CTCH 621, Section 001 – Spring 2008 Syllabus

Higher Education in the United States

Monday 7:20 – 10:00 pm;201 Research Hall

John S. O’Connor

GeorgeMasonUniversity

412Enterprise Hall

703-993-1455

Course Overview

What is the purpose of higher education? Why is it important to study the history of higher education in America? Who goes to college and why do they go? Who are the higher education’s main stakeholders? Who “runs” higher education institutions? What are the different types of higher education institutions? What is studied at college? Who decides? What does it mean to be college educated? How has being “college educated” changed over time? How is higher education an important shaper of American society and culture? Is higher education a right or privilege?

These questions anchor this course’s purpose which is to (a) provide an in-depth overview of the philosophic, political, social, and economic forces that have influenced higher education from the colonial period to the present while simultaneously (b) exploring how these forces relate to issues and challenges in contemporary higher education. As such, our readings, assignments, and discussions will move among the past, present, and future as we interact regularly between the macro – sweeping historical trends – and the micro, represented by key events that help to illuminate and connect different eras. As the “Higher Education in the United States” is a vast topic for one course, you will have ample opportunity to “dig deep” and investigate a topic of your own.

Learning Objectives

Students who successfully complete this course will:

  • Develop an understanding of the evolution and complexity of higher education in the United States through the study of both historical and contemporary issues
  • Identify and become familiar with the interconnected nature of higher education’s various missions and key stakeholders including but not limited to students, faculty, administrators, the federal government, and governance bodies
  • Gain experience in peer teaching/learning and develop a background in critiquing the ideas of others
  • Demonstrate graduate level communication skills especially writing, speaking, and listening
  • Find and use appropriate resources – by consulting authorities, through the library, and via the web – in order to learn more about a particular higher education issue

