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How universities have become increasingly contentious since the Sixties, from the viewpoint of a former Princeton provost and Harvard president
From his days at Princeton University as a member of the faculty, dean, and provost, and his time as a faculty member and president at Harvard University, Neil L. Rudenstine has been uniquely positioned to observe the changes that have occurred in higher education over the past few decades. In this book, he draws on his various roles to present an educator’s inside account of the modern university. More than that, Our Contentious Universities is a personal history of how our current campus climate of antagonism evolved, beginning with the late 1960s and up to our contemporary moment.
Starting with his perceptions of the anti-Vietnam War events at Columbia, Princeton, and Berkeley, as well as descriptions of what occurred at Harvard, Michigan, and other institutions, Rudenstine identifies a pattern that was characterized by students protesting against institutions because of purported university support for the Vietnam War. Not surprisingly, once the Vietnam War ended, the protests ceased. In contrast, Rudenstine reveals how contemporary campus conflicts essentially differ in nature from the Sixties protests. Since the issues that spark these present protests—such as climate change, conservative judicial opinions, lack of gun control legislation, the Hamas-Israeli war—are clearly not readily soluble problems, there can be no easily defined end to the action. Rudenstine also depicts how universities themselves have changed substantially over the past few decades. The institutions have not only evolved into a collection of decentralized quasi-autonomous departments in competition with other centers and initiatives for resources but also nurtured a highly diverse population of faculty and students with a variety of backgrounds and perspectives already at odds before they even encounter each other on campus.
Combining an analysis of how universities transformed with an examination of how protests changed, the book argues that, opposed to the external causes of student protest in the Sixties, it is actually the internal sources of division and conflict that now characterize our universities that are at the root of their contentious campus environments.
"American higher education is a great success story of the last 75 years. Yet as this book shows, our universities are often the crucibles in which challenging issues of our society are contested. And while our universities are still admired around the world, the values they have historically embodied are increasingly coming under critical attack. Neil Rudenstine describes these challenges, and offers insights he gained in the leadership of two of the most prominent universities in the United States. His personal story reveals consistently thoughtful decisions and considerable, understated political skill. This book should be required reading for those who seek to either lead or criticize our universities today."
"Scholar, teacher, writer, researcher, Neil Rudenstine brought a deep commitment to teaching and learning to the decades he served as a senior administrator at two great American universities. Drawing on this experience, he has crafted an absorbing narrative about the state of universities in the United States from the 1960s to the present day—and in so doing brings attention to the attacks on academia we are witnessing in 2025. This insightful book is a must-read for all faculty and administrators committed to the promise of higher education in the United States."
"Neil Rudenstine knows universities and their discontents. This is an extraordinary personal history—an engaging Bildungsroman—of a man of immigrant grandparents and modest means who rose to be a leader of two great universities. It is also a chronicle of the rise and challenges of the modern American university, whose history mirrors the contentious politics that continue to this day. Above all, it is the work of a true intellectual, an erudite writer, a curious and generous observer, with a backbone steeled by decades conducting “orchestras” of faculty, students, and alumni during times of upheaval and discontent, much like what we see happening on college campuses today. Why is Neil Rudenstine among the most beloved of Harvard’s presidents? Readers of this book will find out."
"A fascinating and thought-provoking ‘personal history’ of American higher education, and especially of Princeton and Harvard, since the 1950s, and a compelling read."
"Neil L. Rudenstine’s erudition and fascinating stories keep the reader’s attention, while his deep expertise enables him to offer wise counsel about critical issues in American higher education."
"The chapters in which Neil L. Rudenstine weaves himself into events, some with significance, are very effective—readable and meaningful."
"A magnificent book that eloquently, accurately, and painfully explains the many travails of the university, past and present. Sadly, higher education faces problems that are nearly insoluble—climate change, inequality, hunger, gun control, mass and serial killings, genocide, and the Israeli-Palestinian war. It’s a challenging time for any college president but this book will help ease the pain."
"Mr. Rudenstine writes cogently about the problems besetting higher education: the splintering of universities into fiefdoms and factions, the decline of the humanities, the increasing career-orientation of students and academic programs, the ballooning of bureaucracy, the unremitting emphasis on fundraising, and the profusion of identity-related programs that often isolate students within narrow ethnic or affiliate groups."
— Paula Marantz Cohen
Acknowledgments
1. Beginnings
2. Constant Change and Beyond
3. The Sixties: Disruption and Its Causes
4. Student Learning and the Culture Wars
5. New Departures
6. A Different Future: Change and the 1990s
7. Toward the Present Moment and Its Protests
Epilogue
Notes
Index