The Academic Community: A Manual for Change

by Donald E. Hall

In The Academic A Manual for Change, Donald E. Hall builds on his earlier The Academic An Owner’s Manual (2002) and confronts the most pressing issues in higher education the coherence of undergraduate instruction, priorities in graduate training, public perceptions of colleges and universities, and collegiality and cohesion within departments and institutions. Drawing on the dialogue-based theories of the German philosopher Hans-Georg Gadamer, Hall urges a reinvestment in community-building by academics, with chapters examining the process of community creation and enhancement in the classroom, the department and college, and the broader regions which surround university campuses.  

 

In offering concrete strategies for revitalizing college and university classes and campuses, Hall urges readers to become agents of change within their institutions and the larger political arena. Among the topics he addresses are undergraduate training in public intellectualism, graduate training in institutional service and collegiality, and institutional commitments to public outreach and community service. The book offers real-life examples and practical tips in its far-ranging discussion of the state of higher education in the United States today.

 

The Academic A Manual for Change is a clarion call for a renewed optimism, energy, and focus in tackling the complex problems facing the academy in the twenty-first century.

 

152 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2007

Reviews

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

I continue to love Donald Hall's balanced and thoughtful approach to the academic world. This volume focuses on institutional change. He argues for taking responsibility for our departmental climate and for bringing the university back as the public good. He is nuanced throughout. I just feel better after I read Hall. Every time.