Author Profile

Jay Schalin

Jay Schalin joined the Martin Center in August 2007. A Philadelphia native, he began his writing career as a freelance journalist for the Asbury Park Press in New Jersey and wrote for several other papers in New Jersey and Delaware. Schalin has a B.S. in computer science from Richard Stockton College in New Jersey and an M.A. in economics from the University of Delaware.

His articles have appeared in Forbes, the Washington Times, Fox News Online, U.S. News and World Report, Investor's Business Daily, Human Events, and American Thinker. His op-eds have been published by the McClatchy News Service and the Raleigh News & Observer. He has been interviewed on ESPN, National Public Radio, and UNC-TV, and his work has been featured on ABC News and Fox News' The O'Reilly Factor.

Schalin is a member of the National Association of Scholars and is on the Board of Directors for the Academy of Philosophy and Letters.

Articles by Jay Schalin

Breaking Away From Leviathan: Colleges Can Thrive Without Federal Funding

Aug 10, 2022 · Jay Schalin · Comments Off

Can an academic institution be truly free if it relies on government funding? Perhaps in some perfect world, but today in the U.S., however, unencumbered generosity is not part of relationship between the federal government and higher education. Federal dollars mean federal mandates, and those mandates grow increasingly draconian. More and more, they stifle debate … Continue reading “Breaking Away From Leviathan: Colleges Can Thrive Without Federal Funding”

The Pushback Against Classroom Indoctrination Begins

Jul 20, 2022 · Jay Schalin · Comments Off

America is finally waking up to the fact that poisonous, divisive ideas are proliferating in public education, from pre-K to graduate school. The question is how to push back against such ideas. Solutions are easier in K-12; primary and secondary teachers do not have the same protections of academic freedom that college faculty have, and … Continue reading “The Pushback Against Classroom Indoctrination Begins”

Rules for Academic Reformers

Feb 24, 2022 · Jay Schalin · Comments Off

From the executive summary of Rules for Academic Reformers: For decades, observant Americans have looked upon our institutions of higher learning with dismay. The reasons for their anxiety varied; some were upset at the increasing politicization, others at rising costs, and so on. But it seemed as if there were no way to turn back … Continue reading “Rules for Academic Reformers”

Placing Limits on Faculty Speech

Feb 18, 2022 · Jay Schalin · Comments Off

Editor’s note: This is part 2 of a two-part series of articles. Part 1 can be found here. What are the boundaries of the “fitness” standard for faculty employment in regard to the extramural comments of faculty? (These are comments made about the world beyond the campus.) Some argue that there are none, that professors … Continue reading “Placing Limits on Faculty Speech”

On Academic Freedom, Public Comments, and the “Fitness” of Faculty

Feb 16, 2022 · Jay Schalin · Comments Off

Editor’s note: This is part 1 of a two-part series of articles. Part 2 can be found here. Does academic freedom protect faculty members who promote such activities as genocide, pedophilia, the murder of random innocents for political purposes, and slavery? While it is of paramount importance to ensure that an open intellectual dialogue occurs … Continue reading “On Academic Freedom, Public Comments, and the “Fitness” of Faculty”

The Bell Tolls for Tenure?

Jan 3, 2022 · Jay Schalin · Comments Off

A bill making its way through the South Carolina legislature may have a tremendous impact on the state’s public higher education system. And if successful, it may prove as a model for other states looking to get a handle on their hard-to-control higher education systems. House Bill 4522—the “Cancelling Professor Tenure Act”—will end tenure for … Continue reading “The Bell Tolls for Tenure?”

Let the Buyer Beware!

Dec 20, 2021 · Jay Schalin · Comments Off

“Almost all students cite getting a better job as a primary reason for attending college,” writes Preston Cooper in the opening paragraph of his new study, entitled Is College Worth It? A Comprehensive Return on Investment Analysis. He refers to an annual survey by UCLA that found that the percentage of incoming freshmen who state … Continue reading “Let the Buyer Beware!”

Survey Says: Davidson College Should Mend Its Ways

Nov 29, 2021 · Jay Schalin · Comments Off

One of higher education’s most enduring enigmas is the continued support given by relatively traditional donors to their rapidly radicalizing institutions. This deep division between the beliefs of important donors and the actual conduct of school officials has been brought to light in a new report about Davidson College by the American Council of Trustees … Continue reading “Survey Says: Davidson College Should Mend Its Ways”

Sheep No More: the Alumni Rise

Oct 27, 2021 · Jay Schalin · Comments Off

In my nearly 15 years as a higher education journalist and analyst, I have, unfortunately, witnessed too few victories for the reform movement. In that time, and certainly for several decades before, academia has continued moving in bad directions. On one hand, it has increasingly submitted to the “alphabet soup” mentality —CRT, DEI, AGW, LGBTQ…, … Continue reading “Sheep No More: the Alumni Rise”

On Boiling Frogs And Forked Tongues: Alumni Fight Back at Davidson

Jul 26, 2021 · Jay Schalin · Comments Off

At Davidson College, the frog finally realized that it’s being slowly cooked alive. As the theory goes, if you put a frog into boiling water, it will immediately jump out, but if you put it in lukewarm water and gradually raise the heat, it will not realize what is happening until it’s too late. The … Continue reading “On Boiling Frogs And Forked Tongues: Alumni Fight Back at Davidson”