Core curriculum

As college students and classes diversify, it has become more and more difficult to set up a core curriculum that balances between freedom of choices and the indispensable common knowledge foundation colleges ought to provide. Many have reached the consensus that we should have a core curriculum but debated on the issue of what a core curriculum should be. In particular, Harry R. Lewis argues that accomplishing the core curriculum in college should allow one to become responsible citizens who do not only act for self-interest but also contribute to the society.
If we take his arguments, a core curriculum should be focused on U.S history, U.S politics, democracy principles, current domestic and world issues, U.S government system and related subjects. We cannot deny that these courses are beneficial for one to become a well-educated citizen. But he does not explicitly say to what extent we should study these subjects and how much space would be left for free choices. The more time students spent on learning these, the less likely they are to go in depth of fields they are interested in. In fact, how many students would actually want to study the courses under this core curriculum and really put efforts in them? At least, I could argue that for those who don’t enjoy politics, a core curriculum like this wouldn’t give the optimum outcome.
Lewis is expecting people to become responsible citizens after college. He implies that responsible citizens should not only be those who do not go against the law but also who actually do something good for the society. There’s nothing wrong to be a responsible citizen. But how much would the study in college core curriculum be taken into account of what really shapes one’s personal values? To say the very least, four years of college is only a small proportion of time out of one’s life. Beside the knowledge taught in college, people’s background, cultures, families and friends, difficulties they encounter are all important factors that vary how they think and act. Therefore, a core curriculum should to a limited extent but does not necessarily transform one’s personal values.
On the other hand, if we agree that Lewis’ interpretation of core curriculum could make people responsible citizens, why can’t we also argue that other types of core curriculum would achieve the same result? For example, a liberal art core would fit just as well. By studying a wide range of selective courses, students would be able to look at things from different prospective that also help them to hold positive values and become responsible citizens.
I think what Lewis discontent is that many people go to college only for the purpose of getting good jobs. He regards this as act for self-interest. But acting for self-interest and being responsible citizens do not contradict with each other. In fact, a person who works hard and succeeds in his own career is most likely to bring benefit to the society.
In my opinion, a core curriculum should be as it is now – based on students’ major but also requires a certain amount of liberal art courses to expand their knowledge. Students who choose to come to college deserve to pursue the study of their own interest. Even though every course has its own value, taking well-rounded courses with no depth can result in learning nothing. So even in a liberal art core curriculum, the courses should be selective. In reality, because of increasing demand for specialization in the job market that requires the depth in the student's major field of study, a core curriculum in college nowadays should mandate a far smaller proportion of a student's course work than in the past so that students can be focused on their own majors.
Idealistically, every kind of core curriculum has the reason to be best for college education. However standing on a student’s point of view, what is practical is far more important than what’s theoretically true. Yes, we come to college to learn knowledge, to be well-education or maybe contribute to the society. But we are also here to fulfill our own goals and prepare ourselves for our future lives. Don’t we have the right to spend more time on what we are interested in and what we can do well than to study reluctantly what we don’t like?