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A New (Bowling Green State) University: Educational Activism, Social Change, and Campus Protest in the Long Sixties

Carlock, Robert Michael
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1555087986990235

Abstract Details

2019, Master of Arts (MA), Bowling Green State University, History.
This is a case study of student activism in the 1960s at Bowling Green State University, located in Northwestern Ohio, that contributes to the growing historiography of student activism at non-elite state institutions. This study complicates the national narrative of student activism, which asserts that student activism was generally violent, radical, and largely restricted to elite universities. By examining student activism at BGSU, this study demonstrates that student activism was present at non-elite public universities and also introduces the concept of “educational activism,” a method of activism that focused on inclusive exploration of contemporary issues rather than radical violence. Prior to 1970, students and administrators established open channels of communication and formed an educational model of activism through the efforts of three areas of activism: the student power movement, the antiwar movement, and the Black student movement. The conservative nature of the university and its administration restricted radical and violent protest, which forced students to address their concerns non-violently. Student activists communicated with administrators to address their concerns and together they established a legacy of peaceful educational activism that mitigated the need for violent protest. Their efforts culminated in the formation of the New University, a series of teach-ins created following the Kent State Shootings. These teach-ins gave students agency in their education, allowed them to analyze contemporary issues, and explore topics that were non-existent in the university curriculum. As a result of the New University, BGSU faced no violent protest and was the only residential state university to remain open in Ohio following the Kent State Shootings.
Benjamin Greene (Advisor)
Rebecca Mancuso (Committee Member)
Luke Nichter (Committee Member)
131 p.
American History; Education History; Higher Education; History; Peace Studies
Bowling Green State University; BGSU; 1960s; Sixties; Student Activism; Campus Unrest; Student Unrest; Student Power; Antiwar; Vietnam War; Black Campus Movement; Black Student Movement; Educational Activism; Midwest

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Carlock, R. M. (2019). A New (Bowling Green State) University: Educational Activism, Social Change, and Campus Protest in the Long Sixties [Master's thesis, Bowling Green State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1555087986990235

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Carlock, Robert. A New (Bowling Green State) University: Educational Activism, Social Change, and Campus Protest in the Long Sixties. 2019. Bowling Green State University, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1555087986990235.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Carlock, Robert. "A New (Bowling Green State) University: Educational Activism, Social Change, and Campus Protest in the Long Sixties." Master's thesis, Bowling Green State University, 2019. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1555087986990235

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

bgsu1555087986990235
687
© 2019, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by Bowling Green State University and OhioLINK.