Russel Sobel, Author at The James G. Martin Center for Academic Renewal

Are Research and Teaching Friends or Foes?

Jul 28, 2008 · Richard Vedder, James Gwartney, Russel Sobel and Dirk Mateer · No Comments

Four distinguished economists discuss the trade-offs between higher education’s two main missions.

Law Schools Need to Adapt to Big Data and Technological Change Feb 15, 2019
Law is experiencing a revolution. Several changes are occurring, but they are all tied to the impact of information and communications technology (ICT), which is altering the nature of law at a fundamental level. This has happened in the past. Before the commercial printing press, for example, law was mostly simple legal treatises and maxims. … Continue reading “Law Schools Need to Adapt to Big Data and Technological Change”
Did the Hoaxers Do Anything Wrong? Feb 13, 2019
One of the three “Sokal Squared” academic hoaxers, Peter Boghossian of Portland State University, has been accused of violating his university’s research policies. Boghossian is the only one of the three to hold an (untenured) academic position and so is the only one vulnerable to disciplinary action. Boghossian and his compatriots parodied fashionable social-“science” research; … Continue reading “Did the Hoaxers Do Anything Wrong?”
The Costs and Benefits of College for an Entrepreneur Feb 8, 2019
Launching a business is always a risk. And for young entrepreneurs, their path to success isn’t clear. But the long-debated question of whether an individual should jump right into running an infant business remains focused on one question: is a university education required for someone to be a successful entrepreneur? “The short answer to your … Continue reading “The Costs and Benefits of College for an Entrepreneur”

Arts Everywhere: Distracting from a UNC Scandal Feb 11, 2019
Although the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s former chancellor, Carol Folt, will mostly be remembered for the numerous scandals and years-long protests on campus during her tenure, she also leaves behind other less-publicized, but still controversial, projects. One of those projects she oversaw is Arts Everywhere, a “campus-wide arts initiative supported by the … Continue reading “Arts Everywhere: Distracting from a UNC Scandal”
Colleges Should Stop Forcing Students to Live On-Campus Jan 28, 2019
A long-time practice for many private universities has been to require most freshmen and sophomores to live in campus residence halls. State-supported public universities, too, have copied their private counterparts in recent years. However, doing so drives up the cost of education and restricts the constitutional rights of public university students—all in the name of … Continue reading “Colleges Should Stop Forcing Students to Live On-Campus”
Looking at Higher Ed Through Rose-Colored Glasses Jan 14, 2019
It can be tempting for college leaders to focus solely on data that support their policy initiatives—to the exclusion of other relevant information. Unfortunately, intentionally or not, University of North Carolina system president Margaret Spellings seems to have given in to this temptation. At Spellings’ last meeting of the UNC Board of Governors with her … Continue reading “Looking at Higher Ed Through Rose-Colored Glasses”

Don’t Hire the Illusion: Screening Candidates for UNC Chancellor Feb 18, 2019
When hiring new workers, one of the overriding concerns for a company is ensuring that they hire the right people with the right qualifications. It’s the same for higher education. True, universities are dedicated to education and research, not business, but they are often institutions with billion-dollar budgets and many people with access to funds … Continue reading “Don’t Hire the Illusion: Screening Candidates for UNC Chancellor”
Law Schools Need to Adapt to Big Data and Technological Change Feb 15, 2019
Law is experiencing a revolution. Several changes are occurring, but they are all tied to the impact of information and communications technology (ICT), which is altering the nature of law at a fundamental level. This has happened in the past. Before the commercial printing press, for example, law was mostly simple legal treatises and maxims. … Continue reading “Law Schools Need to Adapt to Big Data and Technological Change”
Did the Hoaxers Do Anything Wrong? Feb 13, 2019
One of the three “Sokal Squared” academic hoaxers, Peter Boghossian of Portland State University, has been accused of violating his university’s research policies. Boghossian is the only one of the three to hold an (untenured) academic position and so is the only one vulnerable to disciplinary action. Boghossian and his compatriots parodied fashionable social-“science” research; … Continue reading “Did the Hoaxers Do Anything Wrong?”

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Russel Sobel

Articles by Russel Sobel

Are Research and Teaching Friends or Foes?