Overview of Higher Education in the United States & the History - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Overview of Higher Education in the United States & the History of NYU

Ann Marcus, Professor of Higher Education & Director of the Steinhardt Institute for Higher Education Policy

Goal of Colonial Colleges

"To develop the whole man --- his body and soul as well as his intellect" "Christian Gentlemen"

Founded Institution Primary religious influence 1636 Harvard University Puritan 1693 College of William & Mary Church of England 1701 Yale University Puritan 1746 Princeton University Presbyterian 1749 University of Pennsylvania Church of England 1754 Columbia University Church of England 1764 Brown University Baptist 1766 Rutgers University Dutch Reformed 1769 Dartmouth College Puritan

Colonial Colleges

18th Century

• 1775-1783: Revolutionary War
• 1776: Declaration of

Independence

• 1789: Constitution
• 1791: Bill of Rights

19th Century

• 1800: 20 colleges
• 1837: Cheyney University and
• Mt. Holyoke founded
• 1850: 250 colleges
• 1852: Massachusetts passes

first compulsory education law in country

19th Century

• 1861-1865: Civil War
• 1862: First Morrill Act
• 1874: Johns Hopkins founded
• 1890: Second Morrill Act

(continued)

20th Century

• 1900: ~240,000 students
• 1920: Women’s right to vote
• 1930: ~1.1 million students
• 1940: ~1.5 million students
• 1944: GI Bill

○ 2.2 million veterans participated by 1956

20th Century

• 1954: Brown vs. Board of Ed
• 1964: Civil Rights Act
• 1965: Higher Education Act
• Community College Movement

(continued)

• Enrollment today: 14.5 million public; 5.1 million private
• Separation of public and private
• Limited role of federal government: student aid and research

funding agencies; States are the planning and funding hub

• Research funding predominantly via peer review with grants to

individual scientists

• Institutions stratified by wealth and incomes; same with student

populations

• Poor academic preparation for large segments of populations

○ NOTE: goal to serve everyone !!

Key Characteristics of US System

• Declining federal support for students (last 30 years)
• Declining state support for public universities
• High costs for students both private & public sectors; massive debt
• Political environment at state level
• Declining number of tenure positions (30%)
• Stagnant or declining outcomes for low income and minority

students

• Declining college-age population

Challenges Today

• Maintaining excellent academic programs and facilities
• Cost of financial aid
• Creating and maintaining diverse communities
• Globalization
• Access for low-income and minority students

Challenges Today

• Sexual harassment issues and procedures ( #MeToo)
• Issues of race; LGBT identity
• Free Speech / Academic freedom
• Mental Health
• Integrating first-generation and marginalized students into

institutions

Cultural Challenges

New York University

• For children of working men
• Urban
• Acceptance of a wide range of student abilities
• Centrality of professional education

NYU Founding, 1831

1896

Name changed from University of the City of New York to New York University

1960’s Protests

• 1965: Racism
• 1966: Tuition increase
• 1967: Dow Chemical
• 1968: Assassination of Martin

Luther King, Jr.

• 1969: May Lai 4
• 1970: Invasion of Cambodia

(continued)

• Creation of City University as vast network with free tuition

○ 1961 forward ○ Additional 4-year and 2-year community colleges ○ The Graduate Center

• Creation of the State University of New York

○ 1948 with massive expansion in 1960’s ○ 64 campuses

External Environment for Higher Education

• Closing of schools; selling of real estate
• Laying off hundreds of faculty
• Selling Muellers (spaghetti)
• Commitment to one coordinated undergraduate experience

Fiscal Crisis, 1970-1974

• Focus on Arts and Sciences
• Creating a residential campus at Washington Square
• Raising standards: student selectivity & research

competitiveness

• Creating a national and international student body
• Globalization

NYU Focus, 1980-present

• Abu Dhabi
• Shanghai
• Study abroad sites:

○ Prague ○ Tel Aviv ○ Ghana ○ London, etc.

NYU Global Network