• It is THE ONE BOOK for academics to get up to speed about reforming general education.
• It is written by a faculty member for faculty members who aspire to educational leadership.
• It is written in the language, and with the perspectives, of faculty.
• It is an excellent primer—short, easy to read, and eminently useful.
• Faculty leaders should be required to read this book before speaking publicly about curriculum change.
• Academic administrators ought to buy a copy for every faculty member serving on a general education review or revision committee.”

—Jerry Gaff, senior scholar at Association of American Colleges and Universities

“In this thoughtful and useful overview of general education, its premises, values, and practices, Paul Hanstedt offers a guide to framing programs that are engaging and effective for both students and faculty members. Thinking about general education and its role in liberal learning has come a long way within the past two decades, and Hanstedt enables us to follow and appreciate what has emerged as an increasingly broad consensus.”
—Paul Gaston, Trustees Professor, Kent State University, and author of The Challenge of Bologna

“Finally, a thoughtful book, designed specifically for faculty, on General Education curricula and programs. While much has been written about general education over the past several decades, Hanstedt cuts to the chase and speaks directly to faculty about the theoretical underpinnings and conceptualization of GE and the powerful opportunities for learning that it presents to undergraduate students.”
—Susan Gano-Phillips, professor and chair, Department of Psychology, University of Michigan - Flint, and author of A Process Approach to General Education Reform: Transforming Institutional Culture

“At last! For those of us in higher education who have struggled through attempted revisions of core curriculum with little or no success, Paul Hanstedt’s General Education Essentials provides a framework that blends theory and practice, helping us rethink the purpose and meaning of liberal education. Through curriculum that facilitates connections among the disciplines rather than the acquisition of knowledge isolated in proverbial 'silos,' Dr. Hanstedt describes ways to construct general education models as well as individual courses that hone the critical and creative thinking competencies needed to develop global citizens for the 21st century. Dr. Hanstedt’s intelligent approach is grounded in experience, and he speaks in an authentic voice that faculty will recognize of the opportunities inherent in a revitalized liberal education program. In outlining concrete models of integrated learning and meaningful assignments and assessments, Dr. Hanstedt’s research and practice can assist any campus in taking that first step into what can become a transformative experience for faculty and students alike.”
—Patricia Dwyer, Vice-President for Academic Affairs, Wesley College