Karl Marx is a common fixture on college course syllabi. From English to sociology to philosophy, the German socialist’s writings are explained, analyzed, and dissected. I find myself, a teacher … Continue reading “We Need to Teach About the Socialist Alternative…and Its Failure”
The academy seems built for public controversy because professors are encouraged to question ideas and popular beliefs. It shouldn’t be surprising that academic outrage has a long history. In the … Continue reading “The Sociology of the Academic Outrage Mob”
People like to tell a few stories about academic conservatives. Within the progressive left, one story is about the influence of corporate interests and “neoliberalism” on the university. In their … Continue reading “Credentials, But Not Community, for Conservatives in the Academy”
A few years ago, Jonathan Haidt, a social psychologist, realized that most of his colleagues were on the Left. This is not necessarily a bad thing. People are allowed to … Continue reading “Intellectual Desegregation: What Heterodox Thought Requires from Academics”
Every year, professors around the world write millions of letters of recommendation. They write letters for admission to graduate schools, law schools, and medical schools. They write letters for tenure … Continue reading “It’s Time to Abolish Letters of Recommendation”
In 2011, the leading Republican presidential candidates met for a debate and former Texas governor Rick Perry was booed by the audience. During the debate, he was asked to explain … Continue reading “Conservative Arguments in Support of Undocumented College Students”
In recent years, the media has given us dire warnings about the “crisis of the humanities.” In article after article, one reads about falling enrollments in college English departments and … Continue reading “Why Humanities Programs Suffer as the Humanities Themselves Do Great”
Editor’s note: This is the first of a three-part series on faculty roles in higher education. Part II by Jay Schalin is here and Part III by John Wilson is … Continue reading “Defining Faculty Roles: Scholarship First, Activism Second”
At the end of every semester, at nearly every college in the country, millions and millions of students fill out student evaluations of teachers. These forms ask very sensible questions. … Continue reading “Should We Stop Asking College Students to Evaluate Their Instructors?”