Characteristics of American higher education
Which is better, centralization or decentralization? This is a basic theoretical proposition in higher education management. Unfortunately, social science propositions cannot be verified in a strictly controlled laboratory environment like natural science propositions. The development history of American higher education for more than 370 years may be due to Friedrich? Hayek put it forward? Spontaneous evolution? The most powerful empirical support made by the proposition.
The American higher education system has certain characteristics, Burton? Clark called it. Market type? Different from European countries? Bureaucratic What about the British? Scholar oligarch? ; Martin? Turow called it? Federal decentralization? Different from European countries? Centralized system? . This book summarizes the American higher education model:? Infinity, innovation and the fusion of old and new ideas are influenced by European universities from time to time. ?
European universities were founded 500 to 600 years earlier than American universities, and they can be called the originator of American higher education. However, immigrants from Europe to the New World not only created a new state power in the American continent, but also created a new university system there. What's the difference between American and European higher education systems? Diverse? With what? Freedom? Two aspects. There are various forms of higher education institutions in the United States to meet the diverse needs of students. Moreover, students, teachers, school organizations and social stakeholders all have greater independence and freedom, and can make choices and decisions freely.
The institutional characteristics of American higher education are mainly manifested in the following aspects:
First, the U.S. Constitution stipulates that the federal government does not directly manage the affairs of education (including higher education), but the affairs of education are managed by the states, and the state legislatures or state governments issue statutes to universities. Therefore, there is not only one higher education system in the United States, but 50 different state higher education systems.
Second, universities are independent legal persons, and governments at all levels do not directly interfere in the internal affairs of universities, and universities enjoy full autonomy in running schools. The board of directors composed of outsiders is the legal representative of the university, making decisions on major issues and appointing the president. The administrative system headed by the president bears strong management functions.
Third, the principal is responsible for the management of the school administrative system. The relationship between teachers and universities is an employment contract, and teachers' power is relatively small, but teachers with different titles enjoy the academic power of relatively equal.
Fourth, regardless of public or private universities, school-running resources come from multiple scattered channels, and there is no monopoly or even absolute control of university resources by any institution or group.
Fifth, a multi-level and multi-type pattern of public/private, religious/secular, academic/professional and four-year/two-year system has been formed, and each higher education institution has distinctive characteristics.
Sixth, competition is the driving force of the whole system. In order to win customers and resources, the school and resource providers have established a direct relationship between supply and demand and service.
Creating the social synergy of American higher education
How is the American higher education system formed? Simply put, the American higher education system was gradually formed in the process of historical development. In the article Federalism in American Higher Education, Trow pointed out that the establishment of colleges during the colonial period laid the foundation for the diversified characteristics of higher education. After the war of independence, freedom developed into another remarkable feature. The History of American Higher Education does not summarize as Trow did, but it introduces the origin and development of American higher education, which is no different from Trow's statement.
Universities originated in Europe in the12nd century. Before the emergence of universities, various guild organizations such as doctors, lawyers and handicrafts were born and developed in Europe. This situation also affected the universities established at that time, and made the universities have some characteristics of guild organizations. In autonomous organizations, members of the organization have great power.
On 17? /kloc-in the 0/8th century, immigrants from Britain to the United States looking for a new world brought the idea of establishing universities. Because there was no guild organization similar to that in Europe in the United States, and the colleges initially established during the colonial period were small in scale, with only a few teachers and dozens of students in each college, a new way was adopted to establish colleges at that time. The board of directors composed of outsiders appoints principals, who recruit teachers, recruit students, raise funds and organize various teaching activities.
In the absence of a unified government agency and a unified school-running model, the colleges established by the board of directors of various colleges are also different. The nine colleges established during the colonial period were different, which laid the foundation for the diversification of American higher education.
1776, when the American revolution of independence was successful and the Republic was founded, the founding fathers established the idea that the power to govern the country should be given to the people and the power of the government should be restricted and restrained. In the next 200 years, when new situations need to be solved, the federal government of the United States took some measures to deal with them and formed a system to solve such problems? Routine? . To sum up, this series of practices has formed another feature of the American higher education system that we see today, that is, the feature of freedom.
Historical events affecting American higher education
In the history of American higher education, five historical events have had an important impact on the formation of American higher education system.
The first incident was that President Washington proposed to establish a national university in the capital, but it was rejected by Congress. What didn't happen had a far-reaching impact on the later development of American higher education. Because there are no universities specially supported by the federal government and their possible demonstration role, American higher education has no unified model to follow and has always maintained a diversified situation of running schools.
The second incident is the Supreme Court's judgment on the case of 18 19 Dartmouth College. The Federal Supreme Court ruled that the state legislature has no right to change the legal relationship between the college and the government. Once the college is established, it will control its own destiny, even for public welfare purposes, and the government has no right to interfere. Since then, the road of parallel development of private and public higher education has been opened.
The third events are 1862 and 1890? Land grant bill? . The federal government allocates land and funds to the states, but there are no specific regulations and requirements on how to use them, and the states decide for themselves, thus continuing the tradition of running schools freely.
The fourth event is 1944? Veterans resettlement law? . After World War II, the federal government provided funds for the placement of veterans and created opportunities for them to receive higher education. Veterans can take a financial nature. Vouchers? Go to any university they want to go to for higher education. This way is a two-way free choice mechanism between students and schools, which is more effective than the government directly allocating funds to schools.
The fifth incident is about the student financial aid scheme promulgated by 1972. Higher education amendment? . In order to solve the economic problem that it is difficult for students from poor families to go to college, the federal government gives students the right to use financial aid, and they choose their own colleges and universities, thus further promoting the competition between schools.
By other's faults, wise men correct their own. Historical experience shows that the main reason why American higher education can surpass the strength of European higher education is that it has not copied the experience of continental Europe, but has created a higher education system suitable for American social characteristics according to local conditions. Is the American higher education system dominated by society? Used? Not decided by a social group (including the government)? Protected? It shows great vitality. The experience of American higher education development introduced in this book should serve as a warning to some inappropriate imitation behaviors and artificial support practices currently adopted by China.
Because of the advantages of American higher education, many international students are attracted to study in the United States. However, international students also need to consider whether it is suitable for them when choosing a country to study abroad.