I have heard academic administrators compare higher education institutions to department stores and to malls. These analogies are interesting in that we are seeing ourselves as products to be sold with students as our customers. We in higher education have been trying to become the one stop place to buy all of the knowledge and skills an individual needs to be successful. As a result, colleges have too many majors and too many courses that have little resemblance to the original mission of the institution. More importantly, as a business we find it increasingly difficult to financially support the entire inventory .
Every institution is distinct and unique.
The mission statement of these institutions is supposed to reflect these unique qualities. Ironically, most mission statements are vague and are a politically correct wish list of what every human being should aspire to. It has been my experience that educators know the true mission of an institution even if it is not perfectly portrayed in its public mission statement. We must look at this true mission and revise our curriculum to match it. With respect to general education curriculum, we must ask ourselves what our students at our institution truly need to be well-educated individuals.