Order of Learning: Essays on the Contemporary University

To understand the modern university and the contemporary crisis of higher education we must consider its central issues. The Order of Learning thoughtfully considers the problems facing higher education by focusing on some of the main underlying factors: the relationship of higher education to government, academic freedom, the responsibilities of the academic profession, among others. Edward Shils believes that higher education has a central role in modern society, and that the distractions of the recent past, including undue pressures from government, the fads of some students and faculty, and increasing involvement of the post-secondary education with day-to-day social questions, have damaged higher education by deflecting it from its essential commitment to teaching, learning, and research. Shils's view is that the modern university must be steadfast in its commitment to the pursuit of truth, the education of students, and the provision of research. Universities cannot, and should not, be all things to all people. On one hand, the academic community must understand the essential mission of the university and resist distractions. On the other, government must provide the necessary support to higher education, even when the immediate "pay-off" is not self-evident. This book provides a refreshing new perspective precisely by taking a traditional stance on the role of higher education in modern society. It includes carefully researched and elegantly written essays on many of the central issues facing higher education today. The Order of Learning will be of great interest to educators and students alike, as well as those interested in the future of higher education hi the United States.