Madigan Assumes Direction of Core Program

Rev. Arthur Madigan, S.J., a professor in the philosophy department, replaced Richard Cobb-Stevens, also a professor in the philosophy department, as the director of the University core curriculum.

Cobb-Stevens, who oversaw the development of the core over the past 19 years, will pass on the responsibilities of chair of the University Core Development Committee (UCDC), which entails working with the Office of the Provost to develop the core program and to determine which non-Boston College courses will be acceptable to fulfill core requirements.

According to goals set forth by the University Task Force on the core curriculum, the cumulative goals of the core include aiding students in their personal development of "relating course material to their own lives and to reflect on these relationships in their writing to intensify a growing sense of self-awareness."

Madigan said he believes that his responsibilities go beyond this. "If things really go well, I hope to stimulate conversation among faculty and students about what we are trying to accomplish through the core program," said Madigan. "I'm not sure how to do that, but I'll have to inform myself. I think it is my responsibility to become much better informed on the core and share it with the committee, deans, faculty, and students."
Madigan said that one of the continuing challenges that the core curriculum faces is evaluating its effectiveness. The New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC), the regional accrediting body that periodically certifies BC as an accredited university, has been putting pressure on the BC core curriculum to measure its effectiveness on students in the long run. "It is hard to measure because the core education may take effect 15 years from now," he said. "It's hard for us to try and do something about this while the students are still here." Madigan said that questionnaires, an interview process, and focus groups might be appropriate avenues to take in order to assess the effectiveness of the core.

While Madigan believes that the effectiveness of the core is an important issue that needs attention, he does not want to impose any severe changes on the core, but hopes to relate it more to current social problems. "In the past 15 years, the core courses have been the same," he said. "At the same time, the background of BC has been changing.  Yet, the same basic core design is from the early 1990s."

Improving upon the cultural diversity component of the core was one way to appeal to the social problems of today, Madigan said. "I am committed to the idea that the core should have a cultural diversity requirement. It can be satisfied in many different ways." Madigan said that being able to understand one's culture better, through the eyes of another, is a vital component to the cultural diversity requirement. "For a very good reason, the one thing that occurs to me is this requirement is in the core not just so people can pick up a little information of culture that isn't theirs," he said. "Instead, it should help a person know a more effective outlook on our own culture. If we can see our own culture with different eyes, that is a big plus."

Madigan has taught core courses since he came to BC in 1979. "I have taught in the core since I came to BC, and I have thoroughly enjoyed it," he said. "Working with BC students in the core is an overall stimulating and positive experience."

Working in the core program has allowed Madigan to form a special attachment to the importance of the core requirements at BC. "I think it's the single most important element that is what all students are going to be affected by in the long term," he said. "In the short term, major courses will help students develop their technical skills. But, as for what they are going to be like, training in the core is a determinant of that."

The core courses are especially vital in promoting Jesuit ideals that will stay with BC students throughout their lives, Madigan said. "For the last five to 10 years, I have served on a number of boards of trustees of different Jesuit institutions," he said. "I've seen many Jesuits interacting with each other. They are people with very different specialized training, and I was amazed at their way of communicating. They were articulate, and they shared common values. I think it's the core that brought this about."

Madigan said that the core curriculum is instrumental in promoting the values BC hopes to impart to its students because of the link between BC's Jesuit ideals and the core. "We don't have as many Jesuits in the classroom as we did 15 years ago, but I see the core as a strong linkage to the Jesuit tradition," he said. "The Jesuit idea is to prepare someone to be a good leader in their profession and their community. It is more than just technical training."