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Great. You've just failed your art history exam.
A gloomy cloud of dreadful thoughts casts a shadow on the sunny recesses of your mind.
"Why must I, a business major, take classes that have absolutely nothing to do with my career goals?" you wonder. "The only effect this class will have on me is that it will lower my GPA."
But before the black cloud begins to rumble with a thunder of more complaints, take a closer look at your situation.
"All colleges and departments establish certain academic require-ments which must be met before a degree is granted." This is the first sentence in The University of Arizona Record. It can otherwise be interpreted as: "If you don't do all of the work, you don't get the degree." But why is this the rule? Is there really an evil group of faculty members plotting to make the lives of UA students miserable? Think again.
General education pertains to the assortment of courses students must enroll in, outside their major, to provide them with a broad background in the liberal arts and sciences. The benefits of taking these classes are extensive. Just think about it. Foreig n language and humanities classes educate you about cultures other than your own. This is important, regardless of which field you specialize in. As a business person in today's international markets, you may not be able to get by without some knowledge a bout the foreign countries your company may deal with. Or if you are an education major, courses such as psychology and sociology will aid you in understanding any interdisciplinary problems you may encounter in your area of work.
Presently the general education requirements at the UA are undergoing a change. Faculty have been working on two proposals for the past two years concerning the expansion of these requirements. Both proposals aim to create "a university-wide structure for general education, common across all colleges." The first proposal suggests that all students should take 30 units of "non-skills-based coursework - 18 units in a first tier to include six units in Traditions and Cultures, six units in Natural Science, s ix units in Individuals and Societies, and 12 units in a second tier." The second proposal calls for 27-30 units - 18 in a first tier and nine to 18 units in a second tier. Four semesters of a second language are mandatory for all B.A. degree programs, wh ile two semesters are sufficient for all non-B.A. degree programs. The proposals have been sent to the Dean from the Undergraduate Council and a decision should be reached by Nov. 8.
Of course, not all colleges and universities feel the same. Little by little, schools are diminishing their general education requirements. In 1914, 55 percent of a student's graduation requirements on campus' nationwide were general education classes. In the past few years, that number has plummeted to a low 33 percent.
Stephen H. Balch, president of the National Association of Scholars, comments in the March 29 issue of The Chronicle of Higher Education that "up to 1964, you could see an active effort being made by most of the schools to channel students into broad cour ses, which could help them to make choices on where to specialize... now students are left without any compass, without any rudder."
Balch places the blame on scholars who, he says, "want to teach courses on the narrow subject of their own research and are less interested in general survey courses. Scholars now resist any hierarchy, and are unwilling to set academic priorities for stud ents."
A well-rounded education can have powerful and positive effects on the lives of today's college students. Not only will students be better suited for their careers, but they will also be better equipped for life. After all, that's what education is all ab out. If you plant a good seed, a healthy flower will grow. Just be sure that it gets enough sunshine.
Jill Dellamalva is a sophomore majoring in English. Her column, 'Focused Light,' appears every other Friday.
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