Required Readings

  • Thelin, J.R. (2004). A History of American Higher Education. JohnsHopkinsUniversity Press.
  • Altbach, P.G., R.O Berdahl, and P.J. Gumport. (2005). American Higher Education in the Twenty-First Century, 2nd ed. JohnsHopkinsUniversity Press.
  • Keep abreast of contemporary higher education issues through the Chronicle of Higher Education. Other publications include: Community College Times, Change, About Campus.
Articles, Reports, Chapters
  • Altbach, P. G. (2005). Harsh realities: The professoriate faces a new century. In P. G. Altbach, R. O. Berdahl & P. J. Gumport (Eds.), American higher education in the twenty-first century: Social, political, and economic challenges (pp. 287-314). Baltimore, MD: JohnsHopkinsUniversity Press.
  • Aronowitz, S. (2000). Who gets in, who's left out of colleges and universities? In The knowledge factory: Dismantling the corporate university and creating true higher learning (pp. 102-124). Boston: Beacon Press. Available on E-Reserve
  • Bastedo, M.N. (2005) Curriculum in higher education: the historical roots of contemporary issues. In P. G. Altbach, R. O. Berdahl & P. J. Gumport (Eds.), American higher education in the twenty-first century: Social, political, and economic challenges (pp. 462-485). Baltimore, MD: JohnsHopkinsUniversity Press.
  • Becher, T. (1987). The disciplinary shaping of the profession. In B. Clark (Ed.), The academic profession: National, disciplinary, and institutional settings (pp. 271-303). Berkeley, CA: University of California Press. Available on E-Reserve
  • Bok, D. (2003). The roots of commercialization. In Universities in the marketplace: The commercialization of higher education (pp. 1-17). Princeton, NJ: PrincetonUniversity Press. Available on E-Reserve
  • Borden, V. (2004) Accommodating student swirl: when traditional students are no longer the tradition Change, 36(2), 10-18. Available: InfoTrac Onefile
  • Bowen, W.G. (2005). Race in American Higher Education. In Equity and Excellence in American Higher Education (pp 13-38).Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press. On reserve.
  • Bowen, W.G. (2005) An Equity and Excellence Time Line. . In Equity and Excellence in American Higher Education (pp 139-160).Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press. On reserve.
  • Chamberlain, M. K. (1988). Historical background and overview. In Women in academe: Progress and prospects (pp. 3-12). New York: Russell Sage Foundation. Available on E-Reserve
  • Chang, M.J., P.G. Altbach, and K Lomotey. (2005) Race in higher education: making meaning of an elusive moving target. In P. G. Altbach, R. O. Berdahl & P. J. Gumport (Eds.), American higher education in the twenty-first century: Social, political, and economic challenges (pp. 517-536). Baltimore, MD: JohnsHopkinsUniversity Press.
  • Church, R. L., & Sedlak, M. W. (1976). The antebellum college and academy. In Education in the United States: An interpretive history (pp. 131-148). New York: Free Press. Available on E-Reserve
  • Clark, D. A. (1998). "The two Joes meet. JoeCollege, Joe Veteran": The G.I. bill, college education, and postwar American culture. History of Education Quarterly, 38(2), 165-189. Available: JSTOR
  • Coleman, S. R. (2001). Dangerous outposts: Progressive experiments in higher education in the 1920s and 1930s. In B. L. Smith & McCann (Eds.), Reinventing ourselves: Interdisciplinary education, collaborative learning, and experimentation in higher education (pp. 6-18). Bolton, MA: Anker. Available on E-Reserve
  • Dey, E. and S. Hurtado. (2005). College students in changing contexts. In P. G. Altbach, R. O. Berdahl & P. J. Gumport (Eds.), American higher education in the twenty-first century: Social, political, and economic challenges (pp. 315-339). Baltimore, MD: JohnsHopkinsUniversity Press.
  • Dilley, P (2002). 20th Century postsecondary practices and policies to control gay students, The Review of Higher Education, 25 (4) pp409-31.On reserve.
  • Duderstadt, J. J. (2000). Evolution or Revolution. In A university for the 21st century (pp. 318-335). Ann Arbor, MI: The University of Michigan Press. Available on E-Reserve
  • Geiger, R. L. (1995). The era of multipurpose colleges in American higher education. History of Higher Education Annual, 15, 127-152. Available on E-Reserve
  • Geiger, R. L. (1997). Research, graduate education, and the ecology of American universities: An interpretive history. In S. Rothblatt & B. Wittrock (Eds.), The European and American university since 1800: Historical and sociological essays (pp. 273-289). Cambridge: CambridgeUniversity Press. Available on E-Reserve
  • Geiger, R. L., & Bubolz, J. A. (2000). College as it was in the mid-nineteenth century. In R. L. Geiger (Ed.), The American college in the nineteenth century (pp. 80-90). Nashville, TN: VanderbiltUniversity Press. Available on E-Reserve
  • Geiger, R. L. (2005). The ten generations of American higher education. In P. G. Altbach, R. O. Berdahl & P. J. Gumport (Eds.), American higher education in the twenty-first century: Social, political, and economic challenges (pp. 38-70). Baltimore, MD: JohnsHopkinsUniversity Press.
  • Gladieux, L. E., & King, J. E. (2005). The Federal Government and higher education. In P. G. Altbach, R. O. Berdahl & P. J. Gumport (Eds.), American higher education in the twenty-first century: Social, political, and economic challenges (pp. 163-197). Baltimore, MD: JohnsHopkinsUniversity Press.
  • Gregorian, V. (2005). Six Challenges to the AmericanUniversity, in R. Hersh and J. Merrow (eds), Declining by Degrees (pp77-96). NY: Palgrave Macmillan. On Reserve
  • Gumport, P J. (2005) Graduate education and research: Interdependence and strain. In P. G. Altbach, R. O. Berdahl & P. J. Gumport (Eds.), American higher education in the twenty-first century: Social, political, and economic challenges (pp. 393-424). Baltimore, MD: JohnsHopkinsUniversity Press.
  • Gumport, P J. (2005) Technology and higher education: opportunities and challenges for the new era. In P. G. Altbach, R. O. Berdahl & P. J. Gumport (Eds.), American higher education in the twenty-first century: Social, political, and economic challenges (pp. 369-392). Baltimore, MD: JohnsHopkinsUniversity Press.
