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Founded in the 10th century, Salemo was the earliest university (at least among those listed in our texts).
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Located in Oxford, United Kingdom, Oxford University was one of the first nine institutions founded.
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Pope Gregory IX issued the Parens Scientarium, which safeguarded the University of Paris' independence and self-governance.
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Another of the original nine institutions, St. Andrews is located in Scotland. Fun fact: in modern times, it's famous for being Prince William and Kate Middleton's alma mater!
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A land grant provided the means for the College of William and Mary to be established in 1693. It's primary purpose was to educate members of the clergy and prepare them to serve in the colonies' Anglican churches.
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The College of Philadelphia is founded. It would go on to become the University of Pennsylvania.
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A Presbyterian-affiliated institution, the College of New Jersey was founded in 1746. It would go on to become Princeton University.
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King's College was an Anglican institution founded in 1754. It would become known as Columbia University.
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In 1769, the first Native Americans enrolled as students at Dartmouth. By the end of the 1700s, there were more than 4 dozen enrolled (Cohen & Kisker, p. 22)
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By this point in American history, there were 25 institutions of higher education operating in the United States.
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By 1820, the number of institutions had grown from 25 to 52.
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The Yale Report discussed the importance of liberal arts education while also pressing for the ancient Greek and Latin languages and texts to be preserved in collegiate curricula.
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The Civil War threw the nation (and subsequently higher education) into turmoil.
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The Morrill Land Grant Act established a system in which parcels of land could be designated for colleges and universities which met certain criteria. Institutions like Cornell were established via the land grant and are still operating today.
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During this time period, college admissions strategies "lacked coherent planning" (Thelin, p. 174)
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The College Entrance Examination Board was the earliest iteration of a "College Board"/ SAT type organization. They were responsible for developing, administering, and overseeing formal admissions testing for Higher Education.
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A small group of elite research universities were founding members of the AAU. The number has now grown to 65.
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According to Thelin, less than 5% of students between the ages of eighteen and twenty pursued higher education (p. 174).
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By 1937, the number of students between the ages of eighteen and twenty at colleges and universities had grown from less than 5% to 15% (Thelin, p. 205).
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The end of World War II signaled both a return to "normalcy" in higher education (the return of the soldiers and support personnel that had served in the war) but also a time of tremendous change (passage of the GI bill and new pushes for women to have access to education).
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A period of military tension between the US and the Soviet Union, the Cold War led to an arms race.
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Brown v. Board of Ed is the case everyone remembers when it comes to the end of "separate but equal" and the start of racial integration in education.
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President Lyndon Johnson's Higher Education Act provided additional resources for institutions of higher education and also established greater opportunities for student financial aid.
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Conflict between student protesters and police/National Guard personnel resulted in casualties at both institutions.
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Title IX was groundbreaking legislation that prevented discrimination based on sex. Though commonly considered to have played the greatest role in collegiate athletics, it is becoming increasingly important in combating the issue of sexual assault on college campuses.
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The Family Education Rights and Privacy Act established parameters for who had access to a student's educational information, including grades, financial information, conduct reports, etc.
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Supreme Court prohibits quotas but allows colleges to afford special privileges to underrepresented students in the admissions process.
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Michigan began the first "statewide prepaid-tuition plan, allowing parents to start saving for college when their children are still in diapers" ("Timeline: 50 Years of Higher Education", 2016). Timeline: 50 Years of Higher Education. (2016, November 6). Retrieved December 8, 2019, from https://www.chronicle.com/article/Timeline-50-Years-of-Higher/238267.
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The ADA was another piece of influential legislation. It established national protections for people with disabilities, including accessibility, accommodations, employment, and building requirements among others.
