Historical Perspectives of Higher Education
EDUC-782

This foundational course provides candidates a brief historical overview of higher education in the United States with an emphasis on diversity, organizational structure, and individual roles. This course will also examine contemporary issues in higher education which have historical significance and implications for future leaders in higher education. 

Upon successful completion of this course, the candidate will be able to:

1. Review the development of the American higher education system.
2. Distinguish the role faculty, administrators, students, and external constituencies play in higher education.
3. Differentiate the varying organizational cultures found within post-secondary institutions.
4. Articulate what colleges must offer in view of changing environments, expectations, and critiques.
5. Describe major trends in the American higher education system associated with curriculum development, graduate education, the role of research, and the treatment of academic freedom.
6. Integrate a biblical worldview into education and especially for higher education.
7. Produce a piece of research related to an identified issue or program in higher education.
8. Formulate a working knowledge of higher education as a field of study or professional interest.

Click on the following link to view the required resource(s) for the term in which you are registered: Liberty University Online Bookstore.

Additional Materials for Learning

1. Computer with basic audio/video output equipment
2. Internet access (broadband recommended)
3. Canvas recommended browsers
4. Microsoft Word

After reading the Course Syllabus and Student Expectations, the candidate will complete the related checklist found in the Course Overview.

Discussions are collaborative learning experiences. Therefore, the candidate will complete five Discussions. For the first four discussions, the candidate will create a minimum of a 500-word thread in response to the prompt. The thread must include at least two in-text citations from the textbook, scholarly journals, and/or the Bible. Each reply must be at least 200 words and must include at least one in-text citation. For the final Discussion, the candidate will create a thread in response to the prompt that includes a minimum 100 words for each entry. In addition to the thread, the candidate is required to reply to two other classmates’ threads. Each reply must be a minimum of 100 words. (CLO: C, H)

Outline Assignment

The candidate will choose one of the early American colleges that are still in existence today and write a narrow research question or thesis statement that will allow him or her to investigate a particular theme, era, person, or organizational unit pertaining to its history. In addition to the research question or thesis statement, the candidate will submit a detailed outline that will be developed into the research paper.

Research Paper Assignment

The candidate will choose one of the early American colleges that are still in existence today and write a 1,500–1,750-word paper to address the chosen research question or thesis question developed in the outline. The candidate must use at least three sources, with the focus on the researched primary source (the college's website). (CLO: A, B, C, F, G)

The candidate will create an analysis of an educational genealogy. The candidate will include two sections. First, the candidate will author a well-written, current APA-formatted reflection paper (750–1,000 words) on how their educational genealogy has affected their choices and views of higher education today. Second, the candidate will create a family chart and write a description of the educational experiences for each member (the depth of this section will depend on family members and the amount of research). The description of each family member will be a minimum of 100 words. The paper must include two sources. (CLO: C, D, F, H)

The candidate will identify an administrator in higher education (at the director’s level or higher) and shadow this person for at least a half day (preferably an entire day) OR set up a phone interview using 10–12 instructor-approved questions. The candidate will utilize this activity to synthesize course readings with real-life experience from that leader in the field of higher education. The candidate will present their experience and learned outcomes in a well-written, current APA-formatted paper (1,000–1,250 words). At least 2 primary sources are to come from current course material and 1 additional source from a scholarly, empirical, peer-reviewed journal article. (CLO: C, D, E, H)

Article Critique Assignment

Based on the research question or thesis statement, the candidate will use the Jerry Falwell Library to locate and review a qualitative or quantitative journal article that is scholarly and current (written within the past 5 years). The article must clearly relate to the research question or thesis statement that will be used for the Current Issues Paper. The candidate will compose a critique of the chosen article in a well-written, current APA formatted paper (1,000–1,250 words not including the required title, abstract, and references page). 1 scholarly journal article citation required in addition to the article being critiqued.

Rough Draft Assignment

The candidate will write a 1,500–1,750-word (not including the required title, abstract, and references page) rough draft using the requirements of the final paper as a guide. The candidate will use the research question or thesis statement and article critique as a basis for the rough draft of the research paper. 6 sources must be cited, and current APA formatting must be used for all elements of this assignment.

Research Paper Assignment

The candidate will write a 1,500–1,750-word current APA-formatted final paper. The content of the paper must build upon the research question or thesis statement, critique, and rough draft. The paper must include a minimum of 6 scholarly journal articles, 3 of which must be current (within the past 5 years). The candidate must synthesize all research into a well-blended paper that clearly addresses the research question or thesis statement, provides insight into best practices/strategies to address the issue, or improve the issue, with the intent of improving the overall field. (CLO: C, D, E, F, G, H)

Course Assignments, including discussions, exams, and other graded assignments, should be submitted on time.

If the student is unable to complete an assignment on time, then he or she must contact the instructor immediately by email.

Assignments that are submitted after the due date without prior approval from the instructor will receive the following deductions:

1. Late assignments submitted within one week after the due date will receive up to a 10% deduction.
2. Assignments submitted more than one week and less than 2 weeks late will receive up to a 20% deduction.
3. Assignments submitted two weeks late or after the final date of the course will not be accepted outside of special circumstances (e.g. death in the family, significant personal health issues), which will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis by the instructor.
4. Group projects, including group discussion threads and/or replies, and assignments will not be accepted after the due date outside of special circumstances (e.g. death in the family, significant personal health issues), which will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis by the instructor.

Students with a disability and those with medical conditions associated with pregnancy may contact Liberty University’s Online Office of Disability Accommodation Support (ODAS) at [email protected] for accommodations.  Such accommodations require appropriate documentation of your condition.   For more information about ODAS and the accommodations process, including how to request an accommodation, please visit https://www.liberty.edu/online/online-disability-accommodation-support/. Requests for accommodations not related to disabilities or pregnancy must be directed to the Registrar’s Office, which generally handles medical needs support.

If you have a complaint related to disability discrimination or an accommodation that was not provided, you may contact ODAS or the Office of Equity and Compliance by phone at (434) 592-4999 or by email at [email protected].  Click to see a full copy of Liberty’s Discrimination, Harassment, and Sexual Misconduct Policy or the Student Disability Grievance Policy and Procedures.

In an effort to comply with U.S. Department of Education policies, attendance is measured by physical class attendance or any submission of a required assignment within the enrollment dates of the course (such as examinations, written papers or projects, any discussion posts, etc.) or initiating any communication with one’s professor regarding an academic subject. More information regarding the attendance policy can be found in the Academic Course Catalogs. Regular attendance in online courses is expected throughout the length of the term. Students who do not attend within the first week of a sub-term by submitting a required academic assignment (such as the Course Requirements Checklist, an examination, written paper or project, discussion post, or other academic activity) will be dropped from the course. Students who wish to re-engage in the course are encouraged to contact Academic Advising to discuss their enrollment options. Students who begin an online course, but at some point in the semester cease attending, and do not provide official notification to withdraw, will be assigned a grade of “FN” (Failure for Non-Attendance). Students wishing to withdraw from courses after the official start date should familiarize themselves with the withdrawal policy.

The full policy statement and procedures are published in the Policy Directory.

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While we acknowledge that some may disagree with various elements of the Code of Honor, we maintain the expectation that our students will commit to respect and uphold the Code while enrolled at Liberty University.

Adherence to the principles and concepts established within facilitates the success of our students and strengthens the Liberty community.

The Code of Honor can be viewed in its entirety at https://www.liberty.edu/students/honor-code/.

For courses with a Pass/NP final grade, please refer to the Course Grading section of this syllabus for the assignment requirements and/or point value required to earn a Passing final grade.