Other People's Colleges

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The book explores the historical context of reform in American higher education, highlighting a continuous struggle between elite reformers and institutions. Over the past century, colleges have navigated pressures for efficiency and accountability, responding with both resistance and adaptation. The early 20th-century "academic engineers" aimed to reshape lower-tier education but faced significant pushback, creating a legacy of resilience. Today’s reform initiatives, driven by business and political interests, are seen as part of an ongoing dynamic rather than a new crisis, suggesting that institutions will continue to negotiate these challenges.