  • Herbold, H. (1994-1995). Never a level playing field: Blacks and the GI bill. Journal of Blacks in Higher Education, 6, 104-108. Available: JSTOR
  • Horowitz, H. L. (1987). College men: The war between students and faculty. In Campus life: Undergraduate cultures from the end of the eighteenth century to the present (pp. 23-55). New York: Knopf. Available on E-Reserve
  • Johnson, E. L. (1981). Misconceptions about the early land-grant colleges. Journal of Higher Education, 52(4), 222-233. Available: JSTOR
  • Keller, G. (2001). Governance: The remarkable ambiguity. In P. G. Altbach, P. J. Gumport & D. B. Johnstone (Eds.), In defense of American higher education (pp. 304-322). Baltimore, MD: JohnsHopkinsUniversity Press. Available on E-Reserve
  • Kennedy, D. (1997). To change. In Academic duty (pp. 265-288). Cambridge, MA: HarvardUniversity Press. Available on E-Reserve
  • Kerr, C. (2001). The idea of the multiversity. In The uses of the university (pp. 1-33). Cambridge, MA: HarvardUniversity Press. Available on E-Reserve
  • Kerr, C. (2002). Shock wave II: An introduction to the twenty-first century. In S. Brint (Ed.), The future of the city of intellect: The changing American university (pp. 1-19). Stanford, CA: StanfordUniversity Press. Available on E-Reserve
  • Kliewer, J. (2001) “InnovativeColleges and Universities of the 1960s and 1970; lessons from six alternative institutions,” Reinventing Ourselves,Bolton, Ma: Anker Pub. Co. Available on E-Reserve
  • Lane, J. C. (1987). The Yale report of 1828 and liberal education: A neorepublican manifesto. History of Education Quarterly, 27(3), 325-338. Available: JSTOR
  • LaPidus, J. B. (2001). Graduate education and research. In P. G. Altbach, P. J. Gumport & D. B. Johnstone (Eds.), In defense of American higher education (pp. 249-276). Baltimore, MD: JohnsHopkinsUniversity Press. Available on E-Reserve
  • Lazerson, M., Wagener, U., & Shumanis, N. (2000). What makes a revolution? Teaching and learning in higher education, 1980-2000. Change, 32(3), 12-19. Available: InfoTrac Onefile
  • Levine, A. (2005) “Worlds Apart: Disconnects Between students and Their Colleges,” in R. Hersh and J. Merrow (eds), Declining by Degrees (pp155-68). NY: Palgrave Macmillan. On Reserve
  • Massey, W. (2004). Collegium economicum: why institutions do what they do.Change, 36(4), 26-36. Available: InfoTrac Onefile
  • Lorenzo, A.L. (1994). The mission and functions of the community college: An overview. In G.A. Baker (Ed.), A handbook on the community college in America: Its history, mission, and management (pp. 111-122). Wesport, CT: Greenwood Press. Available on E-Reserve
  • Ratcliff, J.L. (1994). Seven streams in the historical development of the modern American community college. In G.A. Baker (Ed.), A handbook on the community college in America: Its history, mission, management (pp. 111-122). Westport, CT: Greenwood Press. Available on E-Reserve
  • Rice, R.E. (2004). The future of the American Faculty: an interview with Martin J. Finkelstein and Jack H. Schuster.Change, 36(2), 26-36. Available: InfoTrac Onefile
  • Robson, D. W. (1983). College founding in the new republic, 1776-1800. History of Education Quarterly, 23(3), 323-341. Available: JSTOR
  • Rudolph, F. (1962). The colonial college. In The American college and university: A history (pp. 3-22). New York: Vintage Books. Available on E-Reserve
  • Rudolph, F. (1962). The rise of football. In The American college and university: A history (pp. 373-393). Boston: Vintage Books. Available on E-Reserve
  • Rudolph, F. (1962). The education of women. In The American college and university: A history (pp. 307-328). Athens, GAUniversity of Georgia Press. Available on E-Reserve
  • Scott, J.C. (1999). The chautauqua movement: revolution in popular education. Journal of Higher Education, 70(4), 389-412.Available: JSTOR
  • Sebrechts, J. (1999). The women’s college difference. In S.N. Davis, M. Crawford, & J. Sebrechts (Eds.), Coming into her own: Educational success in girls and women (pp. 37-52). San Francisco, CA: Jossey Bass. Available on E-Reserve
  • Shireman, R, (2003). 10 QuestionsCollege Officials Should Ask About Diversity. Chronicle of Higher Education, 49(49), B10. Available: Proquest Research Library
  • Smith, P. (2004) Curricular Transformation.Change, 36(1), 28-36. Available: InfoTrac Onefile
  • Sperber, M. (2004). College sports, inc.: How big-time athletic departments run interference for college, inc. In D. G. Stein (Ed.), Buying in or selling out? The commercialization of the American research university (pp. 17-31). New Brunswick, NJ: RutgersUniversity Press. Available on E-Reserve
  • Springer, A. (2004). Update on affirmative action in higher education: A current legal overview. Washington, DC: American Association of University Professors. Available:
  • Symonds, W.C. (2003). Colleges in Crisis: as costs spin out of control, funding is in retreat. Bottom line: Some fundamental changes lie ahead. Business Week, April 28, 2003 (pp72-78). Available: Proquest Research Library
  • Synnott, M. G. (1979). The admission and assimilation of minority students at Harvard, Yale, and Princeton, 1900-1970. History of Education Quarterly, 19(3), 285-304. Available: JSTOR
  • Tomlinson-Keasey, C. (2002). Becoming digital: The challenge of weaving technology throughout higher education. In S. Brint (Ed.), The future of the city of intellect: The changing American university (pp. 133-158). Stanford, CA: StanfordUniversity Press. Available on E-Reserve
  • Turner, J., & Bernard, P. (1993). The German model and the graduate school: The University of Michigan and the origin myth of the American university. History of Higher Education Annual, 13, 221-241. Available on E-Reserve
  • Vine, P. (1976). The social function of eighteenth-century higher education. History of Education Quarterly, 16(4), 409-424. Available: JSTOR
  • Whitehead, J. S., & Herbst, J. (1986). How to think about the DartmouthCollege case. History of Education Quarterly, 26(3), 333-349. Available: JSTOR
  • Zussman, A. (2005). Challenges Facing Higher Education in the Twenty-First century. In P. G. Altbach, R. O. Berdahl & P. J. Gumport (Eds.), American higher education in the twenty-first century: Social, political, and economic challenges (pp. 115-160). Baltimore, MD: JohnsHopkinsUniversity Press.

