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
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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
In 1897, there was an average of 256 students in a private institution and 415 students in a public institution (Goldin et. al. 45). In comparison, the average amount of students in 1924 in a private institution increased to 755 students per institution and 2165 students per public institution (Goldin et. al. 45). Both private and public institutions benefited from the increase of higher education students. Public institutions in 1924 had five times the amount of students they had in 1897. Ten years later, private institutions had an average of 859 students, and public institutions had an average of 2790 students (Goldin et. al. 45). This shows that the dramatic increase that occurred from 1897 to 1924 continued in the following
Education as a whole has been the key to the future and provides to the students with skill that they could not get anywhere. The new age has clearly shown us that education is a vital ingredient for a person’s future. Education has shown that one who studies further has a better lifestyle and will be highly respected, but what education cannot do is offer everyone the opportunity to succeed. Only a few students can take advantage of education; because if suddenly
College: What is Was, Is and Should Be, by Andrew Delbanco takes both a historical and analytical approach to the evolution of higher education institutions in the United States. While thought provoking, some of his views balance on the verge of extremity. Many colleges provide students with the skills necessary for what is happening in society at that moment. This is exemplified in how the application process has changed from the earliest colleges to today. Also, when colleges were first introduced into society, students were recommended by members of society to attend a school, which is much different than the process today. Another aspect of what Delbanco discusses in his book is the disparity between a small liberal arts college and
Increasingly, a college education seemed intertwined with success. Women’s colleges and universities open to both genders were thriving, notably in the
In 1852 when John Henry Newman wrote his essay, “The Idea of a University,” he wanted to convey that a University’s purpose was to be able to educate first-rate members of the social order. Newman’s theory, although over a hundred years old, still applies to today’s college students; many are seeking higher educations to not only lead to successful careers, but to also become an improved person in society.
Two professors of different backgrounds, Mike Rose of California, and Gerald Graff, of Illinois, discuss the problems college students face today in America. Though similar in slight variations, both professors view the problem in different regards and prepare solutions that solve what they feel to be the heart of this academic problem.
“The two-year college has been a distinctively American creation, and nowhere else has it attained such prominence” (Brint & Karabel, 1989). Once commonly called
Higher education has a vast history; beginning in the early colonial period and spanning ten generations. With its wide range of history, aspects of higher education have changed as the ideals and reforms of society adjusted. Albeit, the missions and purposes of college have remained the same. In this paper, I will clarify the three main missions and purposes of higher education. Then, I will shift the focus of the paper to the area I would like to pursue in higher education and how it reflects those purposes.
John R. Thelin called the period from 1970 to 1980 “turbulent waters” for all institutions (Thelin, 2011, p. 317). After the golden age, the industry of Higher Education in the U.S. faced the not-so-bright future with a lot of colleges and universities being shut down. Thelin (2011, p. 337) points out that the institutions could have been prepared to handle the steadily declining enrollment, decreased revenues, decline in funding, stagflation, and rising campus maintenance costs if only they picked on the first signs of upcoming financial crisis when in 1970, the share price of the NSMC fell from $140 to $7 over the short period of time (Thelin, 2011, p. 317). However, the universities and colleges of that time were so confident and relied on “the public image of higher education as a “growth industry” (Thelin, 2011, p. 318) so much, that they were not monitoring the changing situation and thus, were not fast enough in adopting to new conditions. It does not mean that there were many college closings; vice a versa, some colleges grew, opened new programs and applied for research grants. These colleges adopted the enterprise thinking (Thelin, 2011, p. 337).
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
College, a universal, fundamental concept that the globe utilizes. Through a wide array of variations, countries across the world have developed their own meaning of what higher education is. However, the underlying tone of it all is the same, furthering one’s knowledge. With a vast number of schools from a broad range of locations trying to pull the population in, colleges compete with different tactics ranging from education relevance to evaluation. Consequently, problems have arisen from these approaches, addressed along the lines in an article called “A New Course” by Magdalena Kay, an associate professor of English at the University of Victoria and an educational film, “Ivory Tower” by Andrew Rossi, a graduate of Harvard and Yale University and a filmmaker. Furthermore, these problems change the meaning of college itself, no longer seen as an education, but as a commodity.
"Design New American University" is to discuss the current education system, and provide outdated and obsolete format, according to some important figures in this field. In the book's introduction, Michael Raven and William De Barles put forward a different point of view, some of the topics related to this subject have been introduced this ongoing discussion. These ideas are used to reinforce their views on the "New American University"
Every year, millions of students across America attend a college or university hoping to further their education and prepare for the futures. The purpose of higher education is to create prepared minds and to help the students reach their full potential. However, the documentary Declining by Degrees, produced by the Public Broadcasting System (PBS) in 2005, questions and challenges the post-secondary education system. The documentary exposes the problems of modern day post-secondary institutes that are hindering the process of education for students. Despite the secrecy of it all, higher education is jeopardizing student’s learning because of issues within the education system surrounding research driven professors and grade inflation.
In the United States Of America there are a lot of higher education institutions; also referred to as an HEI. The purpose of these higher education institutions is to provide people with groundbreaking education and skills to succeed in their career. As George Bernard Shaw once stated, “Progress is impossible without change…” Which supports the idea that HEI missions, student profiles, and ways of learning have changed over time.
Twenty-one million students are anticipated to attend some sort of higher education (Barrow et al.). And tuition costs are reaching all-time highs; about high as the salary an average American makes in a year (Kay 36). This is a drastic change in the higher education system in America. Colleges used to be mainly religious institutions hundreds of years ago and were based on moral training and proper conduct. Overall, making better people for society. In the present day, American colleges are helping aid students in getting jobs while building up the student’s values. Many have pondered over if the value of higher education that is taught is worth the price being paid. Some have said that the costs are too high for anyone besides the upper class, but people are still enrolling with increased rates each year. Higher education is worth the price because it provides lifelong benefits to the people who graduate with a degree. People who obtain a degree attain life skills that everyone should learn, get paid more money in their lifetime, and gain a quality education.