Sat, 07 Jun 2003 20:12:46 GMT

Harvard Chief, at Commencement, Vows Change. Speaking on Harvard's 352nd commencement day, Lawrence H. Summers, the university's president, pledged to reshape the undergraduate experience, including the core curriculum. By David M. Herszenhorn. [New York Times: Education]

If i were he, which i am not, i would propose the following changes. The core curriculum should be 10 3 hour classes, and each student would have to complete 2 more 10, 3 hour class majors or one extended 15 class major with a 5 class minor. for those 90 hours, 3 years, they would receive their B.A. in Liberal Arts with their majors/minors listed. There would be no professionalized degrees at that level. There would be no 'engineers' for instance or Business majors. they would be awarded with a masters in their specific area after 2 more years of study, the first would be an honors b.a. year, the second would be a master's year. this would be a leadership move in solving the problem of the professionalization/technicalization of the bachelor's degree.