History of the Program

Like most Jesuit institutions, Loyola University's College of Arts and Sciences has had a core curriculum for many years. In the fall of 2002, the university decided to begin work on a common core curriculum for all its undergraduate students. In January, 2003, the administration formed a seventeen member Core Renewal Steering Committee consisting of twelve faculty, three staff, one student, and the Associate Provost. This committee was charged with determining…

After nearly a year of consultation with administrators, alumni, faculty, staff, and students, the committee delivered its first major report on November 21, 2003. This report listed four educational goals and several learning outcomes associated with each goal. A Quantitative Literacy component was included in this report, which was approved by the university's Board of Trustees on December 5, 2003. This report in turn formed the basis for the committee's second major report, concerning the structure of the core, which was completed on May 10, 2004, and approved by the Board of Trustees on June 4, 2004. The Steering Committee is now working on the remaining steps in the process, including generating course proposals, developing program assessment plans, and determining faculty development needs. The plan is to implement a university-wide core curriculum for students entering during the 2005-06 academic year.