Course Guidelines and Culture

Class sessions are facilitative and intended to provide the opportunity to discuss ideas, readings, and assignments. I expect you to complete work on time and be ready to discuss the topic of the day and/or readings that support that topic. Perhaps the most important part of the course is this continual process of forging connections among ideas andmaking these ideas public.

Therefore, attendance and active participation are essential for success in this course. While contributing to class discussions is central to participation, your grade will also hinge on other important factors especially how you participate in class. This includes your ability to facilitate class discussions, involvement in peer response and feedback, and regular contributions to online discussions. Amount of participation is less important than reasoned, ethical, responsible, and quality participation. Absences or tardiness will affect your progress and may interrupt the learning of your classmates. Please let me know beforehand if you must miss a class. If you do, you are responsible for the content delivered or handouts distributed. Please consult a classmate for any work you may have missed.

Assignments are due in class on the dates provided on the course schedule. Assignments overdue by more than one week will not be accepted unless you provide official documentation of extenuating circumstances. The Higher Education program asks that students submit assignments on paper. Given unusual circumstances, assignments may be submitted via email.

As a faculty member in New Century College (NCC), I am committed to collaboration, reflective practice, and integrative learning, student self assessment, and inclusive diversity. I believe we should create an intentionally inclusive community that celebratesdiversity and strives to have faculty, staff and students who reflect thediversity of our plural society.

Academic Honesty

GMU has an Honor Code with clear guidelines regarding academic integrity. Three fundamental principles to follow at all times: 1) all work submitted should be your own; 2) when using the work or ideas of others, including fellow students, give full credit through accurate citations; and 3) if you are uncertain about what is appropriate for a particular assignment, ask for clarification. No grade is important enough to justify academic misconduct. Plagiarism means using someone else’s words, opinions, or factual information without given the person credit, a very serious offense. It is very important to understand how to prevent committing plagiarism when using material from a source. If you wish to quote verbatim, you must use the exact words (including punctuation) just as it appears in the original and you must use quotation marks and page number(s) in your citation. If you want to paraphrase ideas from a source, that is, convey the author’s ideas in your own words—you must still cite the source, using MLA or APA format. Plagiarism is the equivalent of intellectual robbery and cannot be tolerated in the academic setting.

