Convinced that America's institutions of higher learning now face a crisis--that they are not meeting the educational needs of their students, that faculty members can do better--William H. Willimon and Thomas H. Naylor here propose bold changes in the nation's undergraduate educational system. By looking at academic life from the students' point of view--the text is filled with real-life situations, reflections from students, and poignant illustrations–The Abandoned Generation evaluates American colleges and universities on the basis of the quality of the lives that they are now producing.

Willimon and Naylor take an honest look at three realities of student life--substance abuse, indolence, and excessive careerism. They then evaluate the underlying causes--the sense of meaninglessness in student life and the absence of community. Finally, they build a provocative four-tier strategy for change--restructuring the academy, teachers who actually teach, curriculum reform, and the creation of learning communities.