Dynamics of the Contemporary University: Growth, Accretion, and Conflict (The Clark Kerr Lectures On the Role of Higher Education in Society Book 3)

This book is an expanded version of the Clark Kerr Lectures of 2012, delivered by Neil Smelser at the University of California at Berkeley in January and February of that year. The initial exposition is of a theory of change—labeled __structural accretion__—that has characterized the history of American higher education, mainly (but not exclusively) of universities. The essence of the theory is that institutions of higher education progressively add functions, structures, and constituencies as they grow, but seldom shed them, yielding increasingly complex structures. The first two lectures trace the multiple ramifications of this principle into other arenas, including the essence of complexity in the academic setting, the solidification of academic disciplines and departments, changes in faculty roles and the academic community, the growth of political constituencies, academic administration and governance, and academic stratification by prestige. In closing, Smelser analyzes a number of contemporary trends and problems that are superimposed on the already-complex structures of higher education, such as the diminishing public support without alterations of governance and accountability, the increasing pattern of commercialization in higher education, the growth of distance-learning and for-profit institutions, and the spectacular growth of temporary and part-time faculty. "This book is an expanded version of the Clark Kerr Lectures of 2012, delivered by Neil Smelser at the University of California at Berkeley in January and February of that year. The initial exposition is of a theory of change--labeled structural accretion--that has characterized the history of American higher education, mainly (but not exclusively) of universities. The essence of the theory is that institutions of higher education progressively add functions, structures, and constituencies as they grow, but seldom shed them, yielding increasingly complex structures. The first two lectures trace the multiple ramifications of this principle into other arenas, including the essence of complexity in the academic setting, the solidification of academic disciplines and departments, changes in faculty roles and the academic community, the growth of political constituencies, academic administration and governance, and academic stratification by prestige. In closing, Smelser analyzes a number of contemporary trends and problems that are superimposed on the already-complex structures of higher education, such as the diminishing public support without alterations of governance and accountability, the increasing pattern of commercialization in higher education, the growth of distance-learning and for-profit institutions, and the spectacular growth of temporary and part-time faculty"-- "This book is an expanded version of the Clark Kerr Lectures of 2012, delivered by the author at the University of California in January and February of that year. The initial exposition is of a theory of change--labeled structural accretion--that has characterized the history of American higher education, mainly be not exclusively of universities. The essence of the theory is that institutions of higher education progressively add functions, structures, and constituencies as they grow, but seldom shed them, yielding increasingly complex structures. The first two lectures trace the multiple ramifications of this principle into other arenas, namely (a) the essence of complexity if the academic setting; (b) the solidification of academic disciplines and departments; (c) changes in faculty roles and the academic community; (d) the growth of political constituencies; (e) academic administration and governance; and (f) academic stratification by prestige. The final chapter analyzes a number of contemporary trends and problems that are superimposed on the already-complex structures of higher education. The major trends are diminishing public support without alterations of governance and accountability; the increasing pattern of commercialization in higher education; the growth of distance-learning and for-profit institutions and the spectacular growth of temporary and part-time faculty. ic freedom"-- Cover......Page 1 Contents......Page 8 Acknowledgments......Page 10 1. Dynamics of American Universities......Page 12 Apologia......Page 13 Functions......Page 15 The Problematic Status of “Functions”......Page 16 Moral Embeddedness......Page 18 Structural Changes Accompanying Growth......Page 20 Segmentation of Units......Page 21 Proliferation......Page 22 A Peculiar Case in Higher Education: Structural Accretion......Page 23 A Historical Sketch of the Process......Page 26 The Discipline-Based Academic Department: So Strong and Yet So Frail......Page 33 The Organized Research Unit as Distraction from Departments......Page 38 Reactions and Conflicts Endemic in the Process of Accretion......Page 39 Conditions Producing the Endemic Pattern......Page 45 The Structuring of Faculty Activities......Page 46 Implications for Academic Community......Page 49 2. The Dynamics Ramify: Academic Politics, Conflict, and Inequality......Page 51 Of Pythons and Goats......Page 53 Economic Fluctuations......Page 55 Competitors for Resources......Page 57 Relevance to Accretion......Page 59 Internal Constituencies......Page 60 External Constituencies......Page 62 Accretion, Revenues, and Costs......Page 68 Management as Science and Art......Page 69 Administration as Threat to Academic Culture......Page 70 The Structural Alternative......Page 71 Implications for Shared Governance......Page 75 Accretion and Academic Stratification......Page 77 Institutional Prestige......Page 78 Multicampus Systems and Stratification......Page 82 Prestige Among Disciplines......Page 85 3. Contemporary Trends: Diagnoses and Conditional Predictions......Page 89 An Unprecedented Perfect Storm......Page 90 Unproductive Paradoxes: Starvation, Accountability, and Governance......Page 92 General Consequences of Shifts in Support and Costs......Page 93 Accountability, Governance, and Support......Page 96 The Many Faces of Commercialization......Page 100 The Language and Imagery of Corporatism and Its Consequences......Page 101 Student Consumerism......Page 102 Economizing as a Way of Life......Page 105 University–Industry Relations......Page 107 Online Distance Instruction and the Rise of the For-Profits......Page 112 Nontenured and Part-Time Faculty......Page 117 Implications for Tenure......Page 121 Excursus on Academic Freedom......Page 122 Coda......Page 125 References......Page 128 A......Page 144 C......Page 145 F......Page 146 L......Page 147 P......Page 148 S......Page 149 Y......Page 150 "This book is an expanded version of the Clark Kerr Lectures of 2012, delivered by the author at the University of California in January and February of that year. The initial exposition is of a theory of change--labeled structural accretion--that has characterized the history of American higher education, mainly be not exclusively of universities. The essence of the theory is that institutions of higher education progressively add functions, structures, and constituencies as they grow, but seldom shed them, yielding increasingly complex structures. The first two lectures trace the multiple ramifications of this principle into other arenas, namely (a) the essence of complexity if the academic setting; (b) the solidification of academic disciplines and departments; (c) changes in faculty roles and the academic community; (d) the growth of political constituencies; (e) academic administration and governance; and (f) academic stratification by prestige. The final chapter analyzes a number of contemporary trends and problems that are superimposed on the already-complex structures of higher education. The major trends are diminishing public support without alterations of governance and accountability; the increasing pattern of commercialization in higher education; the growth of distance-learning and for-profit institutions and the spectacular growth of temporary and part-time faculty. ic freedom"-- Provided by publisher This book is an expanded version of the Clark Kerr Lectures of 2012, delivered by Neil Smelser at the University of California at Berkeley in January and February of that year. The initial exposition is of a theory of change - labeled structural accretion - that has characterized the history of American higher education, mainly (but not exclusively) of universities. The essence of the theory is that institutions of higher education progressively add functions, structures, and constituencies as they grow, but seldom shed them, yielding increasingly complex structures. The first two lectures trace the multiple ramifications of this principle into other arenas, including the essence of complexity in the academic setting, the solidification of academic disciplines and departments, changes in faculty roles and the academic community, the growth of political constituencies, academic administration and governance, and academic stratification by prestige. In closing, the author analyzes a number of contemporary trends and problems that are superimposed on the already-complex structures of higher education, such as the diminishing public support without alterations of governance and accountability, the increasing pattern of commercialization in higher education, the growth of distance-learning and for-profit institutions, and the spectacular growth of temporary and part-time faculty. -- Provided by publisher

