict of whether to meet the demands of the economy or student preferences? Circumstances of economic prosperity, coupled with individual liberty as well as social justice to a degree encouraged by the Renaissance ideal of educating a man to be a 'man of the universe' (uoma universale), a man who studied languages, poetry, history, philosophy as well as the sciences. Because commercialism has taken root in higher education today, universities are said to have lost their way (Bok, 2003). There is comparatively little research into what possible new paths a university can adopt and yet still deliver on all its aims. This raises the question: is there a need for modern universities to produce more broadly educated students? Several universities have adopted a broad education curriculum. The objective of this research is to examine three target universities with regard to broad education: Trinity College Dublin, University of St Andrews, and Brown University. Although the paths these universities have taken since their founding are considerably different, their arrival at the same juncture is imminent.