ABSTRACT
In 1964, there were 31 universities in Britain, either established or forming, and 10 colleges of advanced technology. Only 10 were founded more than a century ago. Over half had been established in their present status for less than a decade, and if the recommendations of the Robbins Committee are effected, by 1980 two-thirds of our university institutions will be barely 30 years old. This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book discusses a study that was originally undertaken as evidence for the Robbins Committee. Two aspects of higher education seemed especially relevant: the relationship between teacher and pupil, and the residential pattern. However venerable the intellectual tradition the three universities honour, the form of its expression in an industrial democracy is still experimental.
