Essential Documents in the History of American Higher Education

The second edition of "Essential Documents in the History of American Higher Education" is a collection of primary sources that chart the social, intellectual, political, and cultural history of American colleges and universities from the seventeenth century to the present. It is organized in sections that parallel the chapters in John R. Thelin's "A History of American Higher Education" and includes landmark documents, firsthand accounts, and popular pieces. The book reflects the richness of more than three centuries of American higher education and provides a complex and nuanced understanding of the field.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 440 pages
Publication date: 06 July 2021
Publisher: Johns Hopkins University Press

The second edition of this dynamic and thoughtful collection, which has been thoroughly updated, focuses on the issues that have shaped American higher education in the past decade.
Designed to be used alongside John R. Thelin's A History of American Higher Education or on its own, this rich collection of primary sources presents a comprehensive charting of the social, intellectual, political, and cultural history of American colleges and universities from the seventeenth century to the present. The documents are organized in sections that parallel the chapters in A History, both chronologically and thematically, and sections are introduced with brief headnotes establishing the context for each source.

This updated edition of Essential Documents focuses on the issues that have shaped American higher education in the past decade, encompassing congressional investigations into endowments and court cases about paying student-athletes, as well as accounts of campus protests over racial discrimination and adjuncts struggling in the gig economy. From the successful fund-raising campaigns of 2014 to the closing of campuses due to the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020, the book also includes:

• A new tenth chapter, "Prominence and Problems: American Higher Education since 2010," and an updated introduction.
• A number of landmark documents, including the charter for the College of Rhode Island (1764), the Morrill Land Grand Act (1862), the GI Bill (1944), and the Knight Commission Report on College Sports (2010).
• Lively firsthand accounts by students and teachers that offer a glimpse into what it was like to be a Harvard student in the 1700s, to participate in the campus riots of the 1960s, to be a female college athlete in the 1970s, or to enroll at UCLA as an economic all.

This collection serves as an invaluable resource for scholars, students, and educators interested in understanding the evolution of American higher education and its impact on society. It provides a wealth of primary sources that allow readers to delve into the historical context and development of American colleges and universities, and offers a fresh perspective on the challenges and opportunities facing higher education today.

Weight: 594g
Dimension: 152 x 228 x 30 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781421441467
Edition number: second edition