ELP 511SEM - Comparative Higher Education

This seminar focuses on contemporary trends, issues, and debates in post-secondary education throughout the world, using comparative methods and global perspectives. We will begin with a brief historical introduction to the worldwide expansion of higher education, followed by issues and debates in different post-secondary systems and national contexts. We will examine the impact of the globalization processes on students, faculty, administrators, as well as the homogenizing trends and diverging resistance to globalization. While the U.S. will be used as a background for comparison, special attention will be paid to other geographic locations in low- and middle-income countries and transitioning nations. Topics to be explored include but are not limited to student mobility, campus internationalization, cross-border integration, academic profession and faculty work, diversity and social justice issues, organization and governance, participation and accessibility, among others. The overall aims of the course are to help students 1) understand the differences and similarities in select national `systems¿ of higher education; 2) identify the actors and organizations involved in unfolding policies and practices in tertiary education in various geopolitical regions; 3) analyze the complexities of culture, history, socioeconomic development, and globalization in shaping higher education systems, actors, and practices around the world.

Credits: 3