Introduction - A Transition of Fascination to Fear Historically change has been vital in the emergence of American higher education. John Thelin (2011) expresses "The single most change in American higher education at the end of the 19th century was that college going became fashionable and prestigious" (p. 156). Prior to WWII, the public romanticized college going as a means to promote social mobility. Throughout the evolution of higher education, individuals ' views transitioned from fascination to fear. A sense of fear was instilled in students as they became aware colleges were not exempt from violence. The transition-inspired legislation of the Clery Act, which puts practices into place to create safe communities. Has regulation of the Clery Act benefited student populations? Do higher education institutions exclude certain populations by complying with the act? Throughout this paper, I will address these questions and critically analyze the Clery Acts significance within higher education.
The History and Amendments to the Clery Act Before enactment of the Campus Security Act, there had been a multitude of particularly violent crimes on college campuses, which threatened the security higher education institutions assured (101st United States Congress, 1990). Due to this fact, congress proposed a disclosure of campus security policy and campus crime. Both public and private institutions that received federal funds were required to prepare and distribute annual
In September of 2015, Harper’s Magazine published William Deresiewicz’s essay The Neoliberal Arts: How colleges have sold their soul to the market. In this essay, Deresiewicz discusses how colleges have changed their mindset over the last century and how the world’s new neoliberal thinking has changed higher education for the worse.
Every higher institution of learning has their own set of myths and history. Some of them may be vaguely true and some may be highly influential. The history of the institution may have a negative effect on those who look to apply or be a part of the institution. The history of a place sets the epitome of future enrollees. Some of the ghosts that haunt any college may have an extremely negative impact on how they are viewed today. This negative perception of the university can lead to strong economic deficits. Throughout trying to combat negative concepts that are thrust upon an institution, they have resolved issues of ethics, violence and, to most importantly, boost cohesion and moral.
Charles Murray’s essay proposes that American colleges are being flooded with individuals who are either unprepared for higher education or who are simply forced into attending college and can’t succeed because of the lack of certain innate abilities. Murray’s essay goes on to take issue with the idea that the pursuit of a traditional college education is somehow strategically creating a separation of the American class system. While Murray makes many salient points with regards to America’s obsession with college education as a standard into a class of the intellectual elite, the essay fails to take into consideration the various motivators that can lead to student success, despite
Date rapes, hate crimes and theft have become an apparent concern on college campuses. The most disturbing crime on a college campus is a school shooting. Being a victim of any crime is the last thing any student or parent thinks of when choosing a college or university. The possibilities of danger on a college campus have been increasing over the years due to the reported crimes ranging from theft to murder. Because of the recent years of college campus reported shootings, both student and parent have become alarmingly concerned about
Mark Edmundson, the author of “On the Uses of a Liberal Education”, is an English teacher at the University of Virginia who expresses his concerns about the trajectory of the universities and colleges in America. Edmundson depicts how college students today have “little fire, little passion to be found,” towards their classes (4). In an effort to find the source of this lack of passion, Edmundson describes contacting other professors about this issue while refining his own ideas. Ultimately, Edmundson comes to a conclusion. He believes that the consumer mindset of college students has hindered American universities as a whole. My target audience is my professor, Professor Chezik. Looking closely at his wording, formation of sentences, and idea structure, one can see a recurring theme throughout Edmundson’s essay. Edmundson uses fragments, specifically at the beginning of his paragraphs, to start his point, pose counter arguments, and to have a poetic refrain.
Summary: The article “Rhode Island Schools Report 18% Increase in Sexual Assaults” Arditi explains to us of the unfortunate rise in sexual assault at universities in the Rhode Island area. She gives us statistical evidence of reports by journals and newspapers. These statistics showed an increase of 65 sexual assaults by 11 schools near Providence and a 40 percent increase for 29 New England schools (Arditi). These sexual assaults are due to many conditions of the college, such as, its size, location, culture, and how well it deals with reports of the abuse. Colleges have a rising problem of victims failing to report crimes that were committed upon them. Along with problems with reports, sharing information between law enforcement and college student affairs was an increasing issue. Universities and colleges were not required to share data until a White House task force recommended that these institutions sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)
“The two-year college has been a distinctively American creation, and nowhere else has it attained such prominence” (Brint & Karabel, 1989). Once commonly called
Why are many young Americans so uncomfortable with liberal arts? And why are countless high school graduates shying away from this particular form of education? Just like anything else that is popular, once liberal arts has been accurately, or inaccurately, discredited, the aftermath inevitably spreads. As more information is being mistakenly spread, numerous liberal arts colleges are taking the fall. To combat the onslaught of negative publicity, university officers are beginning to speak out to discredit the invalid claims.
