20世纪70年代美国文理学院的危机与变革

The Crisis and Transformation of American Liberal Arts Colleges in the 1970s

作为美国历史最悠久的高等教育机构,文理学院随着社会和时代的变迁而不断演进。20世纪70年代,美国文理学院经历了前所未有的挑战,社会需求的变化、来自公立院校的竞争以及文理学院自身的财务危机都对其生存造成了直接威胁。为了应对生存危机,一方面,文理学院选择顺应市场和消费者的需求,调整专业和课程,向综合化和职业化的方向发展;另一方面,许多文理学院回应深层次的社会变革,改变了传统的单一性别教育,实行男女同校。这些变革改变了文理学院的竞争格局,造成了不同类型学院之间分层的加剧。这场变革是文理学院顺应时代需求、维持生存的重要策略,改变了其单一目的文理学科教育的传统和单一性别教育的形象,但其自由教育的传统和小型、独立的特色并没有因此而消逝。

As the oldest institution of higher education in the United States,liberal arts colleges have evolved with the changes of society and times.In the 1970 s,American liberal arts colleges experienced unprecedented challenges.Their survival was threatened by changing social needs,competition from public institutions,and the financial crisis of themselves.In order to cope with the survival crisis,on the one hand,liberal arts colleges have chosen to adapt to the needs of the market and consumers,by adjusting their major and curriculum,and dereloping towards the direction of comprehensiveness and professionalism;on the other hand,many liberal arts colleges have responded to profound social changes by changing traditional single-gender education to coeducation.These changes have changed the competitive landscape of liberal arts colleges,resulting in increased stratification among different types of colleges.This reform is an important strategy for the liberal arts college to meet the needs of times and maintain their existence.It has changed their tradition of single-purpose education and their image of single-gender education,but the tradition of liberal education and their small,independent characteristics have not disappeared.