Northeastern University’s ongoing discussions about curriculum reform have sparked a campus-wide reflection on the relevance of current course requirements, particularly the NUpath general education framework that has been in place since its introduction in 2016.
The NUpath framework comprises 11 attributes that all undergraduates must fulfill, aiming to integrate essential knowledge and skills relevant to contemporary cultural, political, and environmental realities into students’ specific fields of study.
However, the recent final report from the faculty senate’s NUpath Ad Hoc Committee reveals that the formal review process evaluating the effectiveness of NUpath has been limited since its inception.
Formed in the fall of 2024, the ad hoc committee was tasked with reviewing current course attributes, developing a systematic review process, and recommending potential revisions.
During its assessment throughout the 2024-25 academic year, the committee identified notable overlaps among certain attributes, particularly between Interpreting Culture (IC) and Diversity (DD).
In the March 26 faculty senate meeting, Brian O’Connell, chair of the committee and associate teaching professor in the College of Engineering, presented evidence showcasing a significant intersection of courses meeting both the IC and DD requirements, raising questions on whether merging, restructuring, or refining these attributes might be prudent.
Shuishan Yu, an associate professor of architecture, echoed this sentiment, noting that while the IC and DD attributes serve different purposes, they are closely linked.
Yu teaches a course titled ‘Buildings and Cities: A Global History’ that fulfills both the IC and DD requirements and understands the importance of analyzing cultural differences.
He stated, “A lot of the conflicts in the current world are the result of lack of understanding of difference and diversity,” highlighting the interconnected nature of these two attributes.
Yu further elaborated that interpreting culture involves understanding practical applications while differences and diversity emphasize comparison between various cases.
On the other hand, John Wihbey, an associate professor in the College of Arts, Media and Design, cautioned against overly simplifying attributes within the curriculum.
His courses, including ‘Understanding Today’s News’ and ‘Digital Storytelling and Social Media,’ fulfill DD and Creative Expression/Innovation attributes, respectively.
Wihbey emphasized that maintaining distinctions within the curriculum promotes complexity and diversity in educational choices, raising concerns about potential oversimplification if IC and DD were merged.
Some faculty members voiced apprehensions regarding the implications of such changes in a politically charged context.
Laney Strange, a teaching professor at Khoury College of Computer Sciences, expressed that shifting away from a focus on diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) could signal a broader change in the university’s educational mission.
This concern reflects changes in Northeastern’s messaging, which recently rebranded DEIA initiatives under the term ‘belonging.’
Strange highlighted the significance of maintaining a robust social justice framework within the curriculum.
Moreover, Wihbey echoed this, remarking that it is essential to be vigilant about how changes in politically salient curriculum categories might convey messages that are inconsistent with the university’s educational priorities.
Amid the discussion of potential changes, the committee also explored adding a new requirement centered on sustainability, inspired by the student-led initiative known as ‘SustaiNUbility.’
The push for a sustainability requirement is supported by a petition that garnered 1,482 student signatures and a referendum in favor of the change, where 66% of more than 7,500 participating students voted in approval.
Tyler Brogan, an environmental and sustainability sciences major and founder of the SustaiNUbility campaign, expressed the need for a dedicated sustainability requirement, emphasizing that all students, regardless of their primary area of study, should be informed about important environmental issues.
Though he recognizes the necessity of incorporating sustainability into the curriculum, Brogan also acknowledged the extensive list of current requirements students are already tasked with meeting.
The committee’s report proposed several implementation options, including the potential merging of IC and DD attributes due to their overlapping course offerings while still considering the incorporation of a sustainability-focused requirement without increasing the total number of requirements.
Brogan asserted that while the existing Natural and Designed World (ND) requirement does not adequately address sustainability, it’s critical for students across all majors to learn about environmental impacts relevant to their fields.
Yu emphasized that maintaining a strong and diverse curriculum like NUpath benefits students from multiple disciplines by integrating various perspectives.
He expressed openness to proposed changes, stating, “If the proposal is to make adjustments to the NUpath or add some new NUpath, I’m totally for it, depending on what is proposed.”
Nevertheless, he reinforced the notion that the NUpath framework serves as a valuable unifying force in education at Northeastern, bringing diverse student populations together and enhancing the learning experience.
The ongoing conversations surrounding NUpath illustrate the university’s commitment to adapting its curriculum to meet the evolving educational landscape while maintaining a focus on fostering critical understanding of cultural, social, and environmental issues.
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