This chapter examines common objectives in some
of the major initiatives in higher education. It highlights
the role of librarians and libraries in higher education
reform.
Reforming the Undergraduate
Experience
Diane VanderPol, Jeanne M. Brown, Patricia Iannuzzi
The higher education literature abounds with reports and studies calling for
reform in undergraduate education. An alphabet soup of higher education
associations creates or advocates desired learning outcomes for postsec-
ondary education and endorses approaches for student learning.
This chapter shows connections between some of the major initiatives
and demonstrates how in the aggregate they create a blueprint for restruc-
turing undergraduate student learning through the content of the curricu-
lum, the way we teach, and intentional design of co-curricular learning
experiences. It also underscores how libraries as organizations and librarians
as professionals are uniquely positioned to contribute to educational reform.
Five Key Initiatives
From among the many reports, initiatives, and projects garnering notice in
the literature of higher education, this chapter examines five approaches.
LEAP. College Learning for the New Global Century, a report from the
LEAP National Leadership Council. LEAP, or Liberal Education and Amer-
ica’s Promise: Excellence for Everyone as a Nation Goes to College, is a cam-
paign on the part of the Association of American Colleges and Universities
(AAC&U) designed to advance and communicate the idea of the impor-
tance of undergraduate liberal education for all students. This report, which
we will refer to as LEAP, was selected for its broad intended audience and
far-reaching aims. The LEAP document is crafted by and for campuses both
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NEW DIRECTIONS FOR TEACHING AND LEARNING, no. 114, Summer 2008 © Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com) • DOI: 10.1002/tl.313