After Student-Loan Forgiveness, Mandatory Credentialing Has to Go

Sep 21, 2022 · · Comments Off on After Student-Loan Forgiveness, Mandatory Credentialing Has to Go

President Biden recently announced a controversial, half-trillion-dollar student-loan-forgiveness scheme in which his administration would use a minor provision of the post-9/11 HEROES Act to excuse student borrowers from repaying roughly $500 billion in federal taxpayer funds. This regressive, unnecessary, and perverse maneuver promises to steer vast sums to affluent college-goers, even as it encourages colleges to … Continue reading “After Student-Loan Forgiveness, Mandatory Credentialing Has to Go”

ECU Makes the Secret Hurt Visible

Sep 12, 2022 · · Comments Off on ECU Makes the Secret Hurt Visible

Is higher education the highest priority for East Carolina University, or is the institution just pushing a political narrative? On August 19th, ECU held its 2022-23 faculty convocation, and the Martin Center was able to attend via livestream. The speeches and events that transpired were eye-opening and revealed much about the path ECU is encouraging … Continue reading “ECU Makes the Secret Hurt Visible”

Measuring the Spread of DEI

Sep 7, 2022 · · Comments Off on Measuring the Spread of DEI

A constant concern in my academic sub-field of comparative politics is how to create concepts and measurements that stand up to scrutiny when applied to several cases. When we hear someone claim that politics in Country X are “corrupt,” our first questions are “What do you mean by corruption?” and “Compared to where?” This concern … Continue reading “Measuring the Spread of DEI”

Higher Education is Complicit in the Politicization of Science

Aug 15, 2022 · · Comments Off on Higher Education is Complicit in the Politicization of Science

John Staddon is an emeritus professor of biology at Duke University and, thankfully, an academician who doesn’t fear being “canceled” for voicing incorrect opinions. His latest book, Science in an Age of Unreason, abounds in such opinions. Staddon argues that science is in dire straits in America due to the way that it has become … Continue reading “Higher Education is Complicit in the Politicization of Science”

Diversity-Office Funding Wastes UNC-System Resources

Aug 8, 2022 · · Comments Off on Diversity-Office Funding Wastes UNC-System Resources

Colleges and universities nationwide are quickly adopting Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) ideologies, and the UNC System is no exception. In recent years, this has led to DEI-inspired task forces, departments, and hirings, and DEI has become embedded in all 16 of the schools’ strategic plans. For readers who are unfamiliar with the flaws of … Continue reading “Diversity-Office Funding Wastes UNC-System Resources”

The DIE Revolution Will Transform Tenure

Aug 5, 2022 · · Comments Off on The DIE Revolution Will Transform Tenure

There is much discussion in academia at present about the future of tenure. Critics of this protection from political or moral pressure against freedom of inquiry include both left-progressives, who see it as an illegitimate method to prevent the penalization of conservatives, and some on the right who believe that market forces should be allowed … Continue reading “The DIE Revolution Will Transform Tenure”

Fit to Print? UNC’s Settlement with Nikole Hannah-Jones is Bad News

Aug 1, 2022 · and · Comments Off on Fit to Print? UNC’s Settlement with Nikole Hannah-Jones is Bad News

A reporter who hasn’t dreamt of one day writing for the New York Times is a rare bird. “I’ll start with my local newspaper,” they tell themselves. “Then I’ll move on to a statewide paper, before making a name for myself at something with a national readership. From there, I’ll be drafted into service at … Continue reading “Fit to Print? UNC’s Settlement with Nikole Hannah-Jones is Bad News”

Did You Know? “DEI” is Becoming “DEIJ”

Jul 28, 2022 · · Comments Off on Did You Know? “DEI” is Becoming “DEIJ”

A good many Americans are aware of “Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion” (DEI), a vogue phrase