Taming the River – Negotiating the Academic, Financial, and Social Currents in Selective Colleges and Universities (The William G. Bowen Series, 97) - Hardcover

Charles, Camille Z.; Fischer, Mary J; Mooney, Margarita A; Massey, Douglas S; Fischer, Mary J.; Mooney, Margarita A.; Massey, Douglas S.

3.88

8 ratings by Goodreads

9780691139647: Taming the River – Negotiating the Academic, Financial, and Social Currents in Selective Colleges and Universities (The William G. Bowen Series, 97)

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0691139644 ISBN 13: 9780691139647

Publisher: Princeton University Press, 2009

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Examines the academic and social dynamics of different ethnic groups during the first two years of college. Focusing on racial differences in academic performance, this book identifies the causes of students' divergent grades and levels of personal satisfaction with their institutions.

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Review:

"An insightful study of scholastic performance and ethnicity on US campuses... The increasing relative underperformance of US higher education, and especially the variations in academic achievement and persistence between students from different ethnic and socio-economic groups, has recently spawned a plethora of scholarly studies. This book is one of the most important."--Roger Brown, Times Higher Education "Fascinating and important for anyone who cares about managing diversity in higher education."--Stanley Katz, Teachers College Record "Taming the River provides pivotal insights into the experiences of students based on racial differences at elite institutions. Despite its heavy emphasis on quantitative findings, readers can easily understand the data presented in this book. The authors' depiction of the challenges that many students, especially Black and Latino students, face while navigating the first two years of their higher education experience will hopefully inspire readers to develop educational programs to assist these students during this critical phase."--Jennifer S. Cortes, Review of Higher Education "Taming the River is a well written and compelling read that uses sound research and analysis based in strong foundations of sociology and social psychology. The book clearly stimulates thought about institutional, state, and federal policies."--Noah D. Drezner, Journal of College Student Retention

From the Back Cover:

"Our image of life in America's selective colleges has not caught up with the realities of that life, especially regarding the diverse students these schools now serve and the challenges these students face. This book--part of a series reporting on one of the most ambitious studies ever done on the experience of different groups in elite higher education--does more to remedy this problem than anything I have read in ten years. It delivers a revealing description of this part of society with comprehensive data that are brilliantly interpreted. It will be indispensable reading for anyone concerned with higher education policy and the challenges of racial integration in the United States."--Claude Steele, Stanford University

"Taming the River provides the best analysis yet of the factors influencing the academic performance of different racial groups in selective colleges. It contains an illuminating discussion of how undergraduates divide their time among coursework, social activities, recreation, and other pursuits, and why some students drop out of college or transfer to other institutions. This book will be invaluable to anyone interested in undergraduate education."--Derek Bok, coauthor ofThe Shape of the River

"This is the most detailed and sophisticated analysis of the determinants of student grades that has ever been done. The arguments and data are compelling."--Stephen Cole, State University of New York, Stony Brook

"Taming the River is an important contribution to our understanding of the college experience and specifically the factors influencing academic performance of minority students. Using a unique dataset containing an incredible richness of information on college experiences, the authors provide compelling explanations with breadth and depth."--Josipa Roksa, University of Virginia

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