Issue 25(1)

Foundations of American Higher Education, 2nd Edition. (1999). James L. Bess and David S. Webster, (Eds.). Simon & Schuster Custom Publishing. 726 pp., $67.00 (paperback). ISBN 0-536-01853-7.

Review by: Kelly Payne

Academic Adviser, College of Arts & Sciences

University of Nebraska , Lincoln

To be effective, academic advisors must consider the contributing relationships between students and educators and the effects of the system in which all in higher education work. In Foundations of American Higher Education, 2nd Edition , editors Bess and Webster lay the groundwork for those seeking to understand the historical, sociological, and philosophical components of those relationships within the American higher educational system.

Bess and Webster consider the text a "starter set of readings" that can be useful for graduate students, faculty, student affairs personnel, and academic advisors (p. ix). Because the "purposes [of education] have been carried out in an extremely diverse higher education institutional environment, with many colleges and universities opting for different goals for teaching and research and different methods to achieve them" (p. ix.), the book is large. A reader could be easily overwhelmed by its length. Therefore the editors have divided the book into different parts that together reflect the scope, foundations, and the various participants of higher education. They also described the support systems that allow faculty members and staff to conduct their work and change internal policies. Because of the number of essays, which cover a wide range of topics, the text is best read in stages as the issues arise for the reader. The extensive reading list that follows each essay will provide readers with further research opportunities.

The strength of this text is the editors' insistence upon exploring who works within university systems, who attends college, and the intended and real outcomes of education. Academic advisors will find that this collection reveals the layers of research, public service, and educational functions within higher education. This institutional knowledge is imperative for advisors because advising is fluid, unpredictable, and often involves give-and-take across the institution.

The topics and issues discussed in this book are most appropriate and meaningful to novice academic advisors or to those working toward an advanced degree in the field. However, because advisors influence students' learning processes, even veteran advisors must continue to learn about their work environment, and this text provides a thorough and notable foundation for them.