Building a People's University in South Africa

The Author: Gregory M. Anderson is Assistant Professor of Education at Columbia University, Teachers College, in the Program of Higher Education and the Department of Organization and Leadership. Dr. Anderson earned his Ph.D. in sociology from the Graduate School and University Center of the City University of New York.

«For the last thirty-five years, access to higher education has grown dramatically, not only in the United States, but in diverse societies around the world. In large part this has been a result of political mobilization among disadvantaged and marginalized groups. At the same time, the gains of these groups often have been rolled back by those in positions of power who have contested the legitimacy of the newer groups’ demands for entry to college. Gregory M. Anderson’s ‘Building a People’s University in South Africa’ is the best book written yet about processes of mobilization and countermobilization over higher education in South Africa during the transition out of apartheid. Adding to its sharp focus is a comparative framework, especially its treatment of open admissions policies in the United States. It should be required reading for students, faculty, and policymakers interested in issues of race, class, and access to education.» (David E. Lavin, Professor of Sociology, City University of New York)«An impressive and sensitive analysis of open admissions and compensatory education in the pedagogical, institutional, and political contexts of a pioneer black South African university. Deeply committed to social advancement for black South Africans through higher education, Gregory M. Anderson warns against claiming easy victories and lays bare the challenge of providing real equality of opportunity and outcomes.» (Saleem Badat, Chief Executive Officer, Council on Higher Education (South Africa), and Extraordinary Professor, University of the Western Cape)