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Michael M. Crow
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William B. Dabars
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Designing the New American University 1st Edition, Kindle Edition

by Michael M. Crow (Author), William B. Dabars (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 83 ratings
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A radical blueprint for reinventing American higher education.

America’s research universities consistently dominate global rankings but may be entrenched in a model that no longer accomplishes their purposes. With their multiple roles of discovery, teaching, and public service, these institutions represent the gold standard in American higher education, but their evolution since the nineteenth century has been only incremental. The need for a new and complementary model that offers broader accessibility to an academic platform underpinned by knowledge production is critical to our well-being and economic competitiveness.

Michael M. Crow, president of Arizona State University and an outspoken advocate for reinventing the public research university, conceived the New American University model when he moved from Columbia University to Arizona State in 2002. Following a comprehensive reconceptualization spanning more than a decade, ASU has emerged as an international academic and research powerhouse that serves as the foundational prototype for the new model. Crow has led the transformation of ASU into an egalitarian institution committed to academic excellence, inclusiveness to a broad demographic, and maximum societal impact.

In Designing the New American University, Crow and coauthor William B. Dabars—a historian whose research focus is the American research university—examine the emergence of this set of institutions and the imperative for the new model, the tenets of which may be adapted by colleges and universities, both public and private. Through institutional innovation, say Crow and Dabars, universities are apt to realize unique and differentiated identities, which maximize their potential to generate the ideas, products, and processes that impact quality of life, standard of living, and national economic competitiveness. Designing the New American University will ignite a national discussion about the future evolution of the American research university.

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  1. ISBN-13
    978-1421417233
  2. Edition
    1st
  3. Publisher
    Johns Hopkins University Press
  4. Publication date
    March 15, 2015
  5. Language
    English
  6. File size
    1843 KB
  7. See all details
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Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
83 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Robert A. Reilly
5.0 out of 5 stars It seems to me ASU and EdX should be nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for opening up a chance for a better life through educa
Reviewed in the United States on April 24, 2015
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Dr. Crow not only writes about making college in reach of thousands of students who other wise wouldn't have it but explains how it's been done at Arizona State through the New American University. Since the book was published ASU has partnered with EdX, designed at Harvard and MIT, to establish the Global Freshman Academy. Never in the history of man have so many people, particularly those with little or no academic credentials, suddenly received the opportunity to get a chance to obtain a moderately priced higher education. It seems to me ASU and EdX should be nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for opening up a chance for a better life through education for those who never had a shot at such a marvelous, life changing, opportunity. Robert A. Reilly
15 people found this helpful
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JS
5.0 out of 5 stars Every University President and Provost in the country should read this book!
Reviewed in the United States on April 13, 2016
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This book makes so much sense. I have worked in 5 universities over my 30 year career and just couldn't put my finger on what was wrong or what could fix it... Michael Crow does do that and with convincing argument that makes tremendous common sense. Universities should pride themselves in what they do for the local community and their inclusivity rather than exclusivity. Education reform following Crow's philosophy could transform our country and the lives of millions. Every University President and Provost in the country should read this book!
3 people found this helpful
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Dr. KB
4.0 out of 5 stars Good book for administrators and board members
Reviewed in the United States on March 1, 2021
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With the radical changes coming to higher education, made more necessary by the pandemic, this book offers a few ideas that can be used to re-conceptualize the university in order to help it adjust to the extreme changes that are not necessarily well received within the academy. I would recommend to those in positions of encouraging or insisting on institutional change in order to meet the new dynamics of higher education.
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Michael Burnam-fink
3.0 out of 5 stars Not ASU as seen from ground level
Reviewed in the United States on March 14, 2016
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"Designing the New American University" has an ambitious aim: reformulating the necessary role of the American research university, and describing how Arizona State University is succeeding in those reformulations. These are noble goals, but the book buries many of its points under chunky verbiage and thickets of quotes from academic thought leaders, and doesn't quite connect on its major points about what ASU is doing. This is a good book for seeing what Michael Crow has thought, but doesn't give much insight into what he is thinking next, or what ASU is actually like.

