Duke Brings Coherence to Curriculum, Says Policy Report from Pope Center

Two academic programs at Duke University are helping undergraduates experience a well-rounded education and could be copied by other universities.

This is the message of a new report from the Pope Center for Higher Education Policy, “The Decline and Revival of Liberal Learning at Duke: The Focus and Gerst Programs,” by Russell K. Nieli.

Duke is responding to a problem that afflicts many universities: There is no longer a “core curriculum. “Students round out their education by selecting courses that meet loose “distribution requirements,” but the resulting education can be fragmented, limited, and incoherent.

Duke has countered this fragmentation by forming the Focus and Gerst programs. The Focus program allows freshmen to choose courses from a cluster focused on a single topic such as “The Global Americas” or “Visions of Freedom.” Students in this interdisciplinary program have small classes, share the same dormitory, and meet weekly for dinner discussions with faculty.

The Gerst program in Political, Economic and Humanistic Studies supports one of the Focus clusters, “Visions of Freedom,” and includes a series of speakers, colloquia, and an annual conference. Named for Gary Gerst, a 1961 Duke alumnus and major financial supporter, the Gerst program aims at furthering students’ appreciation for the role of freedom in the development of America’s economy and culture.

“On many campuses today, students feel that they are adrift and not being intellectually challenged,” says Russell K. Nieli, author of the Pope Center study. “The Gerst and Focus programs show that small steps can make a big difference.”

The John William Pope Center for Higher Education Policy is a nonprofit institute dedicated to improving higher education, especially in North Carolina.

To view the executive summary, click here.

To download the full report, click here.

To hear Gary Gerst talk about the program, click here.

Michael Gillespie gives his thoughts on the start of the program here.

To listen to Russell Nieli, click here.

To listen to Pope Center Executive Director Jane Shaw discuss the report, click here.