University Resources and Assistance

  • GMU Higher Education Program ( Beginning Fall 2004, the Community College Program’s name was changed to the Higher Education Program. This change reflects the addition of new curricula that include two Higher Education Concentrations in Administration and Student Services. This web site offers information and resources about the programs.
  • GMU Libraries. ( The GMU Libraries employ Librarians who can help you find information to support your project. Each Librarian is a subject specialist and can help with research topics of any area or discipline. The Library’s web site provides electronic access to journal databases and many other resources.
  • WritingCenter. (703-993-1200; Robinson A 116) Provides, at no charge, tutors who can help you develop ideas and revise papers. The WritingCenter can sometimes accommodate walk-ins, but generally it is best to call for an appointment. The services of the WritingCenter are also available online. For more information, e-mail .
  • DisabilityResourceCenter. (703-993-2472; SUB I, Room 234) Assists students with learning or physical conditions affecting learning. If you have a disability documented by the DisabilityResourceCenter that requires special conditions for exams or other writing assignments, please see me the first week of classes.

Course Schedule

January 28th

Class #1

/
Introductions and Course Overview
  • Address course’s “big” questions
  • Identify different types (sectors) of colleges and universities
  • Revise and agree upon syllabus
  • Thelin, J. R. Introduction, from A history of American higher education (pp xiii-xxii).
  • Geiger, R. L. (2005). The ten generations of American higher education, in P. G. Altbach, R. O. Berdahl & P. J. Gumport (Eds.), American higher education in the twenty-first century (pp. 38-70).
  • Declining by Degrees (film in class)

Febuary 4th

Class #2

Last day to add
Or drop without penalty is Feb 5th /
The Colonial and Revolutionary Periods, 1636-1785
Characteristics of Early Schools, Tensions between Religion and the State
Readings:
(1)Thelin, J.R.Colleges in the colonial era from A history of American higher education (pp 1-40).
(2) Vine, P. The Social Function of Eighteenth Century Higher Education (3) Robson, D.W. College Founding in the New Republic, 1776-1800.
Assignment Due:
(1) Find and compareuniversity or college’s mission statements from two different sectors of higher education (e.g. public community college and private liberal arts). Print and bring to class
(2) Response Paper onVine or Robson
February 11th

Class #3

/ College-Building Boom, 1785-1860
The English Model, Student Life and Rebellion
Reading:
(1)Thelin, J. R.Creating the American wayfrom the A history of American higher education (pp 41-73).
(2) Horowitz, H.L.College Men: The War Between Students and Faculty.
(3) Lane, J.C. The Yale Report of 1828 and Liberal Education: A Neorepublican Manifesto.
(4) Whitehead, J.S. & Herbst, J. How to Think About the DartmouthCollege Case.
Assignment Due: Group A on line questions and responses
February 18th
Class #4
Last day to drop is Feb 22nd / Diverse needs and Solutions, 1861-1890
The German Model, State Universities and Land Grand Colleges, Morrill Act,The Democratization of Higher Education
Reading:
(1)Thelin, J.R.Diversity and adversity from A history of American higher education(pp 74-109).
(2) Johnson, E.L. Misconceptions about the Early LandGrantColleges.
(3) Scott, J.C. The Chautauqua movement: revolution in popular education.
(4)Geiger, R.L. The Era of Multipurpose Colleges in American Higher Education, 1850-1890
Assignment Due: Group B on line questions and responses
February 25th

Class #5

/ The Emergence of the University
Community Colleges
Reading:
(1) Thelin, J.R. Captains of Industry and Eruditionfrom A history of American higher education (pp. 110-154)
(2) Turner, J. & Bernard, P. The German Model and the GraduateSchool: The University of Michigan and the Origin Myth of the AmericanUniversity.
(3) Ratcliff, J.L. Seven Streams in the Historical Development of the ModernCommunity College.
(4) Leadership Reconsidered
Assignment Due: Initial Ideas Paper on Past / Present / Future Issue

