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Author Profile

George Ehrhardt

George Ehrhardt teaches political science at Appalachian State University in beautiful Boone, North Carolina. Somehow he managed to spend four years at Carleton College without becoming a progressive, and went on to study at George Washington University and Indiana University at Bloomington. His research focuses on Japanese politics generally and a Buddhist social movement turned political party in particular. Liberated by tenure, he has been known to show up to class dressed as a pirate and teach about subversive topics like American conservatism. He and his wife homeschool their two daughters.

Articles by George Ehrhardt


How Can Professors Inspire Students to Want to Learn?

Jun 23, 2021 · George Ehrhardt · Comments Off on How Can Professors Inspire Students to Want to Learn?

COVID-19 has revolutionized how we think about online college teaching. Until last spring, two perspectives predominated. One argued that massively enrolled online classes presented by impressive teachers or prestigious universities … Continue reading “How Can Professors Inspire Students to Want to Learn?”


Of Academic Freedom and False Alarms

Sep 21, 2020 · George Ehrhardt · Comments Off on Of Academic Freedom and False Alarms

It has been a very strange year. Three weeks ago I opened my email to find an unsolicited email from a lawyer, asking if I needed help. Odd, I thought, … Continue reading “Of Academic Freedom and False Alarms”


How the One-Size-Fits-All College Application Model Hurts Homeschoolers

Jan 29, 2018 · George Ehrhardt · Comments Off on How the One-Size-Fits-All College Application Model Hurts Homeschoolers

The season for college admissions is upon us. My younger daughter is still a junior but her public school teammates are all abuzz with chatter of who applied where, who’s … Continue reading “How the One-Size-Fits-All College Application Model Hurts Homeschoolers”


Academics and the Reproduction of Cultural Hegemony

Feb 10, 2017 · George Ehrhardt · Comments Off on Academics and the Reproduction of Cultural Hegemony

Much as Martin Center readers may disparage Marxism, there is one author who deserves our attention. Antonio Gramsci was an Italian Marxist who lived and wrote around the turn of … Continue reading “Academics and the Reproduction of Cultural Hegemony”


Summer Reading Questions and What They Reveal About Faculty

Jul 27, 2016 · George Ehrhardt · Comments Off on Summer Reading Questions and What They Reveal About Faculty

After three decades in higher education as student and teacher, this year I begin a new role, as parent. My eldest daughter will attend a small liberal arts college in … Continue reading “Summer Reading Questions and What They Reveal About Faculty”


Part 1: Why having students work in groups can be a good pedagogical approach

Aug 15, 2014 · George Ehrhardt · Comments Off on Part 1: Why having students work in groups can be a good pedagogical approach

Why having students work in groups can be a good pedagogical approach


Teaching Conservatism, Part II

Nov 22, 2012 · George Ehrhardt · Comments Off on Teaching Conservatism, Part II

Professor Ehrhardt considers the tactics and strategies that he has found to work in his conservatism classes.


Why Teach a Class on Conservatism?

Nov 21, 2012 · George Ehrhardt · Comments Off on Why Teach a Class on Conservatism?

Students should learn that American conservatism is far more diverse and complex than most people think.

More in Academics

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    Across the country, an increasing number of universities now require scholars to submit “diversity statements” in hiring, promotion, and tenure. Many have abandoned or downplayed standardized tests in the name … Continue reading “When Discipline-Specific Accreditors Go Woke”

  • Professor Maitland Jones and Declining Standards in Higher Education Jan 25, 2023

    As a direct result of student complaints that his course was too difficult, Maitland Jones will no longer be teaching organic chemistry at New York University (NYU). Jones has a … Continue reading “Professor Maitland Jones and Declining Standards in Higher Education”

  • Schools Should Think Twice Before Punishing Faculty for Their Speech Jan 23, 2023

    Public educational institutions are constitutionally forbidden to retaliate against faculty members because of their speech. A professor can’t be fired, demoted, or otherwise penalized just because he or she has … Continue reading “Schools Should Think Twice Before Punishing Faculty for Their Speech”

More in Costs

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    College affordability has long been an issue in this country. Given that the federal government’s subsidizing of higher education has allowed the cost of college to increase exponentially, many prospective … Continue reading “Don’t Racialize the College-Affordability Crisis”

  • How the UNC System is Propping Up Enrollment Jan 19, 2023

    Nationwide, undergraduate college enrollment has been falling since 2010. The trend is being driven both by a shrinking pool of high-school graduates and those graduates choosing to attend universities at … Continue reading “How the UNC System is Propping Up Enrollment”

  • Reforms We’re Cheering For in 2023 Jan 2, 2023

    Each January, the staff of the Martin Center share our higher-ed-reform dreams for the coming year. Will all of our wishes come true? Probably not. Nevertheless, we offer them here … Continue reading “Reforms We’re Cheering For in 2023”

More in Innovation

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    With new policies and a new school, the UNC System, the UNC Board of Governors, and UNC-Chapel Hill are making history. UNC is the first state university system in the … Continue reading “At UNC, More Good News on Free Expression”

  • Artificial Intelligence Will Change Higher Ed for the Better Jan 20, 2023

    A new artificial intelligence (AI) system called ChatGPT has been released to the public, and many have been shocked to see the extent of its abilities. ChatGPT can accomplish many … Continue reading “Artificial Intelligence Will Change Higher Ed for the Better”

  • How the UNC System is Propping Up Enrollment Jan 19, 2023

    Nationwide, undergraduate college enrollment has been falling since 2010. The trend is being driven both by a shrinking pool of high-school graduates and those graduates choosing to attend universities at … Continue reading “How the UNC System is Propping Up Enrollment”

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Recent Articles

  • At UNC, More Good News on Free Expression Jan 30, 2023

    With new policies and a new school, the UNC System, the UNC Board of Governors, and UNC-Chapel Hill are making history. UNC is the first state university system in the … Continue reading “At UNC, More Good News on Free Expression”

  • When Discipline-Specific Accreditors Go Woke Jan 27, 2023

    Across the country, an increasing number of universities now require scholars to submit “diversity statements” in hiring, promotion, and tenure. Many have abandoned or downplayed standardized tests in the name … Continue reading “When Discipline-Specific Accreditors Go Woke”

  • Don’t Racialize the College-Affordability Crisis Jan 26, 2023

    College affordability has long been an issue in this country. Given that the federal government’s subsidizing of higher education has allowed the cost of college to increase exponentially, many prospective … Continue reading “Don’t Racialize the College-Affordability Crisis”

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