Decades of Chaos and Revolution: Showdowns for College Presidents (The Ace Series on Higher Education),Used

Product DescriptionDecades of Chaos and Revolution: Showdowns for College Presidents is the story and comparison of two eras in the history of higher education. The first era covers the period of the 1960s through the mid1970s, and the second is the first decade of the twentyfirst century. Both decades were marked by events that shook the foundations of colleges and universities, and society as a whole. Nelson weaves an engaging story, told through the eyes of the presidents of the institutions that were involved in the chaos of those eras.For colleges and universities and their presidents, these two decades are the toughest, most tense and demanding of times in the last hundred years, and likely in the entire history of colleges and universities in America. The enduring images are equal parts chaos and change, revolution and recovery, dashed dreams and unflagging hopes. Nelson asks, of the two eras, which faced the greater challenges? Which era required more profound leadership? And which was the more difficult and demanding of their time to navigate successfully? It is clear that Steve Nelson sees the era of the 1960s and 70s as the most difficult. He believes that it was the presidents of that earlier era who confronted dilemmas and controversies unimagined before and not witnessed since.Decades of Chaos and Revolution presents an insightful picture of the tension and tumult that presidents of the 1960s and 70s had no choice but to face. Nelson traces the roots of ideological battles in the university that have persisted over the last sixty years. He examines what worked and what didnt in the tactics used by presidents in the face of the demands inspired by the protests and politics of the 1960s and shows how they have shaped succeeding generations of presidents. Then he unravels the parallel issues and unfinished business of the 1960s, which evolved in ensuing decades, and with which presidents in the twentyfirst century must also grapple.Watch the author talk more about the book on YouTube:Part I: Triggers leading up to the "revolutions" of the 60s/70s.Part II: Changes in the college presidency, and the inspiration for the book.ReviewThe unprecedented upheavals of the 1960s presented momentous challenges to higher education, forcing university leaders to wrestle with political forces that threatened to compromise and even undermine the universitys historical commitments to free inquiry and the unbiased pursuit of truth. New challenges since the 60s have thrown additional challenges in the universitys path, including financial issues, the decline of faculty commitment to shared governance and institutional responsibility, and the politics of political correctness. Considering these dilemmas from the perspectives of university presidents, Stephen Nelson has written a compelling and important account of the ways that leaders of major universities have struggled to navigate these turbulent waters. Nelson presents illustrative background information about the forces that have riveted higher education, provides instructive portrayals of university leaders, and offers profiles of success and failure. This highly instructive book should be read by anyone concerned about the status and prospects of higher education. Donald Alexander Downs, University of Wisconsin MadisonIt turns out, remarkably, that those U.S. college presidents of the chaotic and demanding decades of the 1960s and 1970s who were most successful were those who had the courage to take a stand in the middle path, to hold the center. This is among the many startling yet ultimately convincing conclusions of Stephen Nelsons Decades of Chaos and Revolution. Nelson cites Harvards Charles William Eliot who, seeking some comparison for the challenges of a college president among other professional leaders, concluded that there is no equal in the world. So, too, there is no study of the American college presidency the equal of Decades of C