Lessons from Continental Europe: The Collegial Tradition as Academic Power

Abstract

In its search for the meaning of the collegial tradition this book has focussed predominantly upon the English experience of higher education. Even the small intrusion of the previous chapter into American territory presented only a very partial interpretation, one that concentrated on the seemingly wide appeal of the residential college. Despite the best efforts of admirers from Woodrow Wilson to Clark Kerr, the collegiate university – as opposed to colleges – did not take root in American soil. Indeed, in terms of its prestigious research universities, America’s crème de la crème, German higher education with its strong research tradition, including its commitment to graduate studies has had a more potent impact.