Economists call someone who gets paid more than necessary to produce a good or service a “rent-seeker.” Arguably the preeminent rent-seeker in higher education, Terry Hartle, announced his retirement recently … Continue reading “Wanted: A Successful Collegiate Rent-Seeker”
Public-university presidents frequently earn large salaries, as the Martin Center has previously reported. However, their private-college peers are not exactly poor. According to the Chronicle of Higher Education’s recent article … Continue reading “Private-College Presidents Make a Killing”
The “ivory tower” has long been the lens through which American popular culture views higher education. The phrase conjures up images of seminar rooms and high-minded ideas debated at a … Continue reading “Administrators Have Seized the Ivory Tower”
Colleges perform two vital functions: They disseminate to the people (especially their own students) the knowledge and wisdom acquired through time in ways that enhance the common good, and they also … Continue reading “Colleges: Go Back to Basics”
Over the years, American universities and colleges have slowly drifted away from their central concerns, teaching and learning. This shift is perhaps best seen in the increased number of administrators … Continue reading “Administrative Bloat Harms Teaching and Learning”
Since the early 1960s, universities have sought to achieve racial equality. Initiatives have ranged from offering extra tutoring for struggling minority students to making them more comfortable on campus by … Continue reading “Bending the Knee for Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity”
To the editor: Here is why faculty and faculty administrators make poor administrators that is not related to peer governance that shrinks from decisions. Very few are trained or self-trained … Continue reading “Why faculty members make poor administrators”
In my nearly 15 years as a higher education journalist and analyst, I have, unfortunately, witnessed too few victories for the reform movement. In that time, and certainly for several … Continue reading “Sheep No More: the Alumni Rise”
An ill wind has buffeted higher education in the year of the plague. Workers have been laid off, the ranks of the professoriate have shrunk, and enrollment declines across the … Continue reading “Did You Know? The Higher Ed Bureaucracy Won the Pandemic”
A new leader took the helm of the University of North Carolina system during a tumultuous time. In the midst of a global pandemic, Peter Hans was elected UNC system … Continue reading “A Conversation with UNC System President Peter Hans”