Guided Response: Review several of your classmates’ posts. Respond to at least two and share the insights you have gained from reading their posts. Provide recommendations for one detail they may have overlooked.

Anna Johnson

After reading in the book about Harvard and their culture it is about the same back then as it is today. They haven’t changed to much but after reading from the book and on the internet. Harvard has lacks on somethings such as the admission of student’s and the offer different types of ways for students to pay his bills. Many of the school boosted medically programs around their curriculum. Many of the schools were small with limited curriculum in liberal arts. The colleges began to change their curriculum to accommodate many students not just one major. The associations have changed in many ways to equal up with this day and age. It was important for the college to change with the times. By them do the proper changing it enabled many students to want to choose this schools. 

Amanda Baker

Discuss the dynamics of university-building in the formative decades between 1880 and 1910. Reflect on the actions and influences of Slossen’s book Great American Universities and the Association of American Universities. What were some of the historical, political, and economic reasons that these associations had so much influence? Are there similar associations in higher education today?

When reading the recommended text for this week, I immediately noticed that in the introductory paragraph, Harvard had real issues with coeducation: “… But, as women are included in the totals of the four institutions last mentioned, it is only fair to count Radcliffe in with Harvard, in spite of the reluctance of Harvard to consent to such inclusion.” (Slosson, 1910) So instantly, we can see that there has been large changes to the college’s viewpoint and outlooks in general.

 With a capital of $60,000,000 to back up their efforts, Harvard was in a very advantageous place economically and could afford to take steps that other colleges were unable to. In addition to the large amount of finances at their disposal, Harvard was also a bit more liberal in their allowance for credits and students had options to transfer in after time at another school. This allowed for focus on advanced work and in that arena there were fewer rivals and Harvard was able to secure an even more prestigious place because it could cater to that elite clientele.

 Harvard was able to offer a greater variety of courses than the other institutions of the time. They were able to maintain and fulfill the needs of the communities they chose unlike the State universities of the time. This is slightly different from the modern Harvard university that while choosing to cater to higher end clientele, also has had to adapt a somewhat more inclusionary model in the 21st century. The schools were divided sharply in the past and focused on limited majors of study. Now, Harvard does not eschew all other programs in lieu of medical and law programs. Formerly shunned liberal programs are more than included now and coeducation is also accepted at the institution.

 The original model Harvard functioned under was forward thinking and successful for the time, but it would not last in the 21st century. It seems that they were also able to understand that as the times change, so should they. They have adapted coeducation, established a broader set of programs for students to study, and maintained a position as an elite institution with plenty of resources to do as they wish.