300-400 words

Following the Civil War, changes in higher education included:

• Expanded opportunities for women and African-Americans.
• Land grant universities.
• Expanded science and engineering curricula.
• The elective system.
• Decreased emphasis on the classics.

Public education in particular was affected by the influence of the first Morrill Act. For this question, reflect on influences that have shaped the growth and development of a particular type of higher education institution over the years (for example, liberal arts colleges, land grant institutions, community colleges, black colleges and universities, or women’s colleges). Trace the impact of a specific influence and explain how it has shaped the look of your chosen type of institution today.