Ivory Tower Blues: A University System in Crisis - Softcover

Cote, James; Allahar, Anton L.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0802091822 ISBN 13: 9780802091826

Publisher: University of Toronto Press, 2007

Synopsis

The present state of the university is a difficult issue to comprehend for anyone outside of the education system. If we are to believe common government reports that changes in policy are somehow making life easier for university graduates, we cannot help but believe that things are going right and are getting better in our universities. Ivory Tower Blues gives a decidedly different picture, examining this optimistic attitude as it impacts upon professors, students, and administrators in charge of the education system.

Ivory Tower Blues is a frank account of the contemporary university, drawing on the authors’ own research and personal experiences, as well as on input from students, colleagues, and administrators. James E. Côté and Anton L. Allahar offer an insider’s account of the university system, an accurate, alternative view to that overwhelmingly presented to the general public. Throughout, the authors argue that fewer and fewer students are experiencing their university education in ways expected by their parents and the public. The majority of students are hampered by insufficient preparation at the secondary school level, lack of personal motivation, and disillusionment. Contrary to popular opinion, there is no administrative or governmental procedure in place to maintain standards of education.

Ivory Tower Blues is an in-depth look at the crisis facing Canadian and American universities, the factors that are precipitating the situation, and the long-term impact this crisis will have on the quality of higher education.

About this title

About the Authors

James E. Côté is a professor in the Department of Sociology at the University of Western Ontario.

Anton L. Allahar is a professor in the Department of Sociology at the University of Western Ontario.

From the Back Cover

'James E. CAtA(c) and Anton L. Allahar have written a powerful examination of the millennial generation embedded in the context of university life and experiences. Ivory Tower Blues will stir the imagination and promote discussion of the college experience, the nature of youth, and the implications of our educational system during the college years.'-Gerald R. Adams, Professor of Family Relations and Human Development, University of Guelph

Edition details

• Publisher: University of Toronto Press
• Publication date: 2007
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0802091822
• ISBN 13: 9780802091826
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 256