ELP 7490 - History and Philosophy of U.S. Higher Education

This course focuses on the underlying purposes and possibilities of higher education in the United States. Drawing form the fields of philosophy, sociology, history, and cultural studies, this course emphasizes the relationship between higher education and society. The course begins with a historical overview of higher education in the U.S. by exploring the development of different institutional types as well as their missions and goals. Throughout the course we will emphasize philosophy of education and special attention will be paid to analyzing the contrasting purposes of colleges and universities within society: what should be the mission of higher education in a society that sees itself as democratic? Accordingly, this course highlights socio-political foundations of the larger society that pose challenges for colleges and universities in attempting to fulfill their missions.