Joshua Silverstein, Author at The James G. Martin Center for Academic Renewal

Professors Fight to Save Free Speech on Campus and Academic Freedom in Arkansas

Jul 12, 2019 · Joshua Silverstein and Robert Steinbuch · No Comments

In March 2018, the University of Arkansas Board of Trustees adopted new rules that fatally undermine academic freedom. We authored this piece for the Martin Center explaining the damage the amendments would inflict on higher education in the state. Unfortunately, the Board of Trustees ignored our warning, a warning reiterated by numerous other faculty and … Continue reading “Professors Fight to Save Free Speech on Campus and Academic Freedom in Arkansas”

Free Speech on Campus and Academic Freedom Under Attack in Arkansas

Nov 21, 2017 · Robert Steinbuch and Joshua Silverstein · 42 Comments

The state of Arkansas is facing an existential threat to academic freedom. That threat, however, is of a type that normally doesn’t receive public attention. The press typically writes about speech codes and political interference with research on controversial subjects, but as serious as those threats are, they are nothing compared to that posed by central … Continue reading “Free Speech on Campus and Academic Freedom Under Attack in Arkansas”

The Brutal and Beautiful Art of Education Feb 28, 2020
Tara Westover and her family lived off the grid on Buck’s Peak, a mountainside in Idaho so remote that life there was anchored in “circles of perpetual change that, when complete, meant that nothing had changed at all.” Tara’s father, a Mormon fundamentalist whose family had been living on the Peak for a half-century, ruled … Continue reading “The Brutal and Beautiful Art of Education”
Did You Know? At UNC-Chapel Hill, 25% of Students Would Block Controversial Speaker Feb 27, 2020
In the spring of 2019, three professors at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill conducted a study to understand free speech and constructive dialogue on campus. The study invited UNC students to complete a survey and attend focus group interviews with members of three different politically involved student organizations. From the data, professors Jennifer Larson, … Continue reading “Did You Know? At UNC-Chapel Hill, 25% of Students Would Block Controversial Speaker”
College Climate Surveys Needed to Understand Free Expression on Campus Feb 26, 2020
In yet another window into the country’s polarized political environment, in 2017 the Pew Research Center surveyed Americans regarding their views of major civic institutions. While there were divisions in how Republicans and Democrats viewed churches, banks, and labor unions, the largest gap was reserved for “colleges and universities,” with 72 percent of Democrats viewing … Continue reading “College Climate Surveys Needed to Understand Free Expression on Campus”

College Climate Surveys Needed to Understand Free Expression on Campus Feb 26, 2020
In yet another window into the country’s polarized political environment, in 2017 the Pew Research Center surveyed Americans regarding their views of major civic institutions. While there were divisions in how Republicans and Democrats viewed churches, banks, and labor unions, the largest gap was reserved for “colleges and universities,” with 72 percent of Democrats viewing … Continue reading “College Climate Surveys Needed to Understand Free Expression on Campus”
A New Chapter in UNC Board Governance Feb 24, 2020
It’s been a couple of months since Randy Ramsey became the chairman of the University of North Carolina System Board of Governors. Since his appointment in October, Ramsey’s tenure has been enveloped in the ongoing saga surrounding the Silent Sam monument. But even though the monument consumes headlines, many other important issues go before the … Continue reading “A New Chapter in UNC Board Governance”
Pension Spiking at North Carolina Colleges: An $8 Million Bill for the Public Feb 10, 2020
In 2014, the North Carolina legislature passed a law to curb “pension spiking” among public employees. Pension spiking is when a worker dramatically increases their compensation at the end of their career to boost their pension (usually by converting benefits such as vacation or sick time pay), which creates a liability in the pension fund. … Continue reading “Pension Spiking at North Carolina Colleges: An $8 Million Bill for the Public”

The Brutal and Beautiful Art of Education Feb 28, 2020
Tara Westover and her family lived off the grid on Buck’s Peak, a mountainside in Idaho so remote that life there was anchored in “circles of perpetual change that, when complete, meant that nothing had changed at all.” Tara’s father, a Mormon fundamentalist whose family had been living on the Peak for a half-century, ruled … Continue reading “The Brutal and Beautiful Art of Education”
Did You Know? At UNC-Chapel Hill, 25% of Students Would Block Controversial Speaker Feb 27, 2020
In the spring of 2019, three professors at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill conducted a study to understand free speech and constructive dialogue on campus. The study invited UNC students to complete a survey and attend focus group interviews with members of three different politically involved student organizations. From the data, professors Jennifer Larson, … Continue reading “Did You Know? At UNC-Chapel Hill, 25% of Students Would Block Controversial Speaker”
College Climate Surveys Needed to Understand Free Expression on Campus Feb 26, 2020
In yet another window into the country’s polarized political environment, in 2017 the Pew Research Center surveyed Americans regarding their views of major civic institutions. While there were divisions in how Republicans and Democrats viewed churches, banks, and labor unions, the largest gap was reserved for “colleges and universities,” with 72 percent of Democrats viewing … Continue reading “College Climate Surveys Needed to Understand Free Expression on Campus”