RG XXI: Assembly on University Goals and Governance

Historical Note

The Assembly on University Goals and Governance was officially in operation from 1969-1975, with the majority of the work conducted between 1969-1973. The goal of the project was to examine longer-range educational issues in higher education, such as examinations of governance, access, funding, comparative institutions, and the student experience, among other topics. Work was conducted in two phases, Phase I (1969-1971) with Martin Meyerson as Chair, and Phase II (1971-1975) with Franklin Patterson as Chair. Stephen Graubard was Director of Studies for the duration of the activity, with Robert O’Neil as Chairman of the Panel, and Geno Ballotti (Associate Executive Director of the Academy) as Secretary. The culmination of the project was written by Talcott Parsons and Gerald Platt, The American University, published in 1973 by Harvard University Press in Cambridge. 

During Phase I, five policy councils met to each draft reports on separate subjects: Learning, Teaching, and Evaluation (co-chairs Peter Caws and Walter Metzger, with Saul Toster as Director of Studies); Research and Service (co-chairs Richard C. Lewontin and Loren Baritz); Access, Scale, and Quality (co-chairs Warren G. Bennis, and Eleanor H. Norton); Relations with Other Institutions (co-chairs Eli Goldston, H. Guyford Stever, William W. Cooper, Arthur M. Blum, Jerome B. Schneewind); and Models of Governance (co-chairs Denis Hayes and James G. March, until May 1970, and Robert O’Neil later).

Final work for this phase was conducted through a series of meetings during the summer of 1970 as a “Permanent Seminar” under the direction of Talcott Parsons. Reports from these Policy Councils were collected and edited, by Martin Meyerson and Stephen Graubard into the “First Report of The Assembly on University Goals and Governance,” first appearing in the Chronicle of Higher Education on January 18, 1971. Other activities during this time included conferences such as: The Student’s Conference on Models of Government (February 13-15, 1970); The Role of Women in Higher Education (April 4, 1970); and Faculty Members and Campus Governance (May 9, 1970). Additionally, Should Students Share the Power? by Earl McGrath, was published by Temple University Press in 1970. 

During Phase II, the goal was to test the applicability and relevance of the First Report for model institutions. A small staff wrote reports on universities in Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, and Washington, DC. The outcomes of this phase were presented to the Board of Directors at the Chronicle of Higher Education in February 1973. The final report of this phase essentially constituted two issues of the Academy’s quarterly journal, Daedalus: Vol. 103, No. 4, American Higher Education: Toward an Uncertain Future, Volume I (Fall, 1974); and Vol. 104, No. 1, American Higher Education: Toward an Uncertain Future, Volume II (Winter, 1975). In 1973 Schenkman Publishing Company published three books representing other activities conducted by the Assembly during this period. These are Learning and Teaching in Academe: Three Essays Prepared for The Assembly on University Goals and Governance by Peter Caws, Walter Metzger, and Saul Toster; Trammeled University by George Kelly; and Students Themselves: Assembly on University Goals and Governance by Robert Coles. The latter was part of a project of student biographies. 

Funding was provided by the Ford Foundation.

Scope and Content

The series is contained within the Academy Archives’ Record Group XXI: Academy Projects and Programs. This series contains the administrative and project records of the Academy relating to the Assembly, from 1967-1975. The majority of the records were created or received from 1969-1973 by the office of the Assembly on University Goals and Governance. The Assembly Office was located within the Academy’s Daedalus offices at 7 Linden Street in Cambridge, separate from the Academy’s main location in Brookline.  

Records include general administration files, correspondence, conference files, manuscripts, and reports. General administration files include grant documentation, newspaper clippings about the assembly, background research files and chron files. Correspondence includes inter-office communication between staff members, conference participants, and inquiries from persons involved in academic administration. A significant amount of correspondence is either from or to Stephen Graubard, but also from and to the various chairs, council and project participants, and hired staff members Melissa Banta, Clifford Brown, and Konrad von Moltke. Conference files include invitee and attendee lists, invitations and other correspondence related to planning, and draft papers. Manuscripts include draft copies of eventual publications, especially the “First Report.” Reports primarily consist of student biographies and in-depth analyses of the selected model institutions.

