The University We Need

The University We Need presents an analysis of the current state of American higher education and its challenges. Treadgold examines issues including political bias, declining academic standards, and administrative bloat across universities. The book outlines specific problems in areas such as faculty hiring, research funding, and curriculum development through data and case studies. Treadgold proposes the creation of a new top-tier university as a potential solution to address these systemic issues. This work advocates for reforms in tenure, admissions policies, and academic freedom while critiquing recent trends in university governance and culture. Drawing from his decades of experience in academia, Treadgold provides examples from institutions across the United States. The book offers a blueprint for fundamental change in American higher education, considering both practical and philosophical dimensions of reform. Its central argument connects educational quality and intellectual freedom to broader questions about the future of scholarship and society.

Most readers found the book presents compelling arguments about issues in higher education but criticize its proposed solutions as impractical. Several reviews note the author makes valid points about grade inflation, declining academic standards, and ideological bias in universities. Readers appreciated: - Clear analysis of problems in academia - Historical context for changes in university systems - Documentation of administrative bloat - Discussion of academic freedom challenges Common criticisms: - Solution of creating a new university seems unrealistic - Conservative bias in some arguments - Some claims lack sufficient evidence - Writing style can be dry Ratings: Amazon: 4.1/5 (43 reviews) Goodreads: 3.5/5 (12 ratings) Notable reader comments: "Good diagnosis but impractical prescription" - Amazon reviewer "Makes valid points about problems but proposed fixes seem naive" - Goodreads user "Important issues raised but solutions need more development" - Academic blog review

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🎓 Author Warren Treadgold is a distinguished Byzantine scholar who has taught at multiple prestigious institutions, including UCLA, Stanford, and UC Berkeley. 📚 The book argues for creating a new top-tier conservative university to counter what the author sees as liberal bias in American higher education, with an estimated cost of $3 billion. 🏛️ Treadgold proposes that this new university should be located in a major East Coast city and should initially focus on traditional liberal arts subjects rather than professional programs. 📊 The book cites research indicating that conservative professors in humanities departments at elite American universities are outnumbered by liberal professors by ratios of up to 60 to 1. 🎯 The author suggests that grade inflation at American universities has accelerated since the 1960s, with the average GPA rising from 2.52 in the 1950s to about 3.15 in recent years.