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Author Profile

Chris West

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Chris West currently serves as the Communications Fellow at the Civitas Institute. Prior to this role, Chris is spent a year with the Martin Center as their policy fellow for 2018-2019. 

Chris graduated with a bachelor of arts degree in Christian studies pre-law from Campbell University. Chris also holds a certificate in Faith-Based Nonprofit Leadership from Wake Forest and a certificate in Transnational Law and Negotiation from the University of Reading, United Kingdom. He is also an E.A. Morris Fellow and an SPN Generation Liberty Fellow. 

Articles by Chris West


Complete an Online Ph.D. in Under a Year—Too Good to be True?

Feb 7, 2022 · Chris West · Comments Off on Complete an Online Ph.D. in Under a Year—Too Good to be True?

In the last few years, the higher ed landscape is seeing a steady rise in the number of institutions offering online degrees. Schools like Western Governors University and Grand Canyon … Continue reading “Complete an Online Ph.D. in Under a Year—Too Good to be True?”


Are North Carolina Colleges and Universities Worth the Price Tag? 

Oct 18, 2021 · Chris West · Comments Off on Are North Carolina Colleges and Universities Worth the Price Tag? 

Shelling out the time and cash necessary to earn a degree is a sacrifice. For many, the question of “is college worth it?” has a simple answer: “yes.” But for … Continue reading “Are North Carolina Colleges and Universities Worth the Price Tag? “


Duke Divinity: Wokeness Gone Wild or a Model Education?

May 31, 2021 · Chris West · Comments Off on Duke Divinity: Wokeness Gone Wild or a Model Education?

My first year at Duke Divinity is, well, not quite what I expected. For one, I was hoping to take classes in Gothic buildings and worship in the beautiful wood-laden … Continue reading “Duke Divinity: Wokeness Gone Wild or a Model Education?”


How Colleges Get Rid of Conservative Admins: An Example from UNC

May 11, 2020 · Chris West · Comments Off on How Colleges Get Rid of Conservative Admins: An Example from UNC

When I accepted an administrative position at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, friends warned me that I would not fit in as a conservative. I dismissed their … Continue reading “How Colleges Get Rid of Conservative Admins: An Example from UNC”


For Liberal Baptist Seminaries, an Uncertain Future

Apr 27, 2020 · Chris West · Comments Off on For Liberal Baptist Seminaries, an Uncertain Future

Between recent seminary closings and a general decline in admissions, the future may not bode well for some Baptists schools in higher education. The difficulty moderate and liberal schools face, … Continue reading “For Liberal Baptist Seminaries, an Uncertain Future”


Common Reading Programs: Political Fluff for Freshmen

Jul 1, 2019 · Chris West · Comments Off on Common Reading Programs: Political Fluff for Freshmen

Many colleges assign “common readings” to incoming students as an intellectual experience outside the classroom to set the bar for the academic rigor that professors expect of students. This tradition … Continue reading “Common Reading Programs: Political Fluff for Freshmen”


Public Universities Exploit Eminent Domain Powers with Little Oversight

Dec 21, 2018 · Chris West · Comments Off on Public Universities Exploit Eminent Domain Powers with Little Oversight

Colleges tend to expand beyond their original missions by hiring more administrators and creating new programs. But they can also expand physically by exercising power usually reserved for state and … Continue reading “Public Universities Exploit Eminent Domain Powers with Little Oversight”


Have North Carolina Colleges Improved Their Free Speech Protections?

Sep 24, 2018 · Chris West · Comments Off on Have North Carolina Colleges Improved Their Free Speech Protections?

Free speech on campus has become a point of concern for many. News reports describe speakers being disinvited from campus or shouted down. Events such as students being arrested for giving … Continue reading “Have North Carolina Colleges Improved Their Free Speech Protections?”


Free College Is Just Another Middle-Class Entitlement

Jul 9, 2018 · Chris West · Comments Off on Free College Is Just Another Middle-Class Entitlement

Tennessee legislators received a shock in 2012 when a study from Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce predicted that by 2020, 55 percent of Tennessee jobs would require … Continue reading “Free College Is Just Another Middle-Class Entitlement”


The Legal Innovations Trying to Save Law School from Itself

May 25, 2018 · Chris West · Comments Off on The Legal Innovations Trying to Save Law School from Itself

The world of law school and the legal profession is in turmoil. This is because there are not only many market distortions at play, but because the economy is undergoing transitions. … Continue reading “The Legal Innovations Trying to Save Law School from Itself”

More in Academics

  • The Media Take On the UNC Board Mar 20, 2023

    When news broke that UNC-Chapel Hill had plans to create a new School of Civic Life and Leadership, it was inevitable that there would be some confusion. But nearly two … Continue reading “The Media Take On the UNC Board”

  • ROTC and the Ivies Mar 17, 2023

    Ivy League universities have a distinguished history of their students serving the country in the armed forces. Yale can claim Captain Nathan Hale, class of 1773, executed by the British … Continue reading “ROTC and the Ivies”

  • Law-School “Mismatch” Is Worse Than We Thought Mar 15, 2023

    Eighteen years ago, I published an article in the Stanford Law Review which documented for the first time the enormous breadth and scale of race-based admissions preferences in law schools. … Continue reading “Law-School “Mismatch” Is Worse Than We Thought”

Popular Articles

  • Law-School “Mismatch” Is Worse Than We Thought Mar 15, 2023
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  • The Media Take On the UNC Board Mar 20, 2023
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  • ROTC and the Ivies Mar 17, 2023
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Recent Articles

  • The Media Take On the UNC Board Mar 20, 2023

    When news broke that UNC-Chapel Hill had plans to create a new School of Civic Life and Leadership, it was inevitable that there would be some confusion. But nearly two … Continue reading “The Media Take On the UNC Board”

  • ROTC and the Ivies Mar 17, 2023

    Ivy League universities have a distinguished history of their students serving the country in the armed forces. Yale can claim Captain Nathan Hale, class of 1773, executed by the British … Continue reading “ROTC and the Ivies”

  • Davidson College Affirms Free Speech Mar 16, 2023

    Last week, faculty at Davidson College affirmed their commitment to free expression on campus by approving their own version of the Chicago Principles. It’s a step that the pro-free-speech organization … Continue reading “Davidson College Affirms Free Speech”

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