Arrangement

Processing for the series utilized MPLP principles, thus minimum preservation steps were taken, and folder titles listed in the finding aid are as they appear on the actual folders. Loose papers were refoldered in the order they were present and given an ascribed title. Original order has been maintained where possible, however the majority of folders have been arranged chronologically amidst their groupings. Records of the Committee were created and kept primarily at the Assembly headquarters located within the “Daedalus” office, among Stephen Graubard’s files. 

This series is generally arranged chronologically, with two subseries: Subseries 1: Phase I; and Subseries 2: Phase II. Subseries 1: Phase I is further subdivided into three sub-sub series: Sub-subseries 1.1: Administration; Sub-subseries 1.2: Leadership; and Sub-subseries 1.3: Project Work. Sub-subseries 1.2 and 1.3 are arranged chronologically.

Sub-subseries 1.1: Administration is further divided into three sub-sub-subseries: Sub-sub-subseries 1.1.1: General; Sub-sub-subseries 1.1.2: Chronology; and Sub-sub-subseries 1.1.3: Correspondence. Sub-sub-subseries 1.1.1 is arranged chronologically, Sub-sub-subseries 1.1.2 by volume, and Sub-sub-subseries 1.1.3 generally retaining its original order, with some disparate files at the beginning.

Sub-subseries 1.3: Project Work is further divided into four sub-sub-subseries by type: Sub-sub-subseries 1.3.1:  Policy Councils; Sub-sub-subseries 1.3.2: First Report; Sub-sub-subseries 1.3.3: Talcott Parsons Seminar; Sub-sub-subseries 1.3.4: Conferences. Sub-sub-subseries 1.3.3 is arranged chronologically and Sub-sub-subseries 1.3.4 are arranged chronologically by conference.

Sub-sub-subseries 1.3.1:  Policy Councils and Sub-sub-subseries 1.3.2: First Report are further subdivided. Sub-sub-subseries 1.3.1:  Policy Councils include five separate sub-sub-sub-subseries according to each Council Group: Sub-sub-sub-subseries 1.3.1.1: Learning, Teaching, and Evaluation; Sub-sub-sub-subseries 1.3.1.2: Research and Service; Sub-sub-sub-subseries 1.3.1.3: Access, Scale, and Quality; Sub-sub-sub-subseries 1.3.1.4: Relations with Other Institutions; and Sub-sub-sub-subseries 1.3.1.5: Models of Governance. For each, records are arranged chronologically. Sub-sub-subseries 1.3.2: First Report includes two sub-sub-sub-subseries: Sub-sub-sub-subseries 1.3.2.1: General; and Sub-sub-sub-subseries 1.3.2.1: Managed. General has been arranged chronologically, and Managed has retained its original order. 

Phase II is subdivided into three sub-subseries: Sub-subseries 2.1: Administration; Sub-subseries 2.2: Model Institutions; and Sub-subseries 2.3: Students Themselves. Sub-subseries 2.1: Administration is arranged chronologically and Sub-subseries 2.3: Students Themselves largely retains its original order, with some disparate files at the beginning arranged chronologically. Sub-subseries 2.2: Model Institutions is further divided into two sub-sub-subseries: Sub-sub-subseries 2.2.1: General; and Sub-sub-subseries 2.2.2: University Reports. Sub-sub-subseries 2.2.1: General is arranged chronologically, while Sub-sub-subseries 2.2.2: University Reports is arranged alphabetically by state, and among those groups of records, retains much of the original order.

Volume

13 records center cartons (13 linear feet)

Preferred Citation

[Item title, date]. Record Group XXI: Academy Projects – Assembly on University Goals and Governance, 1967-1975. Archives, American Academy of Arts and Sciences, Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Subjects

Ballotti, Geno
Banta, Melissa
Brown, Clifford
Caws, Peter
Coles, Robert
Graubard, Stephen Richards
Kelly, George Armstrong, 1932-1987
McGrath, Earl J., 1902-1993
Metzger, Walter P.
Meyerson, Martin
Moltke, Konrad von
O’Neil, Robert M.
Parsons, Talcott, 1902-1979
Patterson, Franklin, 1916-1994
Platt, Gerald M.
Jerusalem
Chronicle of Higher Education
Ford Foundation
College students--Case studies
Education, Higher--Administration
Education, Higher--Economic aspects--United States
Education, Higher--Study and teaching
Education, Higher--United States
Universities and colleges