The Western University on TrialJohn W. Chapman The Western University on Trial, edited by John W. Chapman, examines the moral, political, and intellectual crises facing higher education across Europe and North America. Originating in the deliberations of the International Council on the Future of the University, the volume gathers leading scholars to assess how universities—traditionally devoted to the pursuit of truth—have been destabilized by politicization, democratization, and declining professional standards. Contributors trace the history of the "university emergency" from student unrest in the 1960s to contemporary debates over tenure, academic freedom, research funding, and the proper relationship between universities and governments. Their shared concern is the erosion of competitive merit and intellectual autonomy, which they argue must remain the defining principles of the Western academic tradition. Organized in three parts, the book moves from philosophical reflections on the university's purpose to analyses of research policy and institutional organization, and finally to the practical challenge of restoring academic standards. Essays engage classic liberal thinkers such as Mill and Tocqueville while probing contemporary dilemmas ranging from grade inflation and faculty unionization to federal regulation and the pressures of vocationalism. Chapman's introduction frames the volume around the concept of an "academic constitution"—a set of principles and procedures designed to safeguard intellectual progress against factionalism, political intrusion, and professional complacency. By diagnosing the trials of the Western university as both cultural and structural, The Western University on Trial offers not only a critique of current failures but also a prescription for constitutional renewal. It is an essential work for scholars, administrators, and policymakers concerned with the future of higher education. This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press's mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1983. Many titles in the Voices Revived program are also newly available as ebooks, offered at a discounted price to support wider access to scholarly work. |
Contents
| 1 | |
NIKOLAUS LOBKOWICZ | 27 |
RAYMOND POLIN | 39 |
PETER GRAF kielmaNSEGG | 46 |
GERD ROELLECKE | 53 |
JOHN PASSMORE | 63 |
JOSEPH BENDAVID | 81 |
BONTING | 92 |
JULIO R VILLANUEVA | 131 |
JOHN A SCOTT | 142 |
ALLAN BLOOM | 153 |
Trends and Standards in British Higher Education | 167 |
ROBIN W WINKS | 184 |
EDUARDO CARREGA MARCAL GRILO | 198 |
FOLKE HALDEN | 205 |
AREND LIJPHART | 212 |
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A. H. Halsey academic freedom academic staff academic standards activities administrative Allan Bloom American universities applied research appointment AREND LIJPHART basic research become centers committees competitive concern countries course criteria cultural decline demand democracy democratic departments disciplines economic educational system Edward Shils egalitarian European expressivist fundamental funds graduate grants higher education Higher Education Supplement human humanists ideological important increase individual industry inequality institutions intellectual Italian universities knowledge large-scale research liberal majority ment moral Netherlands NIKOLAUS LOBKOWICZ nonacademic organization Paul Seabury percent Peter Swinnerton-Dyer philosophy politicization polytechnic principle problems professional professors and readers relation research councils responsibility scholars scholarship schools scientific research scientists Shils sities Social Research social sciences society structure student power studies subfaculty councils teaching and research Tilburg tion tradition trend truth United univer university autonomy university government university research university teachers Western university