The Collegiate Way
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Untitleddocument9.docxThe history of higher education is vast and interesting. When we hear the word college, we might envision ivy-covered walls, a professor lecturing to a group of earnest students, or students walking across a campus with books under their arms. John Thelin (2019), the author of the primary text for this course, refers to these images or perceptions as part of "the collegiate ideal," while historian Frederick Rudolph (1990) used the phrase the collegiate way.
Parents, students, faculty, and administrators view the collegiate ideal from different standpoints. In this unit, you will look at several viewpoints and form some of your own. You will discover the perspectives of historical stakeholders, reflect on those of the present, and predict what the future "collegiate ideal" will look like.
References
Rudolph, F. (1990). The American college and university: A history. Athens, GA: The University of Georgia Press.
Thelin, J. R. (2019). A history of American higher education (3rd ed.). Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press.
WHAT IS THE "COLLEGIATE WAY" TODAY?
STUDENT
Paaarrr--ty! Oh, yeah, college is going to be wild, and... Wait... You are not going to show this to my parents, are you? No? OK. So here is the deal: this is my chance to break out on my own, you know, find out what I can really do. I love my parents, but when I go away to school, they are not going to be looking over my shoulder. I will decide what parties I go to, and when I do my homework, y'know?
PARENT
Going into debt. College is getting incredibly expensive. We do pretty well, but even so, we have not saved up enough for all this is going to cost. And it seems like the schools do not hesitate to raise tuition. I do not know... Tiffany is a pretty good student, and I think she needs a college education to have a decent future... I just do not know how we're going to pay for it. We will do all we can, but she's going to have get a loan for at least part of it.
FACULTY
An advanced sharing of ideas... a place to develop intellectually. College should be a place for students to learn and evolve academically and developmentally. Sometimes, of course, I do question how much they are really learning. Many of them do not buy their books, are texting or on Facebook during class and just generally feel entitled. I have had students say to me “I pay your salary, so you better not give me a hard time.” Even if they are kidding, the thought is still there. And so many students come here needing remedial math or English. This sets them back and prolongs graduation. I do not know how they pay for four years of tuition, let alone five!
PRESIDENT
The importance of networking for endowment growth. We need to do more and more with less and less. That means, for example, keeping up-to-date with technology on a lower budget which could mean cutbacks in other areas such as deferring needed maintenance or cutting back on staff. So I am spending more time out in the community networking with the hope of raising funds. This means I have to leave more of the day-to-day managing to the vice presidents. They are a good group, but I feel I am losing site of what is going on around campus.
BOARD MEMBER
The bottom line. Colleges and universities provide tremendous value these days, and none of it is free. The states and the federal government continue to scale back their support. That means the students have to pay more, or we have to do a better job of getting support from the private sector. As a board member, I can support lots of alternatives, but I have to vote for those alternatives that are most important for the long-term health of the institution.
