BOOK BY WCU PROFESSOR EXAMINES                                                                                                     
LIFE IN “THE PEOPLE'S UNIVERSITIES”

In his newly published book, a veteran Western Carolina University professor provides an intimate look at the inner workings of regional comprehensive universities, which provide a college education to an increasing percentage of Americans but have traditionally been neglected by scholars of higher education.

Bruce B. Henderson, WCU professor of psychology, draws on his nearly 30 years of experience in such smaller regional institutions for “Teaching at the People's University,” published by Anker Publishing Co. A member of the psychology faculty at Western since 1978, Henderson contends that state comprehensive universities (also known as SCUs) traditionally and unfortunately have been held in lower esteem than the nation's major research institutions.

“In many ways, it is the state comprehensive universities that have made college degrees possible for children of the lower and middle classes,” Henderson said. “These universities have been willing to provide practical, job-oriented degrees in many fields, from education to the health sciences. The state comprehensive universities have been, in effect, the people's universities.”

In his book, Henderson attempts to shatter some of the myths about such institutions. The book also serves as a roadmap to young professors and administrators who are going to work in increasing numbers at SCUs, many of which, including WCU, have their roots in normal schools and teachers' colleges and have evolved over the years to provide a wide array of academic programs at the undergraduate and graduate levels.

“There are not available resources specifically directed at newly hired faculty and professional staff at these important institutions to help them understand that their new environment is different from the major research institutions where most of them obtained their graduate educations,” Henderson said.

“There are special problems that faculty encounter at SCUs, but there also are major advantages in working at a comprehensive university over a research university,” he said. “Early in my career, I sometimes struggled with understanding my new environment. I would like to help others come to that understanding more quickly and easily.” 

Henderson said he also wanted to dispel some of the negative and misleading assumptions about academic life at SCUs to help new faculty members avoid role conflict and adapt their expectations to enable them to have rewarding careers that benefit their students and their institutions.

Top of page

Usablenet Assistive is a UsableNet product. Usablenet Assistive Main Page.