Self-reflection is a necessary trait for any healthy society or institution. Grappling with the past empowers us to contextualize our lives, make positive change, and avoid repeating the mistakes of … Continue reading “No to Rushed Renamings”
In 2014, according to the QS World University Rankings, the United States boasted eight of the top college philosophy departments in the world. A decade later, that number has been … Continue reading “The Startling Deterioration of American Philosophy Departments”
Colleges and universities keep telling us that they teach “critical thinking” skills, but in reality they are deeply complicit in the destruction of the ability to think at all. They’re … Continue reading “How and Why Are American Minds Being Canceled?”
Universities are supposed to prepare young people to become independent by teaching them critical thinking and preparing them for careers. When a young adult enters university, we expect him or … Continue reading “Universities and the Poverty Narrative”
As a professor devoted to his college’s “pre-disciplinary” core curriculum, I was hooked by David Epstein’s title, Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World. The book is chock-full of … Continue reading “The Limits of Expertise”
Collectivists of many stripes—but one aim—have been eating away at our free society for over one hundred years. If we want to reverse America’s current slide into authoritarianism and actively … Continue reading “To Restore American Liberty, We Need Colleges that Actually Teach the Liberal Arts”
What will they learn? That is the question that the American Council of Trustees and Alumni (ACTA) has been asking America’s colleges for thirteen years in a report by the … Continue reading “Many NC Students Are Missing out on Core Knowledge”
How do we teach students how to think rather than what to think? If the latest election cycle showed us anything, it’s that parents care deeply about what their children … Continue reading “Three Ways to Teach Students How—Not What—to Think”
Given the enormity of the public and private investment in US higher education, of course we should evaluate its effectiveness. But, how? It is claimed that over 200 higher education … Continue reading “Are College Exit Exams a Valid Measure of Learning? It’s Complicated”
Although there is no shortage of college graduates, a degree alone, unfortunately, does not guarantee students learned anything of substance while in college. The grade point averages listed at the … Continue reading “Could College Exit Exams Restore Confidence in Higher Ed?”