Handong and Harvard
“Handong and Harvard: Reflections of a Visiting Professor at HGU”
by Charles W. Herman, Ph.D.
Before I arrived at HGU, I wondered what kind of academic realities I would find when I met my colleagues and students in Korea. I had corresponded with the chairperson of the School of General Studies, the Dean of Academic Affairs, and the Office of International Affairs. Everyone appeared to be helpful and knowledgeable, but I still wondered if the reality would match the appearance.
I was not disappointed. My students were as bright and enthusiastic as any I had taught in the US, and my colleagues were as dedicated and diligent as any I had ever known. But I still wondered about HGU programs. What specific outcomes does the university wish to see? To what extent does the university achieve its mission—that is, does the curriculum really prepare leaders for the 21st century?
When I was searching for answers to questions such as these, I remembered reading about a plan at Harvard to revise its general education curriculum, and I decided to compare programs and objectives at the two universities. The results of this comparison were truly remarkable. In its short history, HGU has already established outcomes and programs that Harvard has decided only recently to emphasize. (A summary of Harvard’s recommendations is found at: www.fas.harvard.edu/curriculum-review/Summary_of_Recs.pdf.)
Perhaps a few examples from the Harvard report will demonstrate this finding.
·Internationalizing the curriculum
The Harvard report says: “We recommend that we enhance significantly the opportunities for our students in international studies . . . [an area] in which the world has changed most dramatically since our last general review of the undergraduate curriculum. . . . Every Harvard College student should be expected to complete an international experience, defined as study, research, or work abroad, and—no matter their level of proficiency upon entering Harvard—to
continue study in a foreign language.”
This is an area where Handong excels. From teaching foreign languages, especially English and Chinese, to recruiting international students and sending HGU students to study and live outside Korea, Handong has programs that help students to see the world from a global perspective. In this respect, Handong is already doing what Harvard is planning to do in the future.
·Choosing an academic major
The Harvard report recommends that “the timing of concentration [major] choice, which now takes place in the freshman year, should be delayed to the middle of the sophomore year. A later timing of concentration choice . . . would provide students greater opportunities for intellectual exploration before committing to
in-depth work in a concentration.”
Handong has adopted a similar policy already. In addition, Harvard recommends reducing the size of academic majors so that students will be able to explore more widely a variety of academic disciplines and approaches to knowledge. To achieve these outcomes at Handong, students are expected to acquire knowledge in adjoining fields that will supplement and support their academic majors.
·Building a sense of community
The Harvard report says: “To build a strong sense of community in Harvard College, we recommend that freshmen be assigned to their upperclass House upon arrival.”
Most HGU students reside on campus. For this reason, the university functions practically as a self-contained community. Students study together, eat and live together, pray and play together. Because students share time, space, and experiences so intimately, they also learn how to share responsibilities, participate in group activities, cooperate, help, support, and serve each other. Skills and dispositions such as these will not appear on their HGU transcripts, but they are just as important for leaders and workers in the 21st century as any other set of qualifications (both in the church and in secular society).
·Building relationships between instructors and students
The Harvard report recommended smaller classes and a small-group seminar during the first year because, the Harvard panel said, “we recognize that a liberal education is above all a shared endeavor of students and faculty.”
The Handong faculty is a wonderful asset for HGU because they love the university, their academic vocations, and their students. While it is not unusual for professors to love their research, their academic disciplines, and the ambience of university life, many have only limited contact with their students. If instructors work at research universities, for example, they must devote much time to their research projects, and they may have little time left for students. Instruction at research universities is often provided by teaching assistants, not full-time and tenured professors. At HGU, however, faculty do more than work on research projects. They also teach, counsel, and mentor students. They pray and worship with students during Wednesday chapel services. They may eat with students in the cafeteria or campus restaurant, and most full-time instructors meet weekly with a team of about 25 students. Again, it is apparent that Handong has realized already an outcome that Harvard is only hoping to achieve.
Similarities such as these show that Handong’s mission is actively progressive, and its vision for higher education is shared by one of the most prestigious universities in the world. While we may be impressed by similarities such as these, there are also some obvious and revealing differences between Handong and Harvard. For example, the Harvard report contained no references to spiritual values, computer or IT skills, a commitment to diversity, integration of faith and learning, service projects, and appreciation for the disposition of servanthood. Emphases such as these are central to Handong’s mission and design for higher education, however, especially its focus on character development and spiritual values.
By making these comparisons, I am not suggesting that Handong is in a class with Harvard. Nevertheless, I think it is important to celebrate what HGU has achieved in its brief history—or to state the case in Handong’s own unique way, to celebrate what God has done at HGU.
by Charles W. Herman, Ph.D.
