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Education for Citizenship or Disciplining for Civility?
The Contradictions of the Private in the Public Land-Grant University: the Example of The Ohio State University
Series: - Studies in Critical Social Sciences, Volume: 357
Author:
Myths and misconceptions dominate our understanding of higher education and especially public higher education. They mislead all parties including students and citizens. This book is an original and urgently needed critical reinterpretation of the history of public higher education focusing on the contradictions and conflicts of the private in the public and shareholders versus stakeholders. Education for Citizenship or Disciplining for Civility? focuses on the major example of The Ohio State University, a very large and prominent 150-year-old American public land-grant university that is known more for its football teams than for its academic excellence. This book presents a new understanding of the limits and the importance of the publicâin history, theory, civics, and operation.
Harvey J. Graff is Professor Emeritus of English and History, Ohio Eminent Scholar in Literacy Studies, and Academy Professor at The Ohio State University. An historian of literacy, children and youth, cities, interdisciplinarity, and higher education, his most recent books are Searching for Literacy (Springer, 2022); My Life with Literacy (The WAC Clearinghouse, 2024); Reconstructing the "Uni-versityâ, (Bloomsbury Academic, 2025); and editor, Changing Paths of Academic Lives (The WAC Clearinghouse, 2025).
AcknowledgementsâXi
Introduction
1 Locating The Ohio State University: Time, Place, History, Understanding
â1âOSU as the Model Football U.
â2âFrom Football to Foundations: Missing History
â3âUniversities for Sale: Names and Naming-Rights in Perspective
â4âLand-Grant Foundations
2 Origin Myths: the Uses and Abuses of History. The OSU Ways
â1âOn Origin Myths and Their Uses
â2âThe Ohio State University as Exceptional Example of Public Universities
â3âGeography and Politics Matter
â4âWithout Place or Time
â5âPhysical and Other Foundations
â6âWhat Is a College? Ohio Agricultural and Mechanical Collegeâs Early Years
â7âFrom OAMC to The Ohio State University in Five Years
â8ââScienceâ Late 19th Century Style
â9ââPublic Higher Educationâ at Ohio State University: Religion, Presidential Powers, Liberal Arts, Presidential Succession
â10âThe Thompson Era
â11âRacism and Sexism in the Public University
â12âFrom the Mid-1920s to the 1990s
â13âFacing the Future, Again
3 OSU as Slogan U.: a Model University or a Motto University?
â1âEducation for Citizenship or âDisciplina in CivitatemââDisciplining for Civility?
â2âLeadership by Slogans
â3âSesquicentennial as Slogans
â4âPresidents Johnson and Carter Confront the 2020s
4 Changes and Continuities: Public and Private Conflicts and Contradictions in a Public Land-Grant University
â1âIntroduction: Continuities
â2âCommencement Ceremonies as a Lens
â3âOpening the Window Wider
â4âConflicts and Contradictions
â5âConflicts of Interest
â6âThe Private in the Public and/or the Public in the Private: Endowments, Naming Rights, Sources and Uses of Funds
â7âThe Rating and Ranking Games: Truth in Advertising?
â8âUses and Abuses of the Publics, Plural
5 Athletics, Greek Lives? Safety across Fields of Play. The Ohio State Way(s)
â1âFootball U.
â2ââStudent Athletesâ
â3âUniversity Presidents and the Challenges of University Athletics
â4âAthletics versus Academics
â5âAbuse, Neglect, Denial, and Negation of Student Rights: the Continuing Scandal of Dr. Richard Strauss
â6âSexual Abuse
â7âCan Campus Safety Be More Than a Set of Slogans?
â8âRape, Assaults, Robbery
â9âPrivate over Public
â10âThe Disappearing Uni-versity: Reinforcement of Vocationalism
6 Student Life vs. Student Lives
â1âStudent Lives, Plural and Diverse
â2âOSU Confronts the Present and Nods toward Its Future
â3âOffice of Student Life
7 Disconnecting Gown and Town: Campus Partners for Urban Community Development, Ohio State University
â1âIntroduction
â2âBetween Gown and Town: University-Community Relationships
â3âCampus Partners for Community Urban Development
â4âOn Time and Space
â5âOrigins of Campus Partners for Urban Community Development
â6âThe Campus in the City or the City in the Campus?
