HUNTINGTON -- Marshall University's general education requirements are average among the 714 universities surveyed in "What Will They Learn?" which was put together by the American Council of Trustees and Alumni.

The survey included information from online course catalogs for the 714 schools, looking to see which ones required, and at what depth, composition, math, foreign language, literature, U.S. government or history and economics. The website for the American Council of Trustees and Alumni said the survey was conducted because the organization believes those courses, when designed properly, give college students a firm grounding in the areas of knowledge they will use for a lifetime.

Marshall's grade of 'C' put it on par with 209 other higher education institutions included in the survey. Marshall received check marks for requiring composition, a foreign language and science. But the survey states Marshall does not require an economics course, and only partially fulfills a need for literature, U.S. government or history and mathematics.

Marshall officials didn't want to comment too deeply on the survey, but Provost Gayle Ormiston and Chief of Staff Matt Turner did say the university's new Core Curriculum is more in depth and requires vastly more critical thinking.

"We are excited about the debut of this year's new Core Curriculum, a program three years in the works which is being well received by students and faculty alike," Turner said. "The new core curriculum certainly covers subjects in these areas and we believe strongly that it will better prepare our students to succeed at Marshall and in their careers. The new Core Curriculum will foster critical thinking skills for today's college students and provide a direct link between the first classes a student takes as a freshman to his or her senior Capstone experience.

"As with many other organizations that rate institutions, this particular organization appears to have its own goal and idea of what they believe a general education should be," Turner added. "Marshall's previous general education curriculum required students to take courses in all areas covered in the survey."

The survey states Marshall's literature requirement may be fulfilled with courses narrow in scope. No credit was given for U.S. government or history because the social sciences requirement includes but does not specifically require a survey in American government or history. And a check mark for math was withheld because Marshall's math requirement may be satisfied by courses with little college-level math content.

Three other West Virginia institutions were surveyed, including West Virginia University, Shepherd University and Mountain State University. The latter earned a 'D' and only received check marks for composition and science.

Both WVU and Shepherd earned 'Bs', meeting at least four of the seven criteria. They were two of the 251 schools nationwide that were given a 'B.'

Only 16 earned an 'A,' while 135 were given a 'D' and 103 got an 'F.'

"Even as our students need broad-based skills and knowledge to succeed in the global marketplace, our colleges are failing to deliver," the survey report states. "Topics like U.S. government or history, literature, mathematics, and economics have become mere options on far too many campuses. Not surprisingly, students are graduating with great gaps in their knowledge--and employers are noticing. If not remedied, this will have significant consequences for U.S. competiveness and innovation.

The survey found that 605 schools require science, 553 require composition, 436 require math, 236 require a foreign language, 157 require literature, 139 require U.S. government or history, and just 25 require a course in economics.

The American Council of Trustees and Alumni is an independent, non-profit organization committed to academic freedom, excellence and accountability at America's colleges and universities. Launched in 1995, the organization works with alumni, donors, trustees and education leaders across the United States to support liberal arts education, uphold high academic standards, safeguard the free exchange of ideas on campus and ensure that the next generation receives a philosophically rich, high-quality college education at an affordable price.

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