The roots of controversy surrounding higher education in the us extend deep into the past. This original, incisive history goes far in offering a needed sense of perspective on current debates over such issues as access, costs, academic quality, social equity, and curricula. Eminently readable and always lively, this timely historical account is sure to be an invaluable resource for assessing the present condition and future prospects of American colleges and universities. This book is written in four parts. Part I, "Historical Origins and Antecedents", contains: (1) Higher Learning in Antiquity; (2) From Cathedral Church Schools to Universities; and (3) Post-Medieval Academe: Evolution and Estrangement. Part ii, "American Higher Education: The Formative Period", contains: (4) The American Colonial and Antebellum College; and (5) The Evolving American University. Part iii, "American Higher Education: Maturation and Development", contains: (6) American Academe in the Early Twentieth Century; and (7) Postwar Higher Learning in America. Part iv, "Contemporary Challenges and Issues", contains: (8) Another Season of Discontent: The Critics; and (9) Epilogue: In Historical Retrospect. This book also includes: Acknowledgements; Introduction; Notes; Sources and References; and Index.