Foundations of American Higher Education

1 Course Unit

This course provides students with an overview of American higher education, with focus given to the contemporary structures, functions and principal missions of various institutional types (e.g., two-year, four-year; public, private non-profit, private for-profit; teaching-focused, research-focused; specialty institutions). This examination of the American higher education “system” will be organized around several overarching questions: What is the purpose of higher education in the United States, and who are the “clients” of American colleges and universities? How do colleges organize themselves internally and what personnel do they employ to achieve their intended aims? How (and why) does instruction differ across various institutional types, and how is effectiveness assessed? 1 Course Unit