Description

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 wealt