Mirroring a recent trend in Europe, colleges in Minnesota, Utah, and Indiana are attempting to define a standardized set of requirements and standards for majors, a process referred to as “tuning.” Sponsored by the Lumina Foundation for Education, this effort seeks to make degrees more comparable for future employers and policy makers. 

Proponents of “tuning” argue that colleges’ current requirements for degrees vary greatly from institution to institution and are often meaningless to someone trying to assess what was learned in a student’s coursework.  They further argue that setting curriculum requirements and learning standards for degrees at all schools will make it easier for employers in different states or countries to compare students.

The project is not without its skeptics.  Faculty advocates at the American Association of University Professors worry that the process could take freedom away from faculty in determining what and how to teach.  Student editors at the Harvard Crimson worry “tuning” will diminish ingenuity and diversity among colleges and universities.

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