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Foundations of Higher Education

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It is evident that higher education in the United States has gone through a tremendous transformation since its origins in the mid 1600’s. From schools whose only function was the training of ministers to the contemporary university of free and open access, both society and culture have had tremendous effects on the evolution of higher education in America. This paper will explore those transformations as related by the themes woven through the ten generations identified by. It will also offer evidence to support the identified theme of each generation.

Generation One The first generation of higher education in America saw the development of colleges as adjuncts or outgrowths of their respective churches. The original three …show more content…

The large increase in female students attending co-educational institutions supports the notion of growth as a vital factor of higher education in the seventh generation.
Generation Eight This generation introduced higher education in America to the masses instead of just those identified as elite. Students in the inner cities and those from modest means could also now attend college alongside their wealthier counterparts. Geiger reports that the College of the City of New York was one of the fastest growing institutions that catered to the mass population. In addition, college was now within reach for most high school graduates growing from “9 to 51 percent of age cohorts between 1910 and 1940.
Generation Nine The years 1945-1975 were characterized by the standardization of academics and the growth of student bodies. According to Geiger, this period saw the greatest growth of students since the founding of higher education in America. The introduction of the Serviceman’s Readjustment Act of 1944 was a pivotal tool that aided in spurring this unprecedented growth. In addition, institutions of higher education evolved to become more similar in terms of curriculum, the training of faculty and administrative functions.
Generation Ten Geiger proposes that the true importance and meaning of higher education in this final generation is yet to be clearly defined or understood. While a predominant theme may yet be to emerge, several important

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