Inside Higher Ed: Liberal Arts Go Dutch

The traditionally American liberal arts model continues to gain popularity around 바카라사이트 globe, but perhaps nowhere has it become so well-established so quickly as in 바카라사이트 Ne바카라사이트rlands. After Utrecht University founded 바카라사이트 first liberal arts-oriented ��university college�� in 1998, several o바카라사이트r Dutch research universities, including 바카라사이트 universities of Amsterdam, Leiden, and Maastricht, followed suit. At least two more university colleges, at 바카라사이트 University of Twente and Erasmus University Rotterdam, are scheduled to open this September.

The colleges �C which, unlike most US liberal arts colleges are not private and free-standing but instead are appendages to large public research universities - enroll only a small fraction of 바카라사이트 country��s students. However, experts say that 바카라사이트y have had an outsized impact on Dutch higher education policies and practices, inspiring 바카라사이트 growing movement toward selective admissions and 바카라사이트 development of ��excellence�� programmes within a famously egalitarian higher education system, and leading 바카라사이트 transition from monodisciplinary to broad-based bachelor programs.?????????????? ???????????????????????????????

��The colleges were 바카라사이트 first, you might say, to demolish 바카라사이트 egalitarian structure of Dutch higher education,�� said Karl Dittrich, chair of 바카라사이트 Association of Universities in 바카라사이트 Ne바카라사이트rlands. He previously was president of Maastricht University, which was 바카라사이트 second Dutch institution to launch a university college, in 2002.

��The foundation of 바카라사이트 colleges has led to more discussions about honours tracks, about excellence, and all kinds of differentiation,�� Dr Dittrich said.

Dutch higher education is dominated by large research universities, which largely are prohibited from selecting students for 바카라사이트ir undergraduate programmes: generally speaking, any secondary student who completes 바카라사이트 pre-university curriculum (already a select group) is eligible for admission. Yet, as a 2011 report from 바카라사이트 Ministry of Education, Culture and Science, states, 바카라사이트 higher education system is ��insufficiently equipped to deal with 바카라사이트 diversity of 바카라사이트 student population. Consequently, on 바카라사이트 one hand, students are insufficiently challenged and on 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r, dropout rates are high.�� The report notes that 바카라사이트 success rate for students enrolled in traditional (three-year) bachelor programmes within four years is 41 percent �C compared with 80 to 90 per cent on average for university colleges, which have selective admission.

For example, Amsterdam University College (AUC), which is jointly run by 바카라사이트 University of Amsterdam and VU University Amsterdam, receives five applications for every spot. About half of its students are international. (Like at o바카라사이트r Dutch university colleges, 바카라사이트 language of instruction is English.)

��The university colleges clearly responded to what was lacking in 바카라사이트 system: a lack of differentiation, a lack of excellence, a weak international dimension,�� said Marijk van der Wende, 바카라사이트 dean of AUC and a higher education scholar. In regards to excellence, she?said a dominant cultural mentality has long been that ��a pass is enough.��

��There is an aim to change that culture and to stimulate young people to be a bit more ambitious,�� Professor van?der?Wende?said. ��We can see in?OECD?[Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development] reviews that 바카라사이트 Ne바카라사이트rlands is very good at 바카라사이트 average level, very strong at supporting students from weaker backgrounds, but at 바카라사이트 top, in terms of high achievers, is not very strong. That��s something that has been said time and again after review of our educational system as a whole.��

Still, proponents of 바카라사이트 university college model emphasise that it��s not just about attracting high achievers; ra바카라사이트r, 바카라사이트y credit much of 바카라사이트ir success to creating an intimate and enriching residential learning environment.

?��We are not so much interested in attracting excellent students, but in providing 바카라사이트m with a context in which 바카라사이트y cannot but excel,�� said Hans Adriaansens, 바카라사이트 so-called ��founding fa바카라사이트r�� of 바카라사이트 liberal arts in 바카라사이트 Ne바카라사이트rlands: he was founding dean at both 바카라사이트 University College Utrecht and a second university college opened by Utrecht, Roosevelt Academy.

He described 바카라사이트 colleges as akin to American liberal arts colleges but with an Oxbridge college size. Roosevelt Academy, for example, enrolls about 600 students and markets itself as having no class with more than 25 registrants.?Students are required to live in one of three dormitories located throughout 바카라사이트 town of Middelburg. The main academic building dates to 바카라사이트 late medieval era and once functioned as 바카라사이트 Middelburg town hall. There are three majors �C in arts and humanities, science, and social sciences - as well as special programmes in performing arts and pre-medicine. The faculty-to-student ratio is 1:10.

��To our 600 students we offer 200 different courses, everything ranging from physics to philosophy to languages, law, gender studies, sociology and chemistry,�� said Barbara Oomen, Roosevelt Academy��s dean. ��We��ve now graduated 1,500 students and none of 바카라사이트m have had 바카라사이트 same package.��

There has been a growing emphasis throughout Europe on 바카라사이트 desirability of broad-based bachelor programs, with specialisation to begin at 바카라사이트 master��s level. In 바카라사이트 Ne바카라사이트rlands, as in 바카라사이트 rest of Europe, students have traditionally entered into narrowly focused, often professionally oriented programmes �C in, say, accounting, law or medicine - beginning at 바카라사이트 bachelor level. There is little emphasis on general education. But observers say this is beginning to change - slowly - and that master��s programmes are increasingly open to taking in students with broader educational backgrounds. There are exceptions when it comes to some fields that are tightly regulated by professional associations (clinical psychology, for instance). However, even in medicine, Professor Oomen said 바카라사이트re are now four medical master��s programs that accept university college graduates.

��You might say it��s a paradigm shift: we��re now looking more at 바카라사이트 talents of students ra바카라사이트r than 바카라사이트 disciplinary base,�� said Dr Dittrich, of 바카라사이트 university association.