Old Main: Small Colleges in Twenty-First Century America

by Samuel Schuman

Overview

This perceptive and cogent account draws on key data and firsthand observations to tell the story of the small college in America. Defined as institutions that enroll between 500 and 3,000 full-time students, small colleges number about six hundred in the United States. Many are thriving, while some—whether through low enrollment, ballooning debt, or simple misfortune—face uncertain futures.

Informed by his own experiences as a teacher and administrator, Samuel Schuman sketches the history and development of these institutions; then focuses on their current conditions and future possibilities. Administrators, faculty, and researchers will appreciate Schuman's insight into institutional choices and their consequences. Old Main is an essential book for anyone who shares Schuman's conviction that small colleges occupy a central place in American higher education.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780801891021
Publisher:	Johns Hopkins University Press
Publication date:	11/01/2008
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	280
Product dimensions:	5.70(w) x 8.80(h) x 0.70(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Samuel Schuman is Chancellor Emeritus of the University of Minnesota, Morris. He is the author of Cyril Tourneur: A Reference Guide, The Theatre of Fine Devices: Emblems and the Emblematic in the Plays of John Webster, and Vladimir Nabokov: A Reference Guide.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction: A Lawyer from Plummer
2. Go West, Young Man: Graduation at Centenary College, 1900
3. Colleges of Character: Old Main . . . in Maine
4. People at Small Colleges: Basketball, Rock and Roll, and a Quaker College
5. Colleges of Community: Less than Positive
6. The Integrated Campus: Yav
7. Blurring the Boundaries: A Conversation
8. Small College Futures: Olya
Epilogue: Small Is Different: A Guide for the Perplexed
Appendix A: Interview Questions
Appendix B: Twelve Colleges
Notes
Interview

What People are Saying About This

Carol Schneider

A wonderful integration of rich knowledge with thoughtful and perceptive analysis. I also appreciated the interweaving of vignettes and portraits, which seemed to me to add a nice layer of humanity.

— Carol Schneider, President of the American Association of Colleges and Universities

James M. Clark

A significant piece of work, extremely well-written and solidly based on data and evidence.

— James M. Clark, President Emeritus, SUNY Cortland

From the Publisher

Once the envy of the world, American undergraduate education at the beginning of the twenty-first century is in a state of crisis. Anyone seeking solutions to its problems will want to read Old Main. Schuman offers convincing evidence that small colleges really are different—and the difference is good for students.
—Richard Trollinger, Centre College

A wonderful integration of rich knowledge with thoughtful and perceptive analysis. I also appreciated the interweaving of vignettes and portraits, which seemed to me to add a nice layer of humanity.
—Carol Schneider , President of the American Association of Colleges and Universities

A significant piece of work, extremely well-written and solidly based on data and evidence.
—James M. Clark, President Emeritus, SUNY Cortland

Many people—well beyond those that are affiliated with small colleges—will find [Old Main] of great interest.
—Richard Ekman, President of the Council of Independent Colleges

Schuman's method is impeccable and true to the small college experience that eludes description by statistics and generalities alone. . . Old Main should become the text of choice for orienting new administrative staff and faculty in small colleges.
—Ann Raia, College of New Rochelle

Richard Trollinger

Once the envy of the world, American undergraduate education at the beginning of the twenty-first century is in a state of crisis. Anyone seeking solutions to its problems will want to read Old Main. Schuman offers convincing evidence that small colleges really are different—and the difference is good for students.

— Richard Trollinger, Centre College

Ann Raia

Schuman's method is impeccable and true to the small college experience that eludes description by statistics and generalities alone... Old Main should become the text of choice for orienting new administrative staff and faculty in small colleges.

— Ann Raia, College of New Rochelle

Richard Ekman

Many people—well beyond those that are affiliated with small colleges—will find [ Old Main] of great interest.

— Richard Ekman, President of the Council of Independent Colleges

Editorial Reviews

This is not a conventional study of small colleges . . . In the tradition of a true liberal arts scholar, he invites thoughtful dialogue, challenges academic tradition, and persuades readers to explore alternatives.
—Hancock Record

Interesting reading. The extensive information Schuman provides gives us a picture of contemporary American small colleges.
—Peter A. Lamal, Journal of Higher Education

Researchers, faculty, and administrators interested in small colleges will find suggestions for further research and discussion about the many challenges that small colleges face today.
—Lois Calian Trautvetter, Review of Higher Education

An important book for small-college people . . . Paints a rich picture of the exceptional things small colleges can do.
—Charles Blaich, Academe

Schuman is an ardent proponent of small colleges, and his devotion and passion are apparent in every chapter of this work. The work is also brilliantly written and thoroughly convincing. After reading this work, the reader will possess a new found appreciation for these institutions of higher education and an understanding of their vital role.
—Matthew Church, Education Review

From the Publisher

Interesting reading. The extensive information Schuman provides gives us a picture of contemporary American small colleges.

Journal of Higher Education - Peter A. Lamal

Schuman is an ardent proponent of small colleges, and his devotion and passion are apparent in every chapter of this work. The work is also brilliantly written and thoroughly convincing. After reading this work, the reader will possess a new found appreciation for these institutions of higher education and an understanding of their vital role.

Education Review - Matthew Church

This is not a conventional study of small colleges . . . In the tradition of a true liberal arts scholar, he invites thoughtful dialogue, challenges academic tradition, and persuades readers to explore alternatives.

Hancock Record

An important book for small-college people . . . Paints a rich picture of the exceptional things small colleges can do.

Academe - Charles Blaich

Researchers, faculty, and administrators interested in small colleges will find suggestions for further research and discussion about the many challenges that small colleges face today.

Review of Higher Education - Lois Calian Trautvetter