As scholars become more public, what responsibility do they have to advocate for policies that will advance equity, inclusiveness, and social change?

Higher education scholars often conduct research on topics about which they care deeply, but to what extent should they be advocates for reform and social change? One school of thought believes researchers should remain dispassionate and data focused; the other, that a researcher, by the very questions she asks, can help effect social change. In this book, Laura W. Perna questions how, why, and when higher education researchers should be public intellectuals and whether, armed with research, they are—and should be—a powerful force for change.

Taking It to the Streets collects essays from nationally and internationally recognized thought leaders with diverse opinions and perspectives on these issues. With the intentional inclusion of voices on different sides of this discussion, the volume offers a thought-provoking and nuanced understanding of the multifaceted connections between higher education research, advocacy, and policy.

Contributors: Ann E. Austin, Estela Mara Bensimon, Anthony A. Berryman, Mitchell J. Chang, Cheryl Crazy Bull, Adam Gamoran, Sara Goldrick-Rab, Shaun R. Harper, Donald E. Heller, Adrianna Kezar, Simon Marginson, James T. Minor, Jeannie Oakes, Laura W. Perna, Gary Rhoades, Daniel G. Solorzano, Christine A. Stanley, William G. Tierney

Laura W. Perna is the James S. Riepe Professor and the executive director of the Alliance for Higher Education and Democracy at the University of Pennsylvania. She is a coauthor of The Attainment Agenda: State Policy Leadership for Higher Education and the coeditor of The State of College Access and Completion: Improving College Success for Students from Underrepresented Groups.