Author Profile

J.M. Anderson

J. M. Anderson received his Ph.D. in history from Syracuse University. He has taught at a community college, at two four-year colleges, at a state university, and at a for-profit university. He has written several articles and two books, The Honorable Burden of Public Office: English Humanists and Tudor Politics in the Sixteenth Century and The Skinny on Teaching: What You Don’t Learn in Graduate School. He is currently dean of the School of Business and Liberal Arts and Sciences at SUNY Cobleskill.

Articles by J.M. Anderson

How Academe Helped to Elect Trump

Mar 3, 2017 · J.M. Anderson · 17 Comments

President Trump scares academe. Many feel threatened, under siege, rejected, aghast. Eric Klineberg, professor of sociology at New York University, summed up this anxiety a few days after the election: “My pulse raced and my blood pressure spiked when I realized that Donald Trump would be president. I felt afraid.” Trump’s victory, he adds, is … Continue reading “How Academe Helped to Elect Trump”

To Save the Humanities, Make Them More Hands On

Jul 8, 2016 · J.M. Anderson · 1 Comment

The humanities may not be dead, but they are certainly moribund on many college campuses. Once the crown jewels of higher education, now they are valued about as much as knockoffs at a pawn shop. According to a recent study by the American Academy of Arts & Sciences, the humanities saw an 8.7 percent decline … Continue reading “To Save the Humanities, Make Them More Hands On”

The Case for Older Students

Feb 24, 2013 · J.M. Anderson · No Comments

Fresh out of high school, many students aren’t mature enough to benefit from college studies.

Teaching Is a Liberal Art

Apr 6, 2012 · J.M. Anderson · No Comments

The “Scholarship of Teaching and Learning” movement has not lived up to its promise.

No Wonder Johnny (Still) Can’t Write

Feb 10, 2012 · J.M. Anderson · No Comments

Students don’t write well and professors don’t want to help them.

Did You Know? The UNC BOG Nominations Process Mar 4, 2021
Some new faces might be on the UNC Board of Governors this year, as 12 members’ four-year terms are set to expire. The state’s Senate and House of Representatives will each be able to fill six open positions. They may choose to reappoint or replace current members. The nomination process in the Senate is currently … Continue reading “Did You Know? The UNC BOG Nominations Process”
This Case Gives the Supreme Court a Chance to Protect Campus Free Speech Mar 3, 2021
Over the last 30 years, federal courts have consistently ruled that restrictive speech codes and minuscule free speech zones on college campuses violate the First Amendment. So, why do college administrators continue to create and enforce such policies? The answer is that they face no penalty for doing so. A case that arose back in … Continue reading “This Case Gives the Supreme Court a Chance to Protect Campus Free Speech”
COVID-19 Campus Changes: Testing and Sequestering Students Mar 1, 2021
Colleges have been trying to stop COVID-19 from spreading on campus, and after a year of experimentation, failure, and success, officials may have found their way. Campuses are combining widespread testing, a reduction in social activities, limited in-person classes, and altered schedules to avoid shutting down campuses like many did last fall. Colleges do deserve … Continue reading “COVID-19 Campus Changes: Testing and Sequestering Students”

This Case Gives the Supreme Court a Chance to Protect Campus Free Speech Mar 3, 2021
Over the last 30 years, federal courts have consistently ruled that restrictive speech codes and minuscule free speech zones on college campuses violate the First Amendment. So, why do college administrators continue to create and enforce such policies? The answer is that they face no penalty for doing so. A case that arose back in … Continue reading “This Case Gives the Supreme Court a Chance to Protect Campus Free Speech”
Why Universities Should Not Be Anti-Racist Feb 24, 2021
During the last year, many universities throughout North America have declared “anti-racism” to be their official policy. Consider this sample of quotations. “We must ask how Princeton can address systemic racism in the world, and we must also ask how to address it within our own community.” —Christopher L. Eisgruber, president, Princeton University. “The University … Continue reading “Why Universities Should Not Be Anti-Racist”
How the College Board Mangles the Teaching of History Feb 19, 2021
The College Board is a not-for-profit company that has a great deal of influence over American education. Its Scholastic Aptitude Test (the SAT) is the most widely used test for assessing the college readiness of students, and its many Advanced Placement exams allow students to show that they have learned subjects well enough not to … Continue reading “How the College Board Mangles the Teaching of History”

The Edifice Complex Is a Threat to University Budgets Mar 5, 2021
According to one recent estimate, American colleges in the last few years, in a period of extraordinary enrollment decline, have added 70 million square feet of new instruction and research facilities on their campuses. That is more space than in 10 Pentagons, the largest office facility in the U.S. Yet enrollments for fall 2020 had … Continue reading “The Edifice Complex Is a Threat to University Budgets”
Did You Know? The UNC BOG Nominations Process Mar 4, 2021
Some new faces might be on the UNC Board of Governors this year, as 12 members’ four-year terms are set to expire. The state’s Senate and House of Representatives will each be able to fill six open positions. They may choose to reappoint or replace current members. The nomination process in the Senate is currently … Continue reading “Did You Know? The UNC BOG Nominations Process”
This Case Gives the Supreme Court a Chance to Protect Campus Free Speech Mar 3, 2021
Over the last 30 years, federal courts have consistently ruled that restrictive speech codes and minuscule free speech zones on college campuses violate the First Amendment. So, why do college administrators continue to create and enforce such policies? The answer is that they face no penalty for doing so. A case that arose back in … Continue reading “This Case Gives the Supreme Court a Chance to Protect Campus Free Speech”