â7âCampus Partners in Rhetoric and Realities
â8âCampus Partners in Theory and Practice: Mixed Results and Scattered Sites
â9âRetreat
â10âAppendix: Individual Properties Purchased by Campus Partners
8 The Ohio State University in 2025
âLooking Backward and Looking Forward. Education for Citizenship or Disciplining for Civility in a âNew Worldâ?
Bibliography
Index
Introduction
1 Locating The Ohio State University: Time, Place, History, Understanding
â1âOSU as the Model Football U.
â2âFrom Football to Foundations: Missing History
â3âUniversities for Sale: Names and Naming-Rights in Perspective
â4âLand-Grant Foundations
2 Origin Myths: the Uses and Abuses of History. The OSU Ways
â1âOn Origin Myths and Their Uses
â2âThe Ohio State University as Exceptional Example of Public Universities
â3âGeography and Politics Matter
â4âWithout Place or Time
â5âPhysical and Other Foundations
â6âWhat Is a College? Ohio Agricultural and Mechanical Collegeâs Early Years
â7âFrom OAMC to The Ohio State University in Five Years
â8ââScienceâ Late 19th Century Style
â9ââPublic Higher Educationâ at Ohio State University: Religion, Presidential Powers, Liberal Arts, Presidential Succession
â10âThe Thompson Era
â11âRacism and Sexism in the Public University
â12âFrom the Mid-1920s to the 1990s
â13âFacing the Future, Again
3 OSU as Slogan U.: a Model University or a Motto University?
â1âEducation for Citizenship or âDisciplina in CivitatemââDisciplining for Civility?
â2âLeadership by Slogans
â3âSesquicentennial as Slogans
â4âPresidents Johnson and Carter Confront the 2020s
4 Changes and Continuities: Public and Private Conflicts and Contradictions in a Public Land-Grant University
â1âIntroduction: Continuities
â2âCommencement Ceremonies as a Lens
â3âOpening the Window Wider
â4âConflicts and Contradictions
â5âConflicts of Interest
â6âThe Private in the Public and/or the Public in the Private: Endowments, Naming Rights, Sources and Uses of Funds
â7âThe Rating and Ranking Games: Truth in Advertising?
â8âUses and Abuses of the Publics, Plural
5 Athletics, Greek Lives? Safety across Fields of Play. The Ohio State Way(s)
â1âFootball U.
â2ââStudent Athletesâ
â3âUniversity Presidents and the Challenges of University Athletics
â4âAthletics versus Academics
â5âAbuse, Neglect, Denial, and Negation of Student Rights: the Continuing Scandal of Dr. Richard Strauss
â6âSexual Abuse
â7âCan Campus Safety Be More Than a Set of Slogans?
â8âRape, Assaults, Robbery
â9âPrivate over Public
â10âThe Disappearing Uni-versity: Reinforcement of Vocationalism
6 Student Life vs. Student Lives
â1âStudent Lives, Plural and Diverse
â2âOSU Confronts the Present and Nods toward Its Future
â3âOffice of Student Life
7 Disconnecting Gown and Town: Campus Partners for Urban Community Development, Ohio State University
â1âIntroduction
â2âBetween Gown and Town: University-Community Relationships
â3âCampus Partners for Community Urban Development
â4âOn Time and Space
â5âOrigins of Campus Partners for Urban Community Development
â6âThe Campus in the City or the City in the Campus?
â7âCampus Partners in Rhetoric and Realities
â8âCampus Partners in Theory and Practice: Mixed Results and Scattered Sites
â9âRetreat
â10âAppendix: Individual Properties Purchased by Campus Partners
8 The Ohio State University in 2025
âLooking Backward and Looking Forward. Education for Citizenship or Disciplining for Civility in a âNew Worldâ?
Bibliography
Index
All those interested in universities, especially public and public land-grant universities, past, present, and future from scholars in history and the social sciences to students, citizens, and academic and political leaders.