1974 NCTE Annual Business Meeting in New Orleans, Louisiana

Background

The development of career-oriented programs in postsecondary institutions throughout the nation is of crucial importance to the economic health of our country; however, with increasing frequency and intensity, many programs demand such a concentration of highly specialized courses that there is no opportunity for inclusion in students’ programs of humanities courses, especially in the areas of composition and literature. This trend seriously penalizes students in career-oriented programs and limits the scope of the education to which they are entitled. Be it therefore

Resolution

Resolved, first, that the National Council of Teachers of English strongly urge universities, four-year colleges, two-year colleges, the United States Office of Education, state departments of education, state and local boards of education, boards of regents, boards of trustees, and accrediting agencies to resist requirements within career-oriented programs that prevent students from participating fully in composition courses that are customarily available to or required of, students in liberal arts programs; and,

second, that NCTE strongly urge the same constituencies to resist requirements within career-oriented programs that prevent students from electing humanities courses, especially literature courses, that are customarily available to, or required of, students in liberal arts programs.

This position statement may be printed, copied, and disseminated without permission from NCTE.