Increased vocational specialization forces universities to emphasize professional identities and skills at the expense of

free inquiry,

creativity and

exploration.

Bearing this dilemma in mind core curriculum fulfills students’ desire to pursue their interests independent of the requirements of their majors. Courses taken in the core program give students the opportunity to expand their knowledge into disciplines beyond their major, to explore ideas and learn skills that will help them become

open-minded thinkers

without which they cannot become the problem solvers in their civic and professional lives.

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Core program strives to show students that, no matter how different they are, disciplines such as literature and physics, or philosophy and cognitive science intersect in their concern for common issues that had to do with individuals, societies, and the world.

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The core curriculum shows students that their individual actions have consequences in local, national, and global levels, and invites them to evaluate the ethical implications of these actions. It prepares students for

civic engagement

and enables them to

respond critically and constructively to change

-- social, cultural, scientific, technological and otherwise. It aims to make students ask the very personal question of the duties and obligations, as well as the privileges, rights, and responsibilities, of

civic and ethical agency

in a

dynamically changing world.