| Academia's Golden Age: Universities in Massachusetts 1945-1970 Contributor(s): Freeland, Richard M. (Author) |
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ISBN: 0195054644 ISBN-13: 9780195054644 Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA OUR PRICE: $247.50 Product Type: Hardcover - Other Formats Published: April 1992 Annotation: The quarter century following World War II was a "golden age" for American universities. Students enrolled in record numbers, financial support was readily available, and campuses flourished in a climate of public approval. In the mid-1960s, however, the picture began to change. Student unrest and unexpected financial problems stirred apprehension within higher education and questioning by government officials and other outsiders--an atmosphere that was reinforced in the 1970s by softening student demand, rising college costs, and new concerns about institutional effectiveness. Academia's Golden Age provides the first comprehensive assessment of change among universities in the postwar years, a period that set the framework for contemporary worries about American schools at every level. Combining a general review of national trends with a close study of individual campuses, Freeland provides a fresh perspective on a vital period of educational history and a revealing look at the inner workings of the nation's academic system. Broad analytic chapters examine major developments like expansion, the rise of graduate education and research, the professionalization of the faculty, and the neglect of undergraduate teaching. Additional chapters focus on eight campuses in Massachusetts--Harvard, M.I.T., Brandeis, Tufts, Boston College, Boston University, Northeastern and the University of Massachusetts--to illustrate patterns of change at research universities, college-centered universities, urban private universities, and public universities. Academia's Golden Age can be enjoyed by a wide readership on several levels. For the general reader it provides an illuminating one-volume survey ofhigher education in the post-World War II period. For scholars and specialists it offers an in-depth analysis of a complex time. For those interested in particular institutions it includes concise portraits unavailable elsewhere. All audiences will appreciate the book's wealth of information, readable prose, and balanced assessment of academia's performance during years of maximum opportunity. |
| Additional Information |
| BISAC Categories: - Education | Higher - History | United States - 20th Century |
| Dewey: 378.744 |
| LCCN: 91015670 |
| Lexile Measure: 1490 |
| Physical Information: 1.77" H x 6.45" W x 9.65" (2.13 lbs) 544 pages |
| Themes: - Chronological Period - 1950-1999 - Chronological Period - 1940's - Chronological Period - 20th Century - Geographic Orientation - Massachusetts |
| Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
| Publisher Description: This book examines the evolution of American universities during the years following World War II. Emphasizing the importance of change at the campus level, the book combines a general consideration of national trends with a close study of eight diverse universities in Massachusetts. The eight are Harvard, M.I.T., Tufts, Brandeis, Boston University, Boston College, Northeastern and the University of Massachusetts. Broad analytic chapters examine major developments like expansion, the rise of graduate education and research, the professionalization of the faculty, and the decline of general education. These chapters also review criticisms of academia that arose in the late 1960s and the fate of various reform proposals during the 1970s. Additional chapters focus on the eight campuses to illustrate the forces that drove different kinds of institutions--research universities, college-centered universities, urban private universities and public universities--in responding to the circumstances of the postwar years. |