Understanding Mass Higher Education

This comprehensive book presents a synoptic account of mass higher education, exploring its development into a global phenomenon, and its intersections with politics, the economy, society and culture. Peter Scott provides novel interpretations which place as much weight on higher education’s contribution to social transformation as they do to economic growth and technological development.Drawing on various conceptual frameworks, chapters detail the key characteristics of mass higher education including headlong growth, greater differentiation among institutions and increasing diversity of missions. They analyse the fiscal, organisational and ideological challenges faced across institutions, highlighting the paradox that higher education has never been more in demand but also never more beleaguered as a result of funding shortfalls and ideological attacks. Ultimately, the book challenges the view that universities have expanded at the expense of other forms of tertiary education, arguing instead that it will continue to be dominated by higher education.Understanding Mass Higher Education will greatly benefit scholars and students of higher education, particularly those exploring the growth and diversification of higher education institutions. It is also an essential resource for university policy makers, as well as practitioners in management positions at higher education institutions.