The Relevance of Higher Education
Exploring a Contested Notion
Contributions by Lee Trepanier, Jon M. Fennell, Bryan R. Warnick, Michael Schwartz, Wayne Willis, James Scott Johnston, Bradley C. S. Watson, Michael Wayne Hail, Jason R. Jividen, Mark Jonas, Stephen Clements, Wilfred M. McClay Edited by Timothy Simpson
Not available to order
Publication date:
24 September 2013Length of book:
256 pagesPublisher
Lexington BooksISBN-13: 9780739182536
Most statements today about higher education begin with the assumption that it should be relevant. That it should be relevant, however, does not settle the matter. The significance of relevance depends on the power of something else that is more fundamental. Relevance may be a true standard of judgment, but it does not stand by itself. Assuming higher education should be relevant, the question emerges, relevant to what? Why? How? At what costs? And, relevant in what sense? These are some of the central questions animating this study.
The Relevance of Higher Education: Exploring a Contested Notion, edited by Timothy L. Simpson examines the relevance of higher education by bringing together the work of historians, political scientists, and educational philosophers. The contributors probe the meaning of relevance in its many guises, providing an historical and philosophical account of the roots of this concept and its impact on the institution of higher education. Furthermore, The Relevance of Higher Education provides a critical evaluation of the impact of relevance on our understanding of the political and economic relationship between higher education and society. This study suggests views of relevance that could guide the future of higher education. By providing penetrating analysis, this text thoroughly explores relevance and its underlying assumptions, potential implications and long-lasting effects on higher education and society. The Relevance of Higher Education provides the tools necessary to develop a rich framework for understanding relevance and its impact on higher education and society.
The Relevance of Higher Education: Exploring a Contested Notion, edited by Timothy L. Simpson examines the relevance of higher education by bringing together the work of historians, political scientists, and educational philosophers. The contributors probe the meaning of relevance in its many guises, providing an historical and philosophical account of the roots of this concept and its impact on the institution of higher education. Furthermore, The Relevance of Higher Education provides a critical evaluation of the impact of relevance on our understanding of the political and economic relationship between higher education and society. This study suggests views of relevance that could guide the future of higher education. By providing penetrating analysis, this text thoroughly explores relevance and its underlying assumptions, potential implications and long-lasting effects on higher education and society. The Relevance of Higher Education provides the tools necessary to develop a rich framework for understanding relevance and its impact on higher education and society.
The Relevance of Higher Education: Exploring a Contested Notion. . . .pushes back against the narrow, market-oriented notion of relevance that dominates higher education policy today. Arguing overall that higher education’s most noble calling is to form individuals, cultivate their characters, and shape their souls, contributors to The Relevance of Higher Education are critical of the larger consumer society, which increasingly pressures colleges and universities to serve its immediate needs for expertise, employees, leaders, and problem-solvers.