Higher education in the 1990s has, thus far at least, been mostly reactive with only one major exception: political correctness. Here elements of higher education, mostly confined to the humanities, are on the aggressive, attacking proponents of the majority and established culture. P.C. aside, however, it has been mostly a street with one-way traffic.Among the four periods noted, this last one involves a unique combination of (1) intense interaction of higher education with society, (2) dominant initiatives by society, (3) limited overall agreement on goals and methods, and (4) potentially prolonged and rising conflict -- a "time of troubles."
Some General Comments on the Essays that Follow
1.
I agree with several of the authors (chapters I through 4) that, of the two great historic issues between society and higher education, individual academic freedom and institutional autonomy, that the latter is by far the bigger issue in the prospective future, with academic freedom now more an internal than an external issue.
2.
I also agree that equity may be mostly winning out over quality (chap- ter 5).
3.
I believe that the states are now much more important, in the area of public higher education, than the federal government -- the governors are the new men of power, but so also are the judges (chapters 6 through 9).
4.
I think that Philip Altbach in his overarching central-themes essay, (chapter 10) may be too pessimistic when he says that "American higher education is in a period of unprecedented decline," but too optimistic when he writes that "it is likely that the medium term future will be somewhat more favorable than the immediate past"; but I agree that "the essential structure of American higher education remains unaltered" -- so far, at least. It is a historic time when pessimism, optimism, realism are all in contention. (See also chapter 15 -- the other most inclusive central-themes essay).
5.
Students of today are more conservative politically and more vocationally oriented personally, with dreams of "the revolution" and prospects for the humanities the two great losers (chapter 11).
6.
Leadership is under great pressure. The new divide among presidents is between those who are pro-active to the new range of problems and those who are reactive -- so far the great majority are on the reactive side of that divide. Will that change? Who, if anyone, will take charge? (chapter 12)
7.
Current faculty members, in general, are taking less interest in the welfare of the whole campus and, in particular, in the curriculum, as Irving J. Spitzberg notes (chapter 13). Spitzberg also raises these intriguing questions: What will the "new blood" (recruited 1995 to 2010) be like? This will be a central issue. Will campuses "navigate or be pushed aground?"
-13-
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Publication Information: Book Title: Higher Education in American Society. Contributors: Philip G. Altbach - editor, Robert O. Berdahl - editor, Patricia J. Gumport - editor. Publisher: Prometheus Books. Place of Publication: Amherst, NY. Publication Year: 1994. Page Number: 13.
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