The Curriculum and its Decision-Making Model in American Jesuit Colleges and Universities: A Case Study of Georgetown University.

Abstract

This study is to analyze the decision-making process involved ingeneral education at Georgetown University. This paper is divided into sevenparts, including the introduction, research methodology, theoretical framework,development of general education requirements at Georgetown, decision-makingmodel of the curriculum at Georgetown, and the conclusions. Three managementmodels-the bureaucratic model, the collegial model, and the political model-areused as the theoretical framework to examine the decision-making process incurriculum design. The role of administrators and faculty members as well asthe interaction among them during the process are also discussed.The findings of this study are that: (1)professionalism and multiculturalismare the current trends in curriculum development; (2)lay faculty members areable to participate in the decision-making process of curriculum design; (3)collegial and bureaucratic models are used interchangeably in the decision-making of curriculum design; and (4)given Jesuit tradition and mission, apolitical model rarely prevails in the decision-making process.

本論文係研究美國耶穌會喬治城大學之通識課程發展與決策模式之個案研究。共分為七大部分：緒論、研究方法、理論架構、通識課程之發展、通識課程規劃的行政運作模式及結論。論文的理論架構是以三個管理模式-官僚模式、同僚模式及政治模式為分析基礎，其目的是在了解喬治城大學通識課程規劃之過程與各層級之行政人員在決策過程中所扮演的角色及彼此互動的關係。本論文有以下幾點發現：一、耶穌會士逐漸凋零，大量的在俗人士進入喬治城任教，一股新興力量注入校園，領引課程的新走向，加速學校進行課程改革。二、增加專業化的選修課程，降低必修的學分，成為1970年之後的新共識。三、分享的、參與的、共同規劃的、團體形成共識的同僚模式與理性、層級化官僚模式，兩者交互共存於課程的決策過程之中。四、基於耶穌會大學的傳統文化與對教育使命的堅持-追求正義與關懷窮人，受迫於外壓力而採用的政治協商妥協方式在喬治城大學是較不受歡迎的。