Generally, a happy anniversary
One year after the Class of 2013 became the first required to complete Harvard College’s Program in General Education, officials have one thing to say: so far, so good. “Students seem excited by the new courses,” said Stephanie Kenen, associate dean of undergraduate education and administrative director of the program. “The flexibility of the program seems to be something they like.” The General Education Program, known as Gen Ed, replaced the University’s 30-year-old Core Curriculum last fall. In the new program, students are required to take at least one course in each of eight areas of study: aesthetic and interpretive understanding; culture and belief; empirical and mathematical reasoning; ethical reasoning; science of living systems; science of the physical universe; societies of the world; and United States in the world. In addition, at least one of these courses must also engage substantially with the study of the past. Kenen said it is far too...