Dan Addison

The New College Curriculum pilot that began in the fall has 620 students enrolled—80 more than expected, according to Associate Dean for Undergraduate Academic Programs Rachel Most.

Student Council President Sarah Kenny (Col ’18) says there’s been “buzz” from students and professors about it. “I’ve gotten very positive feedback,” she says.

To fulfill general education requirements, first-year New College Curriculum students take four Engagements courses that are designed to encourage innovative, ethical and critical thinking. The curriculum also contains two other components, Literacies and Disciplines, that offer a variety of courses. Kenny praised the program for taking an “integrated, interdisciplinary approach.”

With courses rooted in both theory and application, Kenny says she believes the curriculum more closely aligns with what today’s labor force is seeking from college graduates. “Such a nuanced approach to learning reflects the prioritization of broad intellectual development, rather than a neoliberal model centered on producing candidates for a narrowly constructed definition of success,” she said in an email.

In addition to the New College Curriculum, incoming first-year students can still enroll in the Traditional Curriculum or in the Forums Curriculum.