Task Force on Undergraduate Education
Click here to read Peer Review’s article on the Task Force Report.
In April 2007, Brown’s Dean of the College convened a Task Force on Undergraduate Education to review Brown’s academic programs and to make recommendations for the future. Comprised of faculty, administrators, and students, the Task Force met in whole or in part nearly thirty times and consulted broadly with faculty, students, and alums. Their work was guided by four sets of questions about liberal learning, the concentration, advising, and pedagogy and assessment. The final report of the Task Force, which was released to the public in September 2008, contains fifteen recommendations that reflect the University’s continued commitment to the open curriculum in particular and liberal learning in general.
The Task Force’s final report includes a Plan of Action that identifies the steps the College will take to strengthen the undergraduate academic experience at Brown. For each recommendation, the plan specifies the actions needed, the progress already made in taking these actions, and target dates for implementing actions in the next few years. By implementing these recommendations, the College will continue to nourish the unique culture of learning that has defined the Brown undergraduate experience for decades.
Since its publication, commentary on the Task Force report has appeared in The Chronicle of Higher Education, Peer Review, and Inside Higher Ed. Click on the links at right to read these reviews, which affirm the continued importance of curricular innovation at Brown.