Author Profile

Jenna Robinson

Jenna Ashley Robinson is the president of the Martin Center. She joined the organization in January 2007 as campus outreach coordinator and later became the center's director of outreach. She was previously the E.A. Morris Fellowship assistant at the John Locke Foundation, where she had worked since 2001.

Robinson graduated from N.C. State University in 2003 with a major in political science and French. She has studied at the University of East Anglia School of American Studies in Norwich, England. She received her master's degree in political science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2005 and her Ph.D. in political science, with a concentration in American politics and a minor in methods, from UNC-Chapel Hill in 2012. Robinson is also a graduate of the Koch Associate Program sponsored by the Charles G. Koch Foundation.

Robinson's work has appeared in Investor's Business Daily, American Thinker, Human Events, Carolina Journal, the Lincoln Tribune, the Hickory Daily Record, the Gaston Gazette, the Mountain Express, and the News & Observer. She has taught courses in American politics at UNC-Chapel Hill, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, and Wake Technical Community College. In 2013, she testified before Congress on the Federal Pell Grant Program. She has served as a member of the North Carolina Longitudinal Data System Board since January 2014.

Articles by Jenna Robinson

Senate Budget Is Prudent, Predictable (And That’s a Good Thing)

May 22, 2017 · Jenna Robinson · 2 Comments

The budget released by the North Carolina Senate in early May sets a careful course for higher education. It includes modest increases over last year’s budget for both the University of North Carolina system and the state’s community college system. It also includes several policy changes aimed at making higher education more transparent and efficient. … Continue reading “Senate Budget Is Prudent, Predictable (And That’s a Good Thing)”

NC Joins Growing List of States Seeking to Protect Campus Free Speech

Apr 24, 2017 · Anna Beavon Gravely and Jenna Robinson · 3 Comments

Student intolerance and opposition to free speech have been gaining momentum. What began as isolated incidents at the University of Missouri and Yale University in fall 2015 quickly spread to other universities, leading to individuals being targeted for simply expressing their opinions. Recent rioting that prevented a speech by Milo Yiannopoulos at UC Berkeley, and … Continue reading “NC Joins Growing List of States Seeking to Protect Campus Free Speech”

Wake Forest Faculty Attempt to Undermine Koch-Funded Campus Institute

Mar 27, 2017 · Jenna Robinson · 22 Comments

The Faculty Senate at Wake Forest University made headlines last week when it demanded that the university reject a $3.69 million grant from the Charles Koch Foundation. Such a stance is not unusual. Many liberal faculty members and student groups are now trying to “UnKoch” their campuses. But Wake Forest’s Faculty Senate resolution goes further. … Continue reading “Wake Forest Faculty Attempt to Undermine Koch-Funded Campus Institute”

Evidence, Not Emotion, Should Guide the Campus Concealed Carry Debate

Mar 13, 2017 · Jenna Robinson · 11 Comments

In 2015, Time magazine reported that there had been 23 shootings on college and university campuses that year, including an attack at a community college in Oregon that claimed 10 lives. Prompted by such headlines, lawmakers have started taking a closer look at policies regulating weapons on campus. But states’ reactions have varied according to … Continue reading “Evidence, Not Emotion, Should Guide the Campus Concealed Carry Debate”

Five Questions to Ask Future UNC Board Members

Mar 6, 2017 · Jenna Robinson · 13 Comments

Since 2010, the UNC system’s Board of Governors has become somewhat more conservative and more interested in serious educational reforms. Members of the Board have professed interest in decreasing costs, rolling back university mission creep, and improving academic standards. But progress has been slow. Part of the problem can be attributed to the structure of … Continue reading “Five Questions to Ask Future UNC Board Members”

Bigger’s Better? In Higher Ed’s Amenities Arms Race, Bigger’s Just Bigger!

Jan 30, 2017 · Jenna Robinson · 7 Comments

Testifying before the U.S. Senate in 2013, University of Wisconsin professor Sara Goldrick-Rab described college campuses as “glorified summer camps.” She said administrators were “engaging in an arms race to have the most impressive bells and whistles.” That depiction may at first seem hyperbolic, but even a cursory glance at many of today’s college campuses … Continue reading “Bigger’s Better? In Higher Ed’s Amenities Arms Race, Bigger’s Just Bigger!”

Poll: How Should the NCAA Punish Academic Violations?

Dec 30, 2016 · Jenna Robinson · 8 Comments

It’s been more than five years since whistleblowers uncovered extensive academic fraud at UNC-Chapel Hill. Now, the NCAA has released its third notice of allegations against the school. But, so far, there have been no official sanctions. Other schools have been less fortunate. Many have faced swift punishment from the NCAA for academic misconduct. The severity of the sanctions … Continue reading “Poll: How Should the NCAA Punish Academic Violations?”

Your Generosity Is Helping to Improve Higher Education

Dec 26, 2016 · Jenna Robinson · 8 Comments

As each year comes to a close, I take some time to review what the Pope Center accomplished during the previous 52 weeks, to analyze what challenges we still face, and to plan for what awaits us in January and beyond. None of our work here would be possible without you, so I wanted to … Continue reading “Your Generosity Is Helping to Improve Higher Education”

Merry Christmas!

Dec 23, 2016 · Jenna Robinson · 5 Comments

In his new video “Just Say ‘Merry Christmas,’” Dennis Prager argues that efforts to replace “Merry Christmas” with “Happy Holidays” are misguided. In the name of “inclusivity,” he says, we are excluding the roughly 90 percent of Americans who celebrate Christmas. Such inclusivity efforts go back many years. In 2008, for example, the Pope Center reported … Continue reading “Merry Christmas!”

Poll: What Should Trump’s Education Department Do to Reform Higher Ed?

Nov 25, 2016 · Jenna Robinson · 17 Comments

Now that the election has ended, Donald Trump faces new challenges. He must assemble a team, choose a direction, and begin to govern. During his long campaign, he gave a few hints as to how he might change federal education policy. On Wednesday, Trump announced his nomination of Betsy DeVos as U.S. Secretary of Education. … Continue reading “Poll: What Should Trump’s Education Department Do to Reform Higher Ed?”