Third, any campus that does not allow students and faculty to protect themselves, violates their constitutional right to do so and leaves their institution open to litigation in the event that a crime is committed against a student or faculty member while on campus.
Unfortunately, notwithstanding poet Louisa Fletcher's desire to start over, colleges and universities in the United States will not at any time soon access the Land of Beginning Again. Those institutions must enact meaningful change transitions from where they exist today, and there is much change that is needed. To wit, innovator and strategic management consultant Fred Buining asserts that higher education is in the "eye of the hurricane," which means that leaders, scholars, and educators are not doing enough to meet the challenges they face. Buining suggests that there is "no critical mass" in terms of the changes that are needed in higher education. Moreover, he believes that while today's student in colleges and universities are getting younger the professors and instructors are getting older, issues like cultural diversity and commercialization threaten institutions of higher learning. This paper reviews and critiques scholarly sources that address issues of diversity and commercialization on college and university campuses. Thesis: colleges and universities are in many respects becoming very much like corporations, and this is truly the wrong direction for higher education
The purpose of this research paper is to explore the altered missions of community colleges and related impacts on the historical mission of community colleges. The mission of community colleges were intended to serve all individuals with an equal opportunity for higher education access. In this research paper, there will be four guided questions:
In the article, “College is a Waste of Time and Money”, Caroline Bird explains why higher education is not always the right choice for students after high school. The author believes that students do not come to the decision to attend college on their own but they are expected to and pressured by parents, advisors, and society. In the beginning of the article the author argues that colleges use techniques to sell themselves just like any other product on the market. They advertise what they have to offer and tell students what they want to hear. She also feels that campuses, stemming from the riots in the 1960’s, have started to
The tragic events at Virginia Tech in April of 2007 and Northern Illinois University in February of 2008 have policymakers, campus officials and citizens looking for solutions to prevent future attacks (Dickerson). Violent shootings that have occurred on a few college campuses in recent years have provoked a debate over
In his editorial, “The Year of the Imaginary College Student,” Hua Hsu asserts that “alarm about offense-seeking college students say[s] more about critics than the actual state of affairs.” Hsu begins his article by discussing James O’Keefe’s attempt at Vassar College to depict that college students are as politically sensitive as they appear. He goes on to demonstrate that college students are getting increasingly more “hypersensitive.” Hsu then questions the “surge of interest in campus life,” wondering why people who are not in college are questioning the behavior of those in college. Next, Hsu states that this panic about “offense-seeking college students” says more about the people criticizing rather than the system. Elucidating, he
America’s higher education system has an interesting history. It has advanced substantially since it was established. Unfortunately, its beginnings were based on slavery and cultural genocide. Craig Steven Wilder’s book Ebony and Ivy gives insight into the intriguing beginning of America’s colleges. Wilder focuses mostly on the impact and treatment of both the Native Americans and African Americans within the beginnings of colonial universities, but within these statements, one can see how dramatically the American college system developed in these early years. The book has excellent reviews. In an article posted on December 1, 2014 the African American Review states, “Ebony and Ivy will change the way we think about knowledge-creation at America’s universities…Craig Wilder’s masterly work will stand the test of time and should be required reading for college students across America.” In a Washington Post article published in 2014, Carson Byrd says, “Ebony & Ivy is a meticulously argued work and a valuable resource for multiple disciplines. It strongly connects slavery, science, and higher education to explain how racism is built into the foundation of our colleges and universities. A few of these connections are described below.”