Goldsmiths College, founded in 1891 by a company for higher education and recreation for the "men and women of the industrial, working and artisan classes," has been denied full school status although owned by the University of London. Recent debate about the college's future has focused on maintenance of standards and its tradition of…

This book examines the successes of the Open University (OU), a concept now 25 years old, in overcoming obstacles to higher education faced by nontraditional students, and particularly those faced by older women. The OU has no entry qualification, requires no tests, admits all applicants on a space-available basis, and awards a Bachelor's degree.…