American Higher Education in the Twenty-First Century: Social, Political, and Economic Challenges

by Philip G. Altbach (Editor), Patricia J. Gumport (Editor), Robert O. Berdahl (Editor)

First published in 1998, American Higher Education in the Twenty-First Century offers a comprehensive entree to the central issues facing American colleges and universities today. This thoroughly revised edition brings the volume up to date on key topics of enduring interest. Placing higher education within its social and political contexts, leading scholars discuss finance, federal and state governance, faculty, students, curriculum, and academic leadership. Contributors also address major changes in higher education, especially the influence and incorporation of the latest technologies and growing concern about the future of the academy in a post–Iraq War setting. No other book covers such wide-ranging issues under the broader theme of higher education’s relationship to society. Highly acclaimed and incorporating cutting-edge research, American Higher Education in the Twenty-First Century remains the standard reference in the field. Contributors: Philip G. Altbach, Benjamin Baez, Michael N. Bastedo, Robert O. Berdahl, Marjorie A. E. Cook, Melanie E. Corrigan, Judith S. Eaton, Peter D. Eckel, Gustavo Fischman, Roger L. Geiger, Lawrence E. Gladieux, Sara Goldrick-Rab, Patricia J. Gumport, Fred F. Harcleroad, D. Bruce Johnstone, Adrianna Kezar, Jacqueline E. King, Aims C. McGuinness Jr., Amy Scott Metcalfe, Michael Mumper, Michael A. Olivas, Robert M. O'Neil, Gary Rhoades, Frank A. Schmidtlein, Sheila Slaughter, Daryl G. Smith, John Willinsky

Genres: Education, Grad School, Nonfiction, Academic, Textbooks

520 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1998

Reviews

[Bre Williamson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some of the articles could be hard to get through, but most were interesting

[Joseph Wycoff · Rating 2 out of 5]

Recycled tripe published every 8-10 years since the 1970s by higher education scholars...I have _Higher Education in American Society_ (1981), edited by Philip G. Altbach and Robert O. Berdahl, on my bookshelf as well. There is little difference between the two volumes as if the twentieth (1981) and twenty-first (2011) centuries do not differ. Well, the "authors" change. In 1981, T. R. McConnell is attributed for "Autonomy and Accountability" (Chapter 3). In 2011, Frank A. Schmidtlein and Robert O. Berdahl are attributed for "Autonomy and Accountability" (Chapter 3). The subtitles of Chapter 3 change, but the underlying text/outline in both articles is nearly the same. Compare the top of page 40 (1981) to page 69 (2011): "If a college or university is to effectively define its goals and select or invent the means of attaining them, it must have a high degree of" independence (1981) / autonomy (2011). The sentence is identical with the exception of independence/autonomy. McConnell (1981) cites no other scholar for this profound (?) insight, while Schmidtlein and Berdahl (2011) cite a work (without placing the identical text in quotations) by Howard R. Bowen from 1977 as if McConnell is one who first plagiarized these words! (I recall I found a similar sentence in a work from earlier in the 1970s but could not verify for this impetuous review...) Unfortunately, higher education students have been asked to read this ideological trash as if it is disciplinary canon for nearly 50 years now. For tenured scholars, the words appear to be some sort of worldly wisdom to be passed on, memorized, scribed (copied), and unquestioned by their graduate school pupils. Oh, wait, how do I know this? I wrote a book about the history of higher education scholarship, focusing on the use and abuses of "institutional autonomy" since the 1950s (_Honors of Inequality_).

[Renee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read for grad school

[Sarah Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book for a class on perspectives in higher education in the United States for my master's degree program. I was only required to read the first nine chapters, so I've only read about 300 of the roughly 450 pages in this book, but I think enough to give a review. This book is composed of 17 chapters by different authors on various topics in higher education. Topics reviewed include academic freedom, the federal and state government, accreditation, the legal environment, and patterns in higher education.

Like most compilations of essays, some of these were better than others. I particularly liked the breakdown of patterns and trends in higher education broken down by decades. For those who work or study within America's higher education system and are curious to learn more about its history or the complexity of the system, this book is a good place to start. It gives a good overview of numerous topics from the evolving job of the college president to the influence of the GI bill on colleges and universities.

On the other hand, this book is somewhat dated. The edition I read was published in 1999. Substantial changes in public policy and trends in higher education have taken place in the fifteen years since this was written. Therefore, this text is probably a better resource for historical overview of higher education in America rather than current practices.

[Felix · Rating 4 out of 5]

Used it in my first semester in Drexel. Good overview of the major issues in higher education.

[Margaret · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks, Harvard Extension School class on Higher Education Strategy and Management! Very interesting book.

[Jason Panella · Rating 5 out of 5]

The third edition is filled with tons of excellent articles. (I was surprised, honestly.) Most of the newer articles look at where some of the current higher ed trends are heading.

[Godfrey Linnex · Rating 5 out of 5]

where is the book?

[Jelizabeth True · Rating 4 out of 5]

read for grad school. good intro to HE issues.

[Aaron Clevenger · Rating 3 out of 5]

Required for school not for casual reading, not even for casual learning.

[Deb · Rating 5 out of 5]

RMU