Declining by Degrees: Higher Education at Risk

By Richard H. Hersh and John Merrow

Book Overview

Two decades ago A Nation at Risk sounded a national alarm on K-12 education. Now, an equally urgent alarm is being sounded for higher education in America. In Declining by Degrees, leading authors and... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1403969213
• ISBN13: 9781403969217
• Release Date: June 2005
• Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan
• Length: 256 Pages
• Weight: 0.20 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.5" x 0.8" x 6.3"

Customer Reviews

DECLINING BY CHOICE

This book is full of so much significant information that it's overwhelming (in a good way) at times. Highly informative, and deeply insightful, it's packed with statistical data; longitudinal surveys; historical analysis; the advantages of private colleges versus state colleges and universities; the role of community colleges and career colleges; the increasing use of part-time faculty and adjunct professors; marketing tactics of competing universities; myths and facts about collegiate sports programs; commentary by educators and administrators; and potential solutions to many of the problems which plague our institutions of higher learning. If you are considering a career as a college professor, this book offers a very accurate depiction of what your life and challenges will be, as well as your requirements for success. If you are a student, you will inevitably find educational anecdotes which resonate with you. Both educators and students will appreciate the enlightening information on the influential factors which are causing the financial costs of a college education to skyrocket. While most who read this book (and the reviews on it) will be intrigued by the accompanying video, the book is far more comprehensive.

Good survey of higher education

This book does a nice job of highlighting many of the problems present in higher education - e.g., too little focus on basic skills (I'm consistently amazed at how many college graduates have sub-par writing skills), treating teaching as secondary to research, and graduate students as cheap labor. I'd recommend this over many of the so-called college guides for high students and parents so they can learn the real questions to ask admissions staffs. My one quibble would be that not enough attention was given to issues of economics and class - no real discussion on escalating tuitions costs, draconian financial aid systems, or how the real issue for many schools is less about race but rather about socioeconomic status. These are huge issues that are slowly rippling into the classroom - and something the public should be debating rather than infringing too much on syllabi and course requirements (at least at this point in time). That said, it's a good book that many outside the academic world should read.

Excellent!

This book was received in a respectable time period. The book alone has qualitative information and knowledge for professionals in higher education, and answers many questions that have been asked by higher education professional in regards to curriculum, educational organizations, university in the USA, for example, and many other topics. Good read!

Responding to "Declining"

Education is a lot of work, lifelong to boot, and how many are up to it? It's true of our culture - but would it be any different at another time? - that the acquisitive instinct competes directly with many of the goals and ideals of the academy. Luckily in my case, parents did not expect much from me in terms of academic performance or which school to attend; virtually all expectation was self-generated. My bias is to emphasize rigorous standards at the secondary level, especially in public schools, if we want to have a successful, informed, and free people. It's decent read.

Higher Education At Risk

Excellent look at one of America's major problems for our future success on the world stage.