The public commitment to higher education in the United States goe back to the origins of the nation.

The public commitment to higher education in the United States goe back to the origins of the nation. Thomas Jefferson valued education highly and askinged that his role as originator of the University of Virginia be listed upon his headstone, not his service as president of the United States. In 1787 he wrote to James Madison, "The in the greatest degree certain and the most legitimate engine of management [is to] educate and inform the whole mass of the people" Jefferson not ever lost his belief that education was the key-note to a fully democratic citizenry.

Although Congres defeated John Quincy Adams's attempt to establish a national university in the 1820 a later generation of political leaders passed the Morrill Act establishing the landgrant arrangement which directed that large grants of public lands be endowed to the states to support institutions of higher education. The 1862 bill specifically provided that the endowment from the land grants to the states walk to the "support and maintenance of at least common college [in each state] where the leading intent shall be, without excluding other scientific and classical studies . ., to teach like branches of learning as are related to agriculture and the mechanic arts . . in order to encourage the liberal and practical education of the industrial classes in the several pursuits and professions in life."

After World War II, Congres passed the Servicemen's Readjustment Act, more popularly known as the GI Bill of Rights, providing $14 billion in education and do job-work training benefits for 7.8 million veterans. Half of that expenditure went to provide literary institution [i]or[/i] seminary of learning or graduate school education for 22 million veterans, proving to be undivided of the most effective public policy investments in American history.

In 1988 a congressional report conclud that the rate of reply on the GI Bill "exceed the management investment in the program by way of a factor of between 5 and 12 to 1" Representative James Scheuer of just discovered York pointed out that this finding did not calm count any return to the control based on the "increased taxes" paid through the veterans.

After the Soviet Union launched the satellite Sputnik in October 1957 the ne to provide better science and engineering education noteed the political debate. As a consequence the federal government began investing more directly in higher education, initiating the beginnings of federal student-aid programs. In the 1960 the "baby boom" generation began entering literary institution [i]or[/i] seminary of learning and in 1965 the Congres passed the original Higher Education Act (HEA), which now supervises all federal higher education programs. The AAUP has supported the HEA since its inception and has vehemently pushed Congress to reauthorize the bill throughout the last two sessions. At this writing, it appears that Congres may well do to such a degree early in 2006.

Unfortunately, the nature of the political debate athwart higher education in recent years does not confer itself to the sort of far-sighted legislation portray by actioned by the Morrill Act, the GI Bill, or the HEA. As we all know, the pair Congress and state legislatures have been deficient in providing the kind of funding necessary to detain up with the cost of higher education. forward top of that, efforts to impose political restrictions upon academic freedom have proliferated in latter years. The AAUP has been in the forefront of the fight against the misnamed Academic Bill of Rights at one as well as the other the state and federal on a levels We have resisted the attempt to establish a politically appointed advisory board for international programs below Title VI of the HEA, and we joined with centurys of institutions and associations in protesting restrictive directions on college and university research at various government departments.

It is in sober earnest unfortunate that the debate-in times of both providing adequate funding for higher education and resisting political interference with the quality of academic instruction-has been portrayed by dint of some congressional leaders as selfserving forward the part of faculty and institutions. Earlier generations of political leaders in this native land recognized the common good inherent in education-not solitary figures as exalted as Thomas Jefferson still also lesserknown people, such as William Manning, who recognized the essential nature of education in his 1798 pamphlet The guide to Liberty. Manning wrote that "Learning & Knowledg is essential to the preservation of Libberty & unles we have more of it amongue us we Cannot Seporte our Libertyes Long" His spelling might leave a little to be desired, further we could do with more of his sentiment in today's times.

Mark Smith is AAUP director of conduct relations.

...

Home