Why Development Matters: How Universities Can Impact the Self-Authorship of First-Time College Students

Reviews the book, Beyond Reason and Tolerance: The Purpose and Practice of Higher Education by Robert J. Thompson Jr. (see record 2014-00699-000). In this book, Thompson argues that research universities should, and must, change their approach to undergraduate education, so students are “prepared to meet society’s 21st-century needs for civic-minded individuals who have the intellectual and personal capabilities to work effectively and live together with many different kinds of people in a more global society." What Thompson finds to be a key differentiator, however, is that first-time university students between the ages of 18 to 25 are not adults. They are somewhere in between childhood and adulthood in a phase he labels “emerging adulthood.” Thompson does an admirable job of showing that the development of the brain and mind do not end in late adolescence, and that there is need for a challenging college curriculum that explores multiple levels of knowing. The result is a book that is worthy of both reading and recommending. However, be forewarned that this is a scholarly book in the truest sense. Although this book targets psychologists and educators, anyone who cares about higher education will benefit from reading it, and it is especially appropriate reading for legislators, civic leaders, and lawmakers with serious interests in higher education. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)