
Curricular Review: Redefining a World-Class Education		39:41
History, Structure, and Content of American Academic Culture
	Introduction: American Academic Culture	7:13
	The Shaping of the American Curriculum	6:57
	Building an American Academic Culture	8:57
	Theories on the Contemporary Curriculum	6:41
	Conclusion: The Challenges of General Education	3:46
	Audience Question & Answer	8:05

	The Shaping of the American Curriculum
	Professor Thomas Bender comments on the changes that have occurred since Harvard’s famous <i>Red Book</i> that shaped the Harvard curriculum and other curricular after World War Two. <br> <br> According to Professor Bender, in some ways, the <i>Red Book</i> was a backward-looking document, yet it became the foundation for curricular thinking for the generation ahead. To its authors, the sciences and humanities was seen as deeply intertwined. The sciences were interpreted as a transforming force, while the humanities was seen as both conserving element and secular instrument for moral uplift. At the same time, the disciplines were moving away from description and moralism, toward analytical modes, with philosophy leading the way.<br> <br> The current university represents the triumph of faculty values, such as the judgment of peers, meritocratic values, autonomous disciplines, and commitment to disciplinary developments. Professor Bender points out that we must acknowledge that these values represent some of the most difficult challenges we face in thinking about the undergraduate curriculum, particularly the general education part of the curriculum.<br> <br>

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