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The NCAA’s Own Goal

Dec 5, 2022 · Harrington Shaw · Comments Off on The NCAA’s Own Goal

This coming January, the NCAA will convene in Texas to decide the future of standardized testing requirements for student-athletes. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the NCAA and universities … Continue reading “The NCAA’s Own Goal”


The ACT is Still Useful

Sep 30, 2022 · Frederick R. Prete · Comments Off on The ACT is Still Useful

Standardized tests have been attacked for being biased against some groups of students. Is that true? Should we stop using them? Exams like the American College Test (ACT) are supposed … Continue reading “The ACT is Still Useful”


Model System Policy: Minimum Admission Requirements

Sep 22, 2022 · Martin Center Staff · Comments Off on Model System Policy: Minimum Admission Requirements

Academic standards do not need to be identical for every institution in the country, and they shouldn’t be. But all baccalaureate institutions should require that applicants at least meet SAT … Continue reading “Model System Policy: Minimum Admission Requirements”


What SAT Scores Say About Teacher Effectiveness

Sep 2, 2022 · Walt Gardner · Comments Off on What SAT Scores Say About Teacher Effectiveness

The SAT has been in the news again, this time because of the claim that test-optional policies are a way for colleges to covertly impose affirmative action. It’s true that … Continue reading “What SAT Scores Say About Teacher Effectiveness”


Rescuing “Virtue and Talents” Amidst the War on Tests

May 4, 2022 · Wenyuan Wu · Comments Off on Rescuing “Virtue and Talents” Amidst the War on Tests

On March 28, 2022, Stuart Schmill, Dean of Admissions and Student Financial Services at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) announced the school’s plan to restore the consideration of standardized … Continue reading “Rescuing “Virtue and Talents” Amidst the War on Tests”


The US Test Mess

Apr 22, 2022 · Richard Phelps · Comments Off on The US Test Mess

Standardized educational tests do not perfectly measure student aptitude or achievement, and no one argues that they do. But they can differ from all other available measures in two respects: … Continue reading “The US Test Mess”


The Rot of the Prestigious Colleges

Jun 9, 2021 · Megan Zogby · Comments Off on The Rot of the Prestigious Colleges

Parents will go to all sorts of lengths to give their children a leg up. In Guilty Admissions: The Bribes, Favors, and Phonies Behind the College Cheating Scandal, journalist Nicole … Continue reading “The Rot of the Prestigious Colleges”


Don’t Rock the Boat: UNC BOG Members Rarely Vote ‘Nay’

Feb 22, 2021 · Shannon Watkins · Comments Off on Don’t Rock the Boat: UNC BOG Members Rarely Vote ‘Nay’

The members of the University of North Carolina Board of Governors are charged with a solemn duty: to oversee and guide the state’s public university system. Although some of their … Continue reading “Don’t Rock the Boat: UNC BOG Members Rarely Vote ‘Nay’”


UNC Will Not Require the SAT Next Year

Aug 17, 2020 · Shannon Watkins · Comments Off on UNC Will Not Require the SAT Next Year

On July 23, the University of North Carolina Board of Governors voted to temporarily waive the SAT or ACT requirement for college applicants. The vote came after UNC administrators proposed … Continue reading “UNC Will Not Require the SAT Next Year”


If We Jettison Standardized Testing, What’s Its Replacement?

Jun 26, 2020 · George Leef · Comments Off on If We Jettison Standardized Testing, What’s Its Replacement?

The COVID-19 pandemic probably won’t kill the SAT, but will no doubt leave it in a badly weakened condition. Both the SAT (and its close competitor, the ACT) have had … Continue reading “If We Jettison Standardized Testing, What’s Its Replacement?”

