The Undergraduate Curriculum in the Faculty of Arts & Science at the University of Toronto, 1945-2000
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The Toronto Scheme: The Undergraduate Curriculum in the Faculty of Arts & Science at the University of Toronto, 1945-2000 by Emily Alexandre Walters Greenleaf A thesis submitted in conformity with the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Theory & Policy Studies in Education University of Toronto © Copyright by Emily Alexandre Walters Greenleaf 2010 The Toronto Scheme: The Undergraduate Curriculum in the Faculty of Arts & Science at the University Toronto, 1945-2000 Emily Alexandre Walters Greenleaf Doctor of Philosophy Department of Theory and Policy Studies in Education University of Toronto 2010 Abstract Over the course of the second half of the twentieth century, undergraduate degree requirements in the Faculty of Arts (later the Faculty of Arts & Science) at the University of Toronto were comprehensively reviewed and revised seven times. The records of these reviews demonstrate that the curricular changes of the second half of the twentieth century were substantial, reflecting attempts by curricular planners to shape the undergraduate program of study to accommodate broader social, economic, demographic, and epistemological changes. These changes therefore reflect the connections between the University and its local, provincial, and international communities. These substantial changes, however, are balanced by consistent and recurrent patterns in curriculum across this period as curricular planners sought ways to implement sustained curricular goals into a changed institutional environment and a changed curricular framework. Collectively, these reviews demonstrate that the U of T maintained a distinct approach to undergraduate education from the beginning of this period through the end. This approach, referred to here as the ―Toronto Scheme,‖ is characterized by the belief that specialized study can lead to liberal education, and that students should have access to multiple pathways through the degree. This analysis of degree requirements over time has important implications for understanding higher education at the University of Toronto, in Canada, and internationally. Most importantly, this research helps to explain both the strong similarities and significant differences between American curricular structures and those in ii place at the U of T. Additionally, this study of curriculum provides valuable insight into the role of the U of T‘s colleges in undergraduate instruction, further illuminating the effect of this relatively unique institutional structure on the history of the U of T. On a broader scale, the relationship indicated by this history of the curriculum between the U of T and other institutions in Ontario and Canada deepens our understanding of the nature of a Canadian system of or approach to higher education (or lack thereof). As such, the Toronto Scheme informs – and sometimes challenges – many of the assumptions currently made about Ontario, Canadian, and North American higher education. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I am very grateful to a number of people who have been instrumental in my ability to complete this research. Even prior to beginning my dissertation, my time in the Higher Education program at OISE has been all that I could have hoped for in a doctoral program. Each course, and every instructor, expanded my interest in and dedication to the field, and made me look forward to the opportunity to spend a lifetime engaging with ideas about postsecondary education. My committee and examiners, including Elizabeth Smyth, Tony Chambers, Tricia Seifert, and Lisa Panayotidis, provided thoughtful and constructive feedback that shaped my research. My supervisor, Glen Jones, not only mentored me through this process, but continues to serve as a model for the kind of contribution I hope to be able to make to the field of scholarship in higher education. Staff members at the University of Toronto Archives were essential in my research, helping me uncover files that transported me back in time several decades. Sally Walker, Registrar of New College, and Glenn Loney, Assistant Dean & Faculty Registrar of the Faculty of Arts & Science, pointed me to additional essential resources that had not yet been entered into the historical record. My colleagues in the Centre for Teaching Support & Innovation and in the Faculty of Arts & Science not only shared their wisdom about the structures and history of the U of T, but provided support, encouragement, and flexibility as I balanced professional and academic responsibilities. In particular, I must thank Carol Rolheiser and Pamela Gravestock, whose commitment to and confidence in my progress was essential to being able to complete this work and has meant very much to me. Finally, my family, and especially my husband Tyler, provided limitless patience and immeasurable encouragement even as this work kept me away from them for many evenings and weekends. Their support has meant the world to me. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter 1: Introduction............................................................................................................................................................. 1 1.1 Origins and Implications of the study .................................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Approach and goals of this research ...................................................................................................................... 5 1.3 Structure of the study ............................................................................................................................................... 23 Chapter 2: Review of the Literature ................................................................................................................................... 25 2.1 The study of curriculum in higher education ..................................................................................................... 26 2.2 Undergraduate education in Ontario and Canada, 1945-2000 ....................................................................... 37 2.3 The historiography of undergraduate education at the University of Toronto ......................................... 42 2.4 Undergraduate curriculum at the U of T to 1945 ............................................................................................. 46 Chapter 3: The General Program Reviews .................................................................................................................. 54 3.1 The Committee to Investigate the Pass and General Degree ........................................................................ 54 3.2 Developing the General Science Course ............................................................................................................. 74 3.3 The General Program Reviews – Discussion ..................................................................................................... 88 Chapter 4: The New Programme ..................................................................................................................................... 92 4.1 The Macpherson Committee .................................................................................................................................. 92 4.2 The Implementation of the New Programme ................................................................................................ 118 4.3 The New Programme – Discussion .................................................................................................................. 137 Chapter 5: After the New Programme: Reintroducing Structure ............................................................................ 142 5.1 The Kelly Committee ............................................................................................................................................ 142 5.2 The Cook Committee ............................................................................................................................................ 160 5.3 The 1999 Curriculum Review Committee: The elimination of the three-year degree .......................... 180 5.4 After the New Programme – Discussion ......................................................................................................... 189 Chapter 6: The Toronto Scheme: Identifying the U of T Approach to Undergraduate Education ............... 194 Chapter 7: Conclusion ........................................................................................................................................................ 233 Bibliography ............................................................................................................................................................................ 255 Books, Journals and Reports ........................................................................................................................................ 255 Archival Sources .............................................................................................................................................................. 266 v LIST OF TABLES Table 1. New General Degree Distributionary Groups ............................................................................. 67 Table 2. Proposed General Degree Requirements ...................................................................................... 72 Table 3. Requirements for the General Science Degree ............................................................................ 84 Table