From: Scott Peters <sp236@cornell.edu>
Subject: Our Book Idea
Date: March 5, 2012 12:03:57 PM EST
To: Tim Eatman <tkeatman@syr.edu>

Hi Tim:

Hope you're continuing to recover from your surgery.  And glad the two of us are among the finalists for the IA director position. I hope they pick one of us!

I've discussed the idea we talked about last week for a book under the title of "Rebuilding Democracy's College" with Harry, Blase, and some staff at the Kettering Foundation.  Everyone likes the idea a lot, especially Blase and Harry.  I'd suggest that we proceed with the work of drafting and circulating a proposal among ACP, AASCU, and IA folks.

In my view, a book project under the title of "Rebuilding Democracy's College" could be as much or more valuable for the process we use to produce it as for the book itself as a product.  I think we should consider an intense, two-year process of discussion and chapter drafting and revising that includes a lot of face to face interaction. The Kettering Foundation would likely be willing to support this process by paying for convening the core team of authors at the foundation over a two-year or so period.  But we should also consider building in face to face meetings at some sites that might be chosen for case studies, like Northern Arizona and Syracuse.

Just to get a conversation going, here's a rough, bare-bones sketch of a possible outline for the book:

Chapter One: Introduction
In the first chapter we'll introduce the concept of "democracy's college" as an aspirational ideal in American higher education that has roots in the land-grant system, but is now being reconceived and rebuilt in many institutional types.  We'll issue a call for the rebuilding of democracy's college in all sectors, and situate it in the work of IA, AASCU, and ACP (and others?).  We'll provide a conceptual and theoretical framework for the task, and describe the process we used in producing the book with our team of collaborators.  I envision the themes of democracy, civic agency and full participation as being central to the book's framing and focus. 

Section One: Historical and Theoretical Background

Chapter Two: Origins and Evolution in the Land-Grant System
In this chapter, which I propose to write myself, I'll investigate the origins and evolution of the democracy's college idea in the land-grant system.

Chapter Three: Historical Issues Related to the Themes of Democracy, Civic Agency and Full Participation
Not sure who would write this and how it should be approached, but it strikes me that we probably will need some kind of robust inquiry into the book's central themes of enhancing democracy, civic agency and full participation in a way that reaches well beyond the land-grant system and story.  Maybe Harry can write this?

Section Two: Contemporary Case Studies/Examples

In this section of the book, I envision a set of 6-8 cases that explore how the democracy's college idea/ideal is being rebuild and reshaped in several institutions, from a diverse range of institutional types and geographical locations.

Possible candidates for cases include:

Northern Arizona University (an AASCU institution)

Syracuse University (a private research university)

Augsburg College (a private liberal arts college)

De Anza Community College

What others should we consider?  Maybe we should approach this with an RFP, like Susan did with the full participation study?

Section Three: Discussion and Conclusion

This section could include one analysis and discussion chapter that looks at the set of cases in section two, along with a concluding chapter that might lay out an action and research agenda for pursuing and realizing the democracy's college ideal.

Let me know what you think of all this.  We'll need to make some time to meet and flesh all this out, not only the book idea but also the idea and plan for the process we'll use.

Best,

Scott

Scott J. Peters, Ph.D.
 
Associate Editor
Journal of Higher Education Outreach and Engagement
http://openjournals.libs.uga.edu/index.php/jheoe/index
 
Associate Professor of Education
Cornell University
149 Plant Science
Ithaca NY 14853-4203
Office phone: (607) 255-9713
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email: sp236@cornell.edu
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"Spirit counts for more than knowledge."
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