Before I arrived at HGU, I wondered what kind of academic realities I would find when I met my colleagues and students in Korea. I had corresponded with the chairperson of the School of General Studies, the Dean of Academic Affairs, and the Office of International Affairs. Everyone appeared to be helpful and knowledgeable, but I still wondered if the reality would match the appearance.
I was not disappointed. My students were as bright and enthusiastic as any I had taught in the US, and my colleagues were as dedicated and diligent as any I had ever known. But I still wondered about HGU programs. What specific outcomes does the university wish to see? To what extent does the university achieve its mission—that is, does the curriculum really prepare leaders for the 21st century?
When I was searching for answers to questions such as these, I remembered reading about a plan at Harvard to revise its general education curriculum, and I decided to compare programs and objectives at the two universities. The results of this comparison were truly remarkable. In its short history, HGU has already established outcomes and programs that Harvard has decided only recently to emphasize. (A summary of Harvard’s recommendations is found at: www.fas.harvard.edu/curriculum-review/Summary_of_Recs.pdf.)
Perhaps a few examples from the Harvard report will demonstrate this finding.
·Internationalizing the curriculum
The Harvard report says: “We recommend that we enhance significantly the opportunities for our students in international studies . . . [an area] in which the world has changed most dramatically since our last general review of the undergraduate curriculum. . . . Every Harvard College student should be expected to complete an international experience, defined as study, research, or work abroad, and—no matter their level of proficiency upon entering Harvard—to
continue study in a foreign language.”
This is an area where Handong excels. From teaching foreign languages, especially English and Chinese, to recruiting international students and sending HGU students to study and live outside Korea, Handong has programs that help students to see the world from a global perspective. In this respect, Handong is already doing what Harvard is planning to do in the future.
·Choosing an academic major
The Harvard report recommends that “the timing of concentration [major] choice, which now takes place in the freshman year, should be delayed to the middle of the sophomore year. A later timing of concentration choice . . . would provide students greater opportunities for intellectual exploration before committing to
in-depth work in a concentration.”
Handong has adopted a similar policy already. In addition, Harvard recommends reducing the size of academic majors so that students will be able to explore more widely a variety of academic disciplines and approaches to knowledge. To achieve these outcomes at Handong, students are expected to acquire knowledge in adjoining fields that will supplement and support their academic majors.
·Building a sense of community
The Harvard report says: “To build a strong sense of community in Harvard College, we recommend that freshmen be assigned to their upperclass House upon arrival.”
Most HGU students reside on campus. For this reason, the university functions practically as a self-contained community. Students study together, eat and live together, pray and play together. Because students share time, space, and experiences so intimately, they also learn how to share responsibilities, participate in group activities, cooperate, help, support, and serve each other. Skills and dispositions such as these will not appear on their HGU transcripts, but they are just as important for leaders and workers in the 21st century as any other set of qualifications (both in the church and in secular society).
·Building relationships between instructors and students
The Harvard report recommended smaller classes and a small-group seminar during the first year because, the Harvard panel said, “we recognize that a liberal education is above all a shared endeavor of students and faculty.”
The Handong faculty is a wonderful asset for HGU because they love the university, their academic vocations, and their students. While it is not unusual for professors to love their research, their academic disciplines, and the ambience of university life, many have only limited contact with their students. If instructors work at research universities, for example, they must devote much time to their research projects, and they may have little time left for students. Instruction at research universities is often provided by teaching assistants, not full-time and tenured professors. At HGU, however, faculty do more than work on research projects. They also teach, counsel, and mentor students. They pray and worship with students during Wednesday chapel services. They may eat with students in the cafeteria or campus restaurant, and most full-time instructors meet weekly with a team of about 25 students. Again, it is apparent that Handong has realized already an outcome that Harvard is only hoping to achieve.
Similarities such as these show that Handong’s mission is actively progressive, and its vision for higher education is shared by one of the most prestigious universities in the world. While we may be impressed by similarities such as these, there are also some obvious and revealing differences between Handong and Harvard. For example, the Harvard report contained no references to spiritual values, computer or IT skills, a commitment to diversity, integration of faith and learning, service projects, and appreciation for the disposition of servanthood. Emphases such as these are central to Handong’s mission and design for higher education, however, especially its focus on character development and spiritual values.
By making these comparisons, I am not suggesting that Handong is in a class with Harvard. Nevertheless, I think it is important to celebrate what HGU has achieved in its brief history—or to state the case in Handong’s own unique way, to celebrate what God has done at HGU.
posted by Andrew Brown at 7:11 PM
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