Synopsis
This history takes the story up to 1973, when the new Charter was introduced. It is an account of the University's struggle to meet the Government's demands for the rapid expansion of higher education in the 1950s and the 1960s: of the ambitious building programme; of the controversial attempts to reform its constitution and improve its communications amid demands for greater democracy in the workplace; and of its struggle to retain its old pre-eminence in a competitive world where new "green field" universities were rivalling older civic institutions. This was also a period where students and younger members of staff became less deferential, and pursued their own notions of academic freedom and a true community of scholars. The book tells how they questioned the hierarchical values and paternalistic principles of the so-called "Victorian" university and how far the University accommodated them. With the assistance of oral history expert, Michele Abendstern, the story is told from different standpoints - the voices of the scholars, students and university administrators are all heard.
The book is thoroughly and expertly researched and based on official records of the University Senate and Council, the reports of enquiries, the testimony of staff, student magazines and personal reminiscences.
