Patti McGill Peterson

Before Berkeley: Historical Perspectives on American Student Activism

Student political activism in the United States antedates the Berkeley student revolt of 1964. American stu dents have been involved in political activities almost since the beginnings of higher education in the United States. Student activism in America has, in general, been linked to events in the larger society, and only seldom has been con cerned with the universities. The early political groups were small but provided a political education to many who later became active in intellectual life, the labor movement, and other areas. The student movement of the thirties was con cerned largely with the question of war and peace, although it had a strong undercurrent of radical politics. The im mediate post-World War II period was one of apathy on the campuses, and ended only with the rebirth of the student peace movement and later the civil rights movement in the late 1950s. These groups provided some of the organizational base for the emergence of the New Left in the mid-1960s. Thus, the historical background of student activism in the United States offers a context for the current period of turmoil on American campuses.

Global Opportunities and Challenges for Higher Education Leaders

Higher education leaders today recognize the need to develop an international strategy for their institutions but may lack the knowledge and perspective required to inform good decisions. Institutions must create educational environments where students will begin to appreciate the complexity of global integration and develop skills to navigate it successfully. International outreach and initiatives enrich institutional culture but must be based on good information and analysis.

America in the world: Higher education and the global marketplace

The relationship between soft power and international education is not a new phenomenon. Students have studied abroad since the origin of the modern university in the Middle Ages and have been influenced by what they learned and experienced. Faculty members and researchers have also crossed borders for millennia, and knowledge has always been international in scope. Indeed, medieval universities were international institutions, bringing together students and faculty from many European countries and operating in a single language, Latin (Haskins, 2002). Through its strong emphasis on theology and canon law, the medieval university served as a bastion of power for the Catholic Church. The Jesuit mission of spreading the faith through education was an important aspect of the churchs soft power. Historically, the Jesuits recognized education as a powerful force and established schools and universities around the world to spread knowledge and Roman Catholicism (O’Malley, Bailey, Harris, & Kennedy, 1999). Missionaries from various other Christian denominations were also actively involved in higher education overseas (Ashby, 1966; Lutz, 1971).