Author Profile

David Waugh

David Waugh is the Managing Editor of the American Institute for Economic Research. He is also a Don Lavoie Fellow with the Mercatus Center. He previously worked as an associate for S&P Global Market Intelligence.

David is a graduate of Hampden-Sydney College where he received a BA in Economics. While at Hampden-Sydney, he was a Senior Fellow with the Center for the Study of Political Economy and worked in the Economics department as a teaching assistant.

In college, David held internships with the James G. Martin Center for Academic Renewal and Seven Cedars Financial.

Articles by David Waugh

Do Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Offices Achieve Their Stated Goals?

Aug 23, 2021 · David Waugh · Comments Off

As Oscar Wilde tells us, “Moderation is a fatal thing. Nothing succeeds like excess.” This is especially true of bureaucracies on college campuses. Once their seeds are planted, their growth often continues without check. Administrative offices have been growing on college campuses since the 1980s, undoubtedly contributing to the increasing cost of a degree. Besides … Continue reading “Do Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Offices Achieve Their Stated Goals?”

Did You Know? Grievance Studies in the UNC System

Oct 31, 2019 · David Waugh · Comments Off

As academia becomes increasingly political and some professors call for an activist academy, some critics have questioned the impact of “cultural studies” and critical theory on the quality of research in the humanities. Academics Helen Pluckrose, James Lindsay, and Peter Boghossian have led the reaction against scholarship-as-activism with their famous “grievance studies” hoax. The three … Continue reading “Did You Know? Grievance Studies in the UNC System”

Did You Know? UNC System Grads Carry Less Student Debt

Oct 3, 2019 · David Waugh · Comments Off

Most students rely on loans to pay for college; colleges raise their prices, and student debt increases. Now, about 44 million students collectively owe $1.6 trillion in student debt. In North Carolina, at least, graduates carry less debt than their peers. North Carolina ranks 37th in the country for total debt levels of its graduates, … Continue reading “Did You Know? UNC System Grads Carry Less Student Debt”

Did You Know? 86 Colleges Have Closed or Merged Since 2016

Sep 19, 2019 · David Waugh · Comments Off

Since 2016, colleges and universities have fought to stay open as enrollments fall, especially liberal arts colleges. Many colleges are adding more certificate programs in technology fields and dropping low-enrollment humanities programs. The threat has been most acute for small liberal-arts colleges with small endowments that rely on tuition for most of their revenue. To … Continue reading “Did You Know? 86 Colleges Have Closed or Merged Since 2016”

Did You Know? The Uneven Performance of UNC Education Schools

Aug 29, 2019 · David Waugh · Comments Off

The National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) rates teacher education programs on how well they teach different subjects such as science, social science, and content knowledge. As Shannon Watkins describes, most public North Carolina education programs do a poor job teaching the future educators of the state. And education schools at University of North Carolina … Continue reading “Did You Know? The Uneven Performance of UNC Education Schools”

Why Do So Many North Carolina Colleges Have Such Low Graduation Rates?

Aug 5, 2019 · David Waugh · Comments Off

The era of the four-year bachelor’s degree is over; today, only top students graduate within the traditional college timeline. Few North Carolina colleges can graduate the majority of their students within four years—the average four-year graduation rate is only 35 percent. Even so, that rate is better than the national average of 33.3 percent. The … Continue reading “Why Do So Many North Carolina Colleges Have Such Low Graduation Rates?”

Did You Know? UNC System Bucks Trend Favoring Out-of-State Students

Aug 1, 2019 · David Waugh · Comments Off

Flagship universities such as the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and other public universities were created by their states primarily to support the higher educational needs of in-state students. Increasingly, however, in-state colleges are enrolling more out-of state students because they bring in more revenue. The Washington Post highlighted this trend and showed … Continue reading “Did You Know? UNC System Bucks Trend Favoring Out-of-State Students”

Did You Know? More Than 50 Colleges Have Embraced Free Speech Protections

Jul 11, 2019 · David Waugh · Comments Off

The Chicago Statement, or the Report of the Committee on Freedom of Expression, is a 2014 statement defining the University of Chicago’s stance on freedom of speech. The statement set a strong precedent favoring free speech protections when many colleges were moving away from such protections and capitulating to student-led mobs who demanded “offensive” speakers … Continue reading “Did You Know? More Than 50 Colleges Have Embraced Free Speech Protections”

Did You Know? Students on the Left More Likely to Disinvite Speakers

Jul 4, 2019 · David Waugh · Comments Off

Americans celebrate their independence today, but liberty is still threatened in higher education. As college campuses become a battleground over free speech, disinviting speakers has been a common tactic across the country to control what can be said. What is surprising, however, is just how many of these disinvitations come from left-wing student groups. Since … Continue reading “Did You Know? Students on the Left More Likely to Disinvite Speakers”