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More in Academics

  • A Devastating Exposé of America’s Colleges Jun 2, 2023

    It has become so generally known that the Left has infiltrated our colleges and universities that people seldom bother to produce the evidence of it. Without evidence, many who would … Continue reading “A Devastating Exposé of America’s Colleges”

  • The State of AI-Chatbot Detection Jun 1, 2023

    On April 4 of this year, the academic-services firm Turnitin activated a software designed to catch a certain kind of student plagiarist. As has been widely discussed on the Martin … Continue reading “The State of AI-Chatbot Detection”

  • The Strange World of “Citational Justice” May 31, 2023

    The latest fresh hell is citational justice. Which is quotas for footnotes. Now we’re supposed to track the group identity of the authors we cite and make sure there are … Continue reading “The Strange World of “Citational Justice””

More in Athletics

  • The General Assembly’s Long Higher-Ed Reach May 11, 2023

    Last week, the North Carolina General Assembly marked a special occasion: crossover. May 4, the official “crossover deadline,” was the last day on which bills could pass out of the … Continue reading “The General Assembly’s Long Higher-Ed Reach”

  • Reforms We’re Cheering For in 2023 Jan 2, 2023

    Each January, the staff of the Martin Center share our higher-ed-reform dreams for the coming year. Will all of our wishes come true? Probably not. Nevertheless, we offer them here … Continue reading “Reforms We’re Cheering For in 2023”

  • The NCAA’s Own Goal Dec 5, 2022

    This coming January, the NCAA will convene in Texas to decide the future of standardized testing requirements for student-athletes. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the NCAA and universities … Continue reading “The NCAA’s Own Goal”

More in Commentary

  • A Devastating Exposé of America’s Colleges Jun 2, 2023

    It has become so generally known that the Left has infiltrated our colleges and universities that people seldom bother to produce the evidence of it. Without evidence, many who would … Continue reading “A Devastating Exposé of America’s Colleges”

  • The State of AI-Chatbot Detection Jun 1, 2023

    On April 4 of this year, the academic-services firm Turnitin activated a software designed to catch a certain kind of student plagiarist. As has been widely discussed on the Martin … Continue reading “The State of AI-Chatbot Detection”

  • The Strange World of “Citational Justice” May 31, 2023

    The latest fresh hell is citational justice. Which is quotas for footnotes. Now we’re supposed to track the group identity of the authors we cite and make sure there are … Continue reading “The Strange World of “Citational Justice””

More in Governance

  • Undoing “Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion” Requires Alumni Effort May 29, 2023

    An historic battle is waging over the future of higher education in the U.S. And the stakes couldn’t be higher. The presenting issues are critical social justice theory and freedom … Continue reading “Undoing “Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion” Requires Alumni Effort”

  • How Our College Leaders “Cull the Herd” May 26, 2023

    Every so often, one of our college leaders blurts out the truth about their feelings and beliefs. In their public pronouncements, they always try to appear reasonable, when they’re actually … Continue reading “How Our College Leaders “Cull the Herd””

  • The Department of Education’s “Secret Shoppers” May 25, 2023

    Students around the country pay top dollar and take on mountains of debt to earn a degree. They hope doing so will pay dividends in the future. But some colleges … Continue reading “The Department of Education’s “Secret Shoppers””

Popular Articles

  • How Our College Leaders “Cull the Herd” May 26, 2023
    Every so often, one of our college leaders blurts out t...
  • Undoing “Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion” Requires Alumni Effort May 29, 2023
    An historic battle is waging over the future of higher...
  • The Strange World of “Citational Justice” May 31, 2023
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Recent Articles

  • A Devastating Exposé of America’s Colleges Jun 2, 2023

    It has become so generally known that the Left has infiltrated our colleges and universities that people seldom bother to produce the evidence of it. Without evidence, many who would … Continue reading “A Devastating Exposé of America’s Colleges”

  • The State of AI-Chatbot Detection Jun 1, 2023

    On April 4 of this year, the academic-services firm Turnitin activated a software designed to catch a certain kind of student plagiarist. As has been widely discussed on the Martin … Continue reading “The State of AI-Chatbot Detection”

  • The Strange World of “Citational Justice” May 31, 2023

    The latest fresh hell is citational justice. Which is quotas for footnotes. Now we’re supposed to track the group identity of the authors we cite and make sure there are … Continue reading “The Strange World of “Citational Justice””

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