In the first year, students take four half-semesters of “Engagements” classes that work through principles of aesthetics, empirical knowledge, ethics and various human experiences. Then they take “Literacies” classes that provide necessary skills in writing, world languages and math. Finally, students are asked to explore each of seven “Disciplines,” which include courses in philosophy, sociology and physics, among others.

“There’s been a sense broadly at universities that it has been too long since we looked at general education,” Baucom said. “A lot of things are enduring; our students have always had a deep appreciation for the arts and humanities. But like, why? Why do you need that? How do coursework and arts connect? We need to show students that there is a connection between the work you’re doing; they’re not just in these different divisions where you have to take x number of credits. And then we also need to look at what we need now for job literacies and disciplines.”