NSM 21 - Becoming an Educated Person (Savage Earth)
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Reading Response: Higher Education

Unlike the earlier assignments you have done, this assignment will be graded on a 10 point scale. Be sure to answer all the questions completely.

All the reading for this assignment is in the book (Foundations):

Halvarson, William, American Higher Eucation: a Brief History. p.19

Cicarelli, James, A New Debate is Joined over an Old Question: Is College an Investment or an End in Itself?, p.10

Gardner, Howard, An Uncluttered Perspective: the True, the Beautiful and the Good, p. 14.

 

1. We care about the history of higher education because it explains some of the puzzling features of modern universities and colleges. Contrast American institutions of higher education across four time periods with respect to these factors:

Time Period
Who attends?
Public or Private?
Courses of Study
Goal of institution
Colonial

 

 

 

 

Post-Revolutionary

 

 

 

 

19th century

 

 

 

 

Current time

 

 

 

 

2. Cicarelli contrasts two purposes for a college education, while Gardner argues for three essential elements of a college education.

a. What are the two purposes that Cicarelli compares? Which purpose does he favor?

b. What are the three essential elements that Gardner argues for? Give an example from your own experience of some subject matter that you are currently studying. or that you studies in high school for each of the three elements.

c. Where do you think Cicarelli and Gardner agree? Where might they disagree?