College and Research Libraries 174 College & Research Libraries quiry and discussion that are most likely to improve the process of learning'' (p.71). Especially troubling to Bok is the fact that colleges and universities pres- ently have no adequate tools to evaluate the effects of undergraduate education or of particular instructional methods. ''The most basic need," he writes, "is to de- velop serviceable methods for measuring students' progress toward common edu- cational goals" (p.67). The book ignores graduate education, but a chapter is devoted to an interesting discussion of professional schools in law, medicine, and business. (Bok was dean at Harvard Law before he ascended to the presidency). Librarians will observe that some of the generalizations apply to li- brary education as well. The subsequent chapter on "New Developments" focuses on continuing education, education for public service (with both of these themes being tied to professional education), and the "computer revolution." The greatest educational benefit of the new technol- ogy, Bok believes, is that as more teachers begin to use it, they are bound to think more carefully about the teaching/learn- ing process. (Certainly in many libraries, the imminent arrival of automation has prompted an examination of basic as- sumptions about current procedures.) In ''Prospects for Change,'' his conclud- ing chapter, Bok considers several devel- opments in the social environment that help shape the agenda for higher educa- tion. Among these is the vast and rapid growth of knowledge, illustrated by Har- vard taking almost 275 years to obtain its first million books and only five years to acquire its last million. As a result of the knowledge explosion, there must be greater emphasis on continuous learning, more active forms of instruction, and more thought-provoking examinations and written assignments. Most important of all, ''universities need to make a sus- tained effort to investigate the process of teaching and learning and to evaluate its effects on students" (p.176). The book's last section examines the process of educa- tional reform. Bok contends that reform of higher education is not going to come sig- nificantly from competition, from external March 1988 pressure, or from the faculty, who tend to agree with the proposition that ''nothing · should ever be done for the first time" (p.186). Instead, we need to rely on strong deans, provosts, and presidents, working with "a willing faculty" (p.197). Ironi- cally, academics become deans and presi- dents and then have little time to pursue an intellectual agenda. "Instead, they must devote almost all their energies to the very administrative tasks for which they are so notably unprepared" (p.195). Unfortunately, Higher Learning has few footnotes and no bibliography or "Sug- gestions for Further Reading''; it ignores research and graduate education entirely; it is not nearly so well organized as a whole as it is within its smaller units; and r it is never clear about why reforms need to be undertaken, other than the obvious point that things could always be better. "In sum," Bok both observes and admits, ''American universities do not face a crisis or a utopia (p.200). Nevertheless, the book is sufficiently insightful in its parts, and particularly so regarding our infatuation with curriculum, to make it an important item on the reading lists of all workers in the higher education industry.-Richard Hume Werking, Elizabeth Coates Maddux Li- brary, Trinity University, San Antonio, Texas. Newman, Frank. Choosing Quality: Reduc- ing Conflict between the State and the Uni- versity. Denver, Colo.: Education Com- mission of the States, 1987, 121p. $10.50. Longtime leader and observer of higher education, Frank Newman, president of the Education Commission of the States, has in this brief work tackled the big and elusive problem of the pursuit of quality in the university. Rather than focusing solely on the university itself, Newman's thesis is that ultimately the achievement of qual- ity depends upon a constructive relation- ship between state government and the state university and the intermediary structures such as the multicampus sys- tem office, the governing board, and the coordinating board. The quality that interests Newman per- tains to overall university performance- E RESOURCE AUTHORITIES. Over 200 years of factual reporting ... dozens of acclaimed international newspapers like The Times, The Washington Post, Le Monde, Der Spiegel, Asahi Shimbun, The Age, Financial Times, Jewish Chronicle ... all of them available on microfilm from Research Publications. Imagine the research value of The Times alone: every issue since 1785 -reporting events like the French Revolution, the first flight by the Wright Brothers, and the cultural revolution in China. Scholars, researchers, and the inquisitive public at large have invaluable access to every word. This is probably the most inexhaustible, high-quality collection of inter- national newspapers ever preserved in microform- spanning hundreds of years of news publishing, on most of the world's continents, and with editorial content that's limitless in subject matter and interpretation. For further inform~tion, utilize the form below. 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In particular, he is interested in the approximately 100 major state univer- sity campuses in the nation. His study in- volves a number of case studies of state/ university relationships examined through a multitude of interviews with key actors in this arena: state governmen- tal personnel from governors to legislators to various staff members; university per- sonnel from presidents to deans and other administrators; members of system of- fices, board members, and the like; and various contributors to the literature. The product is impressionistic and prescrip- tive. The evidence upon which his asser- tions are based is soft; he notes that there are few objective measures available for . dealing with the nature of public policies and university/state relationships. Al- though quality 'is the focal point for the study, the term remains undefined in an operational sense and is employed only in a most general way. Newman notes that universities under- standably chafe under state involvement in their business and continually appeal for more autonomy. The trend, however, is in the opposite direction. True, the state university is a special breed and does not thrive as just another state agency. But states need what their universities have to offer, and the great growth and impor- tance of higher education since World War II has made it an important focus for pub- lic policy initiatives. Thus, state intrusion in the university has been increasingly ev- ident, at least from the perspective of many academicians. The problem is not quite so simple according to Newman. A distinction must be made between appro- priate public policy initiatives and inap- propriate intrusion. The real question is where and when one draws the line, and this will depend largely on one's perspec- tive. The trick is to get these diverse partic- ipants operating in harness in pursuit of quality. March 1988 Newman finds that 11 • • • the most fre- quent irritant undermining the state- university relationship is the difficulty of achieving an appropriate division of mis- sions among institutions of higher educa- tion. There is broad consensus that insti- tutional ambition has led to unnecessary growth of institutions as well as a wasteful overlap of programs" (p.43). This diffi- culty over missions is caused by a 11 single pyramid of institutional prestige" where the greatest rewards and prestige are seen as accruing to the research university. The resources and political support are not available to sustain multiple research uni- versities, and ways must be sought to pur- sue quality in a more highly differentiated institutional matrix. He offers little in the way of solutions to this difficult issue . What does matter besides the elimina- tion of improper intrusions by the state? Newman suggests three other factors: as- piration, tradition, and leadership, with aspiration being the prime ingredient. He finds that high aspirations for university excellence characterizes only about half of the states and universities studied. Here again, however, Newman cautions that aspiration levels must be constrained within an appropriate in-stitutional mis- sion. Although this work is very impression- istic, it does convey the insights of a savvy and experienced university man. He has something to say to all of the key actors in- volved in the enterprise of higher educa- tion from university faculty members and administrators to board members to mem- bers of the legislative and executive branches of state government. Newman challenges us all to pursue the quest for quality while alerting us to the fact that there are multiple legitimate actors who must be taken into account if this quest is ultimately to be a successful one.-Richard M. Johnson, Department of Political Science, University of Illinois at Chicago. RESOURCE AUTHORITIES. Journals of Science, Technology, and Medicine, in microform, from one source. Guaranteed availability, when you want them. Research Publications has taken journals in micro- form a giant step forward- every title filmed and delivered when your patrons need them. All current and backfile volumes are filmed in their entirety from the first issue forward. The point is, you get them without ordering and then having to wait, and wait, and wait .... Research specialists, engineers, chemists, doctors, and the general public can access entire years of journals in microform. Your paper issues can continue to circu- late. And it's all cost-efficient from your first sub- scription on. One purchase order, one invoice, and your current microform subscriptions will be ful- filled within three months of the end of the volume year. For further information, use the form below. 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