March 3rd

Class #6

Next week is spring break /
Early Twentieth Century: 1890-1920
Access Issues; Student Life
Reading:
(1) Thelin, J.R. Alma materfrom A history of American higher education (pp. 155-204)
(2)Synnott, M.G. The Admission and Assimilation of Minority Students at Harvard, Yale, and Princeton, 1900-1970
(3) Rudolph, F. The Rise of Football
(4) Bowen, W.G. An Equity and Excellence Time Line
Assignment Due: Response paper on Synott, Rudolph, or Bowen
March 17th

Class #7

/ Expansion and Reform, 1920-1945
Reading:
(1) Thelin, J. R. Success and excess from A history of American higher education (pp205-259).
(2) Coleman, S.R. Dangerous Outposts: Progressive Experiments in Higher Education in the 1920s and 1930s.
(3)Sebrechts, J. The women’s college difference.
(4) hooks. b.to be decided
Assignment Due: Group C on line questions and responses
March 24th
Class #8 /
Post War Higher Education, 1945-70
G.I. Bill of Rights and the Continued Democratization of Higher Education, The Rise of the Multiversity
Reading:
(1) Thelin, J. R. Gilt by association from A history of American higher education (pp. 260-316).
(2) Clark, D.A. “The Two Joes Meet. JoeCollege, Joe Veteran”: The GI Bill, College Education, and Postwar American Culture
(3) Herbold, H. Never a Level Playing Field: Blacks and the GI Bill
(4) Kerr, C. The Idea of A Multiversity.
Guest:
Assignment Due: Response Paper on Clark, Herbold, or Kerr
March 31st
Class #9 / ContemporaryUniversity, 1970-2000
Curricular/cultural wars; research and the federal government
Reading:
(1)Thelin, J. R. Coming of Age in America(pp. 306-326) from A history of American higher education.
(2) Gumport, P J. Graduate education and research: Interdependence and strain in American higher education in the twenty-first century.
(3) Bastedo, M.N. Curriculum in higher education: the historical roots of contemporary issues in American higher education in the twenty-first century
(4)Borden, Accomodating Student Swirl
(5) Kliewer, Innovative Colleges and Universities of the 1960s and 1970
Assignments Due: (1) email a question and a quote from 3 of the readings
(2) Revised Initial Idea Paper and Extensive Outline.
April 7th

Class #10

/ Demographics and Diversity
GIs, Blacks, Women, Immigrants, Who’s Next?Religion on Campus
Readings:
(1) Thelin, J. R. Coming of Age in America(pp. 326-31, 344-50) from A history of American higher education.
2)Bowen, W.G., Race in American Higher Education
(3) Hebel, S. No Room in the Class.
(4) Chang, M.J., P.G. Altbach, and K Lomotey. Race in higher education: making meaning of an elusive moving targetAmerican higher education in the twenty-first century.
(5) Dey, E. and S. Hurtado. College students in changing contexts in American higher education in the twenty-first century.
(6) Dilley, P 20th Century postsecondary practices and policies to control gay students
Guest:
Assignment Due:.Group D on line questions and responses
April 14th

Class #11

/
How Universities are Organized
Disciplines, Departments, Faculty Culture, Specialization and Fragmentation, Community
Reading:
(1)Thelin, J. R. Coming of Age in America(pp. 331-335)from A history of American higher education.
(2) Becher, T. The Disciplinary Shaping of the Profession.
(3) Keller, G. Governance: The Remarkable Ambiguity.
(4)Levine, A. Worlds Apart
(5) Gladieux, L.E. & King,J.E. The Federal Government and Higher Education in American higher education in the twenty-first century.
Assignment Due:Response paper on Becher, Keller, or Gladieux
April 21st

Class #12

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The Commercialization of Higher Education
Public Institutions in the Marketplace; For-Profit Education; Outreach and Advancement (Development, Fundraising, Foundation, Alumni)
Reading:
(1)Thelin, J. R. Coming of Age in America(pp. 350-62)from A history of American higher education.
(2) Massey, Collegium Economicum
(3) Bok, D. The Roots of Commercialization from Universities.
(4) Sperber, M. College Sports, Inc.: How Big-Time Athletic Departments Run Interference for College, Inc.
Guest:
Assignment Due: Group E on line questions and responses
April 28th

Class #13