This book is an expanded version of the Clark Kerr Lectures of 2012, delivered by Neil Smelser at the University of California at Berkeley in January and February of that year. The initial exposition is of a theory of change—labeled structural accretion—that has characterized the history of American higher education, mainly (but not exclusively) of universities. The essence of the theory is that institutions of higher education progressively add functions, structures, and constituencies as they grow, but seldom shed them, yielding increasingly complex structures. The first two lectures trace the multiple ramifications of this principle into other arenas, including the essence of complexity in the academic setting, the solidification of academic disciplines and departments, changes in faculty roles and the academic community, the growth of political constituencies, academic administration and governance, and academic stratification by prestige.
In closing, Smelser analyzes a number of contemporary trends and problems that are superimposed on the already-complex structures of higher education, such as the diminishing public support without alterations of governance and accountability, the increasing pattern of commercialization in higher education, the growth of distance-learning and for-profit institutions, and the spectacular growth of temporary and part-time faculty.

This book is an expanded version of the Clark Kerr Lectures of 2012, delivered by Neil Smelser at the University of California at Berkeley in January and February of that year. The initial exposition is of a theory of change—labeled structural accretion —that has characterized the history of American higher education, mainly (but not exclusively) of universities. The essence of the theory is that institutions of higher education progressively add functions, structures, and constituencies as they grow, but seldom shed them, yielding increasingly complex structures. The first two lectures trace the multiple ramifications of this principle into other arenas, including the essence of complexity in the academic setting, the solidification of academic disciplines and departments, changes in faculty roles and the academic community, the growth of political constituencies, academic administration and governance, and academic stratification by prestige. In closing, Smelser analyzes a number of contemporary trends and problems that are superimposed on the already-complex structures of higher education, such as the diminishing public support without alterations of governance and accountability, the increasing pattern of commercialization in higher education, the growth of distance-learning and for-profit institutions, and the spectacular growth of temporary and part-time faculty.