Higher Education for the Public Good: Emerging Voices from a National Movement (review)

Books about the impact of market forces on higher education seem to be sprouting from the walls of academe, along with the ivy. An outgrowth of the National Forum on Higher Education for the Public Good (formerly the Kellogg Forum on Higher Education for the Public Good), Higher Education for the Public Good: Emerging Voices from a National Movementis one of the latest in this growing category of publications. Editors Adrianna J. Kezar, Tony C. Chambers, and John C. Burkhardt give a respectful nod to some of these preceding volumes, but they assert, "we approach this problem from a different angle" (p. xiv). Specifically, Kezar et al. contend that instead of only highlighting the shift away from the public good and its adverse consequences, "we explore ways that higher education leaders can examine and build the role their institutions play in the larger public good" (p. xiv). They structure their approach through sharing the experiences of professionals and students whose work is connected to meeting civic and social needs. By telling a story from different vantage points, the volume underscores that higher education policy and practice are confronted with questions of the public good from many angles, and, as a result, there are multiple opportunities for collaboration to better serve society. An optimism and enthusiasm for finding solutions drives this book, and solid research organized into coherent sections steers it from chapter to chapter.

In the preface, the editors clearly state the three main purposes of the book: "Give voice to an emerging movement in higher education related to the public good. Help education and governmental leaders engage in a dialogue about the public good. Provide institutions with strategies to craft organizational cultures and environments that contribute to the public good" (p. xv). They expand on these purposes, recognize potential audiences that could respond to them, and explain how the organization of the book in six sections reflects the interests and efforts of key audiences and stakeholders.

Part 1 is a chance for the editors to explain what they believe the "public good" means in terms of higher education, and more importantly, why they believe a national movement is necessary for American higher education to retain its founding ideals as they apply to a new, diverse democracy. In chapter 1, Chambers makes the opening arguments on behalf of the movement. He is quick to emphasize that the movement is not for education leaders alone to carry out, but that the "charter" and "covenant" between higher education and society implicate many players. In fact, to frame this movement in terms of higher education alone is not only simplistic but also damaging to its success, he contends. Chambers cautions, "the consequences of limiting the story told about the social benefits of higher education are real and can lead to significant retrenchments in public support, resulting in financial, political, educational, and civic losses for higher education and society" (p. 12). Chambers also provides a brief historical overview of higher education's relationship with society, concluding with concerns that recent developments in service learning and other civic-minded curricular models are not yet embedded in the core of the academic enterprise. This theme is reflected later in the volume, notably by Carol Geary Schneider, president of the AAC&U, in chapter 8. Additionally, in chapter 3, Kezar discusses the importance of more closely integrating student life with student learning, as she notes that "much of the learning occurring outside the classroom is essential for public service and civic education, including leadership and volunteerism" (p. 49). This argument will come as no surprise to thoughtful student affairs professionals.

Kezar identifies threats to the framework outlined by Chambers, invoking the usual suspects of corporatization and privatization. To counteract these threats, she identifies emerging national attention in the areas of civic education, public service, and...