Historical Perspectives of Higher Education – EDUC 782

CG • Section 8WK • 11/08/2019 to 04/16/2020 • Modified 09/05/2023

Course Description

This course provides a historical foundation of how ideas and practices from the past influence current trends in higher education.

For information regarding prerequisites for this course, please refer to the Academic Course Catalog.

Rationale

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. 

Course Assignment

Textbook readings and lecture presentations

Course Requirements Checklist

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

Discussions (5)

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)

Historical Review Project

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)

Educational Family Genealogy Assignment

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)

Experiential Learning Activity Assignment

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)

Current Issue Project

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)