Devyn Forcina ‘22

News Editor

The Common Requirement Steering Committee is holding five campus-wide listening sessions over the course of late February and early March. The goals of these sessions are to elicit feedback on the current system of common requirements and to discuss three alternative models. Ultimately, the Committee is hoping to understand what features can be combined to make the best model.

If you are interested in attending, upcoming sessions will be held on Friday, February 26 from 12-1 pm, Tuesday, March 2 from 5-6 pm, and Thursday, March 4 from 12-1 pm. It will be helpful to review the materials that the committee has emailed. You may also want to consider what you like about the three models, and what you do not like about them that could still be improved. 

All three models (A, B, and C) consist of 11 classes that achieve a curriculum with breadth, competencies, and responsible citizenship. Most of the differences between the models are concerned with tracking different competencies, like quantitative reasoning, writing, or oral communication. The models also account for Montserrat, which supports the development of such competencies and allows for experiences both inside and outside of the classroom. 

There are ultimately still questions of structure, and how these models could eventually be implemented, with standards, into a Holy Cross curriculum. As co-chair of the Common Requirement Steering Committee, Professor Scott Malia, said at the first listening session: “Our vision is that this should be an ongoing process.” If you would like to be involved in the process, consider attending a listening session and sharing your thoughts.