Title: Curricular reform at Willamette University

Authors: Nathan Sivers Boyce; Jerry Gray; Cathleen Whiting; Donald H. Negri; Laura J. Taylor; Raechelle Mascarenhas; Tabitha Knight; Yan Liang

Addresses: Department of Economics, Willamette University, 900 State Street, Salem, OR 97301, USA ' Department of Economics, Willamette University, 900 State Street, Salem, OR 97301, USA ' Department of Economics, Willamette University, 900 State Street, Salem, OR 97301, USA ' Department of Economics, Willamette University, 900 State Street, Salem, OR 97301, USA ' Department of Economics, Willamette University, 900 State Street, Salem, OR 97301, USA ' Department of Economics, Willamette University, 900 State Street, Salem, OR 97301, USA ' Department of Economics, Willamette University, 900 State Street, Salem, OR 97301, USA ' Department of Economics, Willamette University, 900 State Street, Salem, OR 97301, USA

Abstract: In August 2014 Willamette University began offering a new economics curriculum. The purpose of this paper is to describe it in more detail and explain our rationale for adopting it. Key changes include commitments to: begin with economic issues that motivate questions for analysis; incorporate the history of economic thought in a systematic way; and embrace explicit pluralism. We argue that designing an explicitly pluralist curriculum requires determining how to organise economic thought, how to structure the curriculum to embed pluralism, and how to embody pluralism in the core courses. Our approach to pluralism organises economic thought according to a 'grand traditions' approach and is fully integrated into the curriculum, developing multiple perspectives side-by-side in each course. We argue that these reforms will help us better prepare students for independent, critical inquiry into economic issues.

Keywords: pluralism; curriculum reform; Willamette University; grand traditions; history of thought; economics education; contending perspectives; critical thinking; liberal arts educational philosophy.

DOI: 10.1504/IJPEE.2017.085589

International Journal of Pluralism and Economics Education, 2017 Vol.8 No.2, pp.156 - 183

Received: 05 Sep 2016
Accepted: 12 Apr 2017
Published online: 31 Jul 2017 *

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