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Fabricating the People boldly proposes post-representational governance that reframes the practice of modern democracy and reinvents the role of public administration.

Since the 1960s, hostility and mistrust toward the U.S. government has risen precipitously. At the same time, the field of public administration has wrestled with its own crisis of legitimacy. What is at the root of current antigovernment sentiment? Conventionally, two explanations for this problem persist. Some see it primarily in moral terms, a deficit of Constitutional or democratic values in government. Others emphasize government’s performance failures and managerial inefficiency.

Thomas J. Catlaw departs from both explanations in this groundbreaking study and demonstrates that the current crisis of government originates in the uncritical manner in which we have accepted the idea of “the People.” He contends that this unifying, foundational concept—and the notion of political representation it entails—have failed. While illuminating some of our most pressing social and political problems, Catlaw shows how the idea of the People, far from serving to unify, relies in fact on a distinctive logic of exclusion. True political power is the power to determine what constitutes the normal, natural life of the electorate. Today, the exclusionary practices that once made up or fabricated the People are increasingly contested. In turn, government and political power now appear more invasive, less legitimate, and our shared reality appears more fragmented and disconnected.

In order to address this crisis and reinvigorate democracy, Catlaw argues, we must accept as bankrupt the premise of the People and the idea of representation itself. Fabricating the People boldly proposes post-representational governance that reframes the practice of modern democracy and reinvents the role of public administration.

Faculties is a call to action, a sourcebook, and a how-to guide for academic colleagues who want to contribute to the administrative and educational decisions being made about the future of our institutions. There is no going back to the version of US higher education that existed a couple of decades or even a couple of years ago. Cathy N. Davidson and Jody Greene encourage faculty and allies to incite and participate in change, offering models of successful, constructive collaboration at a destructive and demoralizing time for higher education. Presented in the form of dialogues between Davidson and Greene, two of higher education’s most innovative leaders, Faculties focuses on the urgency of coalition building, providing data and analyses of the structural, financial, ideological, and organizational circumstances that can support or inhibit productive change in colleges, universities, and research institutions. Faculties retains a welcoming, conversational tone while incorporating extensive references and citations and addressing drastic changes to higher education, offering the evidence and inspiration needed to enact institutional transformation now.

The Big Ten . . . the SEC . . . the Final Four . . . sometimes it seems that American higher education is more about sports than studies. Not so, says this well-researched, evenhanded study of athletics in university life. Sports--particularly football--play a key role in defining institutions that might otherwise be indistinguishable and are an indispensable tool in building a sense of community on campus, as well as an important factor in mustering alumni and political support. While abuses exist, the "football school" is not only a legitimate member of the academic community but an inevitable one as well--and football provides much-needed identity at every level from the local to the national scale. Pointing out that universities compete as much academically as athletically, J. Douglas Toma argues that fielding a winning sports team is a quick, effective way to win recognition and that doing so pays dividends across the board, by raising public awareness (thereby making a school more attractive to potential students and faculty) and by creating a wider constituency of "fans" whose loyalties pay off in increased contributions and appropriations that support academic programs as well. He notes that universities like Harvard and Yale, now eclipsed on the gridiron, were "football powers" in the era when America's westward expansion spawned new schools unable to challenge older institutions academically but able to win acclaim through sports. This fosters a campus and alumni culture based on "football Saturday"--a bonding experience that helped forge a larger community whose support, both personal and financial, has become integral to the life of the institution. Football U. brings welcome impartiality to a subject all too often riven by controversy, pitting football boosters against critics who complain that academic achievement takes second place to athletic success. But as a tool for creating "brand awareness" as well as local loyalty and widespread support, high-profile athletic programs meet a variety of institutional needs in ways no other aspect of university life can. This, Toma observes, is a two-edged sword, for even as it fosters collegiality, it discourages reform when the pendulum swings too far in the direction of athletic dominance. Nevertheless, Football U. is here to stay. J. Douglas Toma is Director and Senior Fellow, The Executive Doctorate and Penn Center for Higher Education Management, the University of Pennsylvania's Graduate School of Education.

Jana Bacevic provides an innovative analysis of education policy-making in the processes of social transformation and post-conflict development in the Western Balkans. Based on case studies of educational reform in the former Yugoslavia - from the decade before its violent breakup to contemporary efforts in post-conflict reconstruction - From Class to Identity tells the story of the political processes and motivations underlying each reform.The book moves away from technical-rational or prescriptive approaches that dominate the literature on education policy-making during social transformation, and offers an example on how to include the social, political and cultural context in the understanding of policy reforms. It connects education policy at a particular time in a particular place with broader questions such as: What is the role of education in society? What kind of education is needed for a 'good' society? Who are the 'targets' of education policies (individuals/citizens, ethnic/religious/linguistic groups, societies)? Bacevic shows how different answers to these questions influence the contents and outcomes of policies.

From Vermont to Michigan: Correspondence of James Burrill Angell 1869-1871 is a collection of letters edited by Wilfred B. Shaw and published by the University of Michigan Press in 1936. The book provides a detailed account of James Burrill Angell's decision-making process before accepting the presidency of the University of Michigan. It includes correspondence with various individuals, including insights from his son James Rowland Angell in a foreword, capturing Angell's qualities, the consideration of educational standards, and the influence of the New England perspective on the Western frontier. The letters reveal the intricate process and diverse opinions surrounding Angell's eventual acceptance, as well as the initial hesitations and the search for the right candidate. Illustrated and meticulously edited, this compilation serves as a significant historical document, shedding light on the educational landscape of the time and Angell's pivotal role in shaping the future of the University of Michigan.

Over the past 150 years, land-grant universities—America’s first public institutions of higher learning—have had a profound impact on the well-being of our nation. Founded by the 1862 Morrill Land Grant Act and signed into law by President Abraham Lincoln, land-grant universities were given a three-part mission: to teach, to conduct research, and to engage communities across each state in order to meet their localized needs.
Gathered in honor of The Ohio State University’s sesquicentennial celebration, this collection of essays highlights the significant contributions that Ohio State continues to make as part of its twenty-first-century land-grant mission. Authors from across the university—representing fields as various as agriculture, dance, English, engineering, family science, geography, medicine, social work, and veterinary science—provide contributions that highlight the preeminent status of The Ohio State University. In addition, the perspectives of alumni, staff members, and senior administrators (both present and former) round out the picture of Ohio State as the first among equals regarding its land-grant peers. Overall, contributors draw on rich and varied institutional backgrounds to offer invaluable insights for higher education administrators and scholars across the US.