To the Editor:
We applaud Oliver Rosenbloom's '13 effort at taking a critical look at the New Curriculum ("Questioning the New Curriculum," Nov. 28), but we're not so sure that the concerns he identifies are flaws at all.
The struggle involved in crafting one's own curriculum and the freedom to fail in doing so are quintessential benefits of the New Curriculum. At Brown, curriculum design is an educational experience in and of itself. We were heartened, not disturbed, by Rosenbloom's column, which describes a journey toward academic autonomy that would not have been possible without the freedom afforded by the New Curriculum. The self-reflection and critical thinking that Brown students develop in forging their own educational paths may well outlive lessons learned in the classroom.
And we know of no curricular alternatives that remedy Rosenbloom's concerns. Many of Brown's peer schools group subjects into artificially delineated distribution areas, or impose core requirements based on bygone areas of fundamental knowledge — alternatives that often do more to achieve the appearance
of an ideal curriculum than they do to accomplish anything of substance. In the report on improving undergraduate education at Brown that led to the creation of the New Curriculum, Ira Magaziner '69 P'06 P'07 P'10 and Elliot Maxwell '68 P'06 recognized as much and recommended against these alternatives. Though many years have passed in the meantime, we believe that they were right to do so. It remains appropriate that a University that celebrates the individuality of each of its students should continue to avoid one-size-fits-all models of education.
We strongly believe that Brown should remain committed to providing an open curriculum to the numerous highly qualified college applicants who crave curricular freedom. The New Curriculum defines Brown, sets it apart and makes it great.
The directors of the Open Jar Foundation
Steph Buss '08, Matt Gelfand ‘08, Alana Jacoby '08, Jake Johnson '08, Drew Madden '10, Brendan Pelsue '08, Hannah Perrin '08, Frank Pucci '08 MD'12, Alex Rosenthal '08, Justin Spiegel '08, Aaron Stanton '08
