Editing Brown University (section)

=== New Curriculum ===
{{Main|Open Curriculum (Brown University)}}
In 1966, the first Group Independent Study Project (GISP) at Brown was formed, involving 80 students and 15 professors. The GISP was inspired by student-initiated experimental schools, especially [[San Francisco State University|San Francisco State College]], and sought ways to "put students at the center of their education" and "teach students how to think rather than just teaching facts".<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |url=http://www.browndailyherald.com/2005/03/02/the-new-curriculum-then/ |title=The New Curriculum Then |last=Leubsdorf |first=Ben |date=2005-03-02 |work=Brown Daily Herald |access-date=2017-11-09 |language=en-US |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171110005326/http://www.browndailyherald.com/2005/03/02/the-new-curriculum-then/ |archive-date=November 10, 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref>

Members of the GISP, [[Ira Magaziner]] and Elliot Maxwell published a paper of their findings titled, "Draft of a Working Paper for Education at Brown University."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://dl.lib.brown.edu/libweb/papers/maxwell.php |title=Draft of a working paper for education at Brown University |author=Ira magaziner with Elliot Maxwell |publisher=Brown University Library |access-date=December 6, 2007|display-authors=etal |archive-date=October 28, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211028221010/https://library.brown.edu/info/libweb/maxwell/ |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=":0" /> The paper made proposals for a new curriculum, including [[interdisciplinary]] freshman-year courses that would introduce "modes of thought," with instruction from faculty from different disciplines as well as for an end to letter grades. The following year Magaziner began organizing the student body to press for the reforms, organizing discussions and protests.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |year=1993 |title=Curriculum |encyclopedia=Encyclopedia Brunoniana |publisher=Brown University Library |location=Providence, Rhode Island |url=https://www.brown.edu/Administration/News_Bureau/Databases/Encyclopedia/search.php?serial=C0780 |access-date=December 6, 2007 |last=Mitchell |first=Martha |oclc=31085279 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060911102040/http://www.brown.edu/Administration/News_Bureau/Databases/Encyclopedia/search.php?serial=C0780 |archive-date=September 11, 2006 |url-status=live}}</ref>

In 1968, university president [[Ray Heffner]] established a Special Committee on Curricular Philosophy. Composed of administrators, the committee was tasked with developing specific reforms and producing recommendations. A report, produced by the committee, was presented to the faculty, which voted the New Curriculum into existence on May 7, 1969. Its key features included:<ref>{{Cite web |last=Skidmore |first=Lydia Defusto, Alex |date=2019-05-24 |title=Open Curriculum at 50 |url=https://www.browndailyherald.com/2019/05/24/open-curriculum-50/ |access-date=2021-04-11 |website=Brown Daily Herald |language=en-US |archive-date=April 30, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210430064610/https://www.browndailyherald.com/2019/05/24/open-curriculum-50/ |url-status=live}}</ref>
*Modes of Thought courses for first-year students
*The introduction of interdisciplinary courses
*The abandonment of "general education" distribution requirements
*The Satisfactory/No Credit (S/NC) grading option
*The ABC/No Credit grading system, which eliminated pluses, minuses, and D's; a grade of "No Credit" (equivalent to F's at other institutions) would not appear on external transcripts.

The Modes of Thought course was discontinued early on, but the other elements remain in place. In 2006, the reintroduction of plus/minus grading was proposed in response to concerns regarding grade inflation. The idea was rejected by the College Curriculum Council after canvassing alumni, faculty, and students, including the original authors of the Magaziner-Maxwell Report.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.brown.edu/Administration/Sheridan_Center/pubs/teachingExchange/jan2002/grade_inflat.shtml |title=Grade Inflation and the Brown Grading System: 2001–2002 Sheridan Center Research Project |work=The Teaching Exchange |publisher=Sheridan Center for Teaching, Brown University |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070204090048/https://www.brown.edu/Administration/Sheridan_Center/pubs/teachingExchange/jan2002/grade_inflat.shtml |archive-date=February 4, 2007 |url-status=live |access-date=December 5, 2007 |df=mdy}}; {{cite news |url=http://media.www.browndailyherald.com/media/storage/paper472/news/2006/03/15/CampusNews/Plusminus.Fails.Key.Test-1686967.shtml |title=Plus/minus fails key test: Faculty could still vote to change grading system |last=Lutts |first=Chloe |date=March 15, 2006 |access-date=December 11, 2005 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090328034948/http://media.www.browndailyherald.com/media/storage/paper472/news/2006/03/15/CampusNews/Plusminus.Fails.Key.Test-1686967.shtml |archive-date=March 28, 2009 |url-status=dead |newspaper=Brown Daily Herald |df=mdy-all}}</ref>