The first few chapters are literature review; describing the evolution of the university from the 10th century on, the origins and nature of the specific institutional configuration called the American Research University in the late 19th century, and the current crisis of faith about rising costs and decreasing utility. Crow and Dabars argue that the major sins of the American university are Havardization, a focus on academic prestige which can be seen most clearly in an elitist and exclusionary admissions process, and overweening filiopietism, a senseless worship of old traditions for their own sake, which results in identical-looking departments devoted jargony sub-sub-sub-fields. The result is rigid institutions that don't adapt to local needs and issues, that don't produce relevant knowledge, and that actually serve to block access to the middle class. It's a comprehensive lit review, but also a clunky piece of writing. The key point, that the research university created American prosperity from 1940-1970, may be unprovable. Personally, I'd give credit to America being on the winning side of World War II and the early Cold War defense boom, rather than any particular thing universities did.

Against this, Crow offers a vision of access, innovation, entrepreneurship, and interdisciplinarity. The New American University serves as tentpole for an entire region, providing expert knowledge, skilled workers, and pragmatic solutions in a massive value add for society. Some of the things that happened during Crow's tenure are truly impressive: the dramatic rise in total admissions, improving access for children of poor families and minorities groups, and increased student success without substantially compromising educational quality; A 250% increase in research funding over a 12 year period, with commensurate increases in outputs; Whole new forms of civic engagement; a proliferation of schools and programs

On the other hand, I repeatedly read descriptions of people and organization I know, and said "Wait, they actually do that?" The plan to reshape American higher education looks very different from the ground level, and I've been on the kinder side of the changes. Where Crow see entrepreneurship, I see groups of scholars in defensive crouches, terrified that their piece of cheese will be moved yet again. Where he sees innovation, I see three or four moldering personal fiefdoms to each productive and rigorous research center. The undergrad experience is characterized by a "pass-the-buck" attitude towards basic writing and thinking skills, and functions only through the exploitation of graduate students and contingent faculty--though I hear it's bad everywhere.

I do agree that the traditional form and purpose of higher education needs to be shaken up; I'm not convinced that ASU has modeled its replacement, or that this book elucidates what actually happened at ASU under Crow's tenure. The view from Olympus, or the fifth floor of the Fulton Center, is very different from the reality of classrooms and department lounges.

**Disclosure: I am an ASU graduate student. I purchased this book with my own money, and received no compensation for this review. If I were more astute, it'd probably be gentler. But I'm in the truth business.
31 people found this helpful
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Susie Zappia
5.0 out of 5 stars Very thought-provoking. Not an "easy read" necessarily, but ...
Reviewed in the United States on April 21, 2015
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Very thought-provoking. Not an "easy read" necessarily, but a very worthy introduction to the role that colleges and universities must now play in sustainability, for one thing. The authors also focus on Arizona State's mentoring of start-up companies and on efforts to make ASU a premiere research university which simultaneously accepts and mentors deserving First Generation kids.
7 people found this helpful
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Angela
5.0 out of 5 stars A must read for anyone in higher education administration.
Reviewed in the United States on September 12, 2017
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I can't put the book down!! Thank you for challenging us to think is the purpose of the research university I. Today's world. I am a trustee for a small college but points made here can help us too.
One person found this helpful
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A. Reader
5.0 out of 5 stars Important book about the future of higher education from someone ...
Reviewed in the United States on May 25, 2015
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Important book about the future of higher education from someone who is creating it, not just talking about it.
6 people found this helpful
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Pedro Demo
4.0 out of 5 stars Best education for all
Reviewed in the United States on April 27, 2016
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It's not that new. The best diplom for the lowest price is difficult miracle. Research university for the people - mainly for workers who study in the evening in person and in other times and locations at a distance - is great idea (the best one), but this requires reinventing American government. It's urgent to break down Harvard elitism, but to guarantee the best education for the poorest ones in the country is so complex a job that one doubts it is feasible.
2 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Mick McManus
5.0 out of 5 stars Incremental change will not deliver the future in higher education.
Reviewed in Australia on January 28, 2017
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This is a remarkable book as it goes to the core of what 'An Idea of a New University' can be. It provides provocative comparative data that seriously questions the utility of an elitist modus operandi at the expense of opening up access to higher education to remain competitive. Needless to say, this is done in a respectful way and leaves the impression that the authors value diversity. It also confronts globalisation and the inherent challenges facing a sustainable world that will move from 7 to 9 billion people over the next 30 years. Most of all it offers hope, a mud map, and is inspirational for the less privileged in society, governments, and academe that change can happen. In the process, it provides much needed proof that the digital age can impact higher education. It also highlights what the 'New American University' can be when teaching, research, community service are all part of an entrepreneurial and innovative framework. Most of all you learn from the read!
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