The Intro Course as an Introduction to Curriculum Change

Much discussion about the introductory course in history focuses on proposed changes to the class itself: its focus, its “coverage,” its service to majors, and its potential for engaging non-majors. What if we extend our focus and ask how a reimagined introductory course might also help answer a series of additional questions on campuses, questions that tie into broader reforms of General Education and student success in the initial two-years of post-secondary work?

    This presentation offers three suggestions:

(1) Historians should consider borrowing from the work of colleagues in the American Historical Association “Tuning” project as they reconsider the design and goals of introductory courses. Tuning is the collective effort of history faculty to clarify the core goals of our field of study, to demystify our discipline by making implicit assumptions about historical study explicit for students, and to convey to administrators, policy makers, and employers the contributions history makes to learning and student skills. A grounding in discussions such as these offers a thoughtful way to reframe an introduction to historical study.

(2) If possible, get a seat at the General Education table on your campus. Bring a clear and transparent notion of our discipline with you to any institution-wide discussions of Gen Ed reform. Explain what history contributes to a Gen Ed program (in terms of our students’ knowledge and skills) and acknowledge the areas of understanding and proficiencies where we depend on the learning from other fields.

(3) Suggest to Gen Ed leaders that conversations cutting across disciplinary lines can help identify the core categories of our students’ broad education and clarify how contributing departments can help build a meaningful and intentional curriculum for students.

    Materials from Gen Ed reform at Utah State University will be distributed to demonstrate how the process may be practiced.