Crisis in the Academy: Rethinking Higher Education in America

by Christopher J. Lucas

Not since student turmoil and unrest wreaked havoc on the nation's campuses three decades ago has American higher education been the subject of so much controversy and popular criticism. Countless indictments compete for the public's attention as critics explore vital issues confronting today's institutions of higher curricular fragmentation, declining academic standards, the apparent erosion of liberal learning within academe, widespread neglect of undergraduate education in favour of academic research and unprecedented financial woes. Confusion over fundamental priorities and purposes, the author argues, lies at the heart of the dilemma facing end-of-the-century higher education. Thoughtful and timely, Crisis in the Academy offers a wide-ranging analysis of contemporary higher education while making an important contribution to the ongoing public debate over the future of America's beleaguered and diverse institutions of higher learning.

Genres: Education, Nonfiction

308 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1996

Reviews

[Hubert]

Verbose, sometimes unnecessarily at times, this volume rings as true today as it did since its publication 20 years ago. Covers all areas of the academy in present day, including faculty, admissions, curriculum, and accountability. Lucas is an intimate observer of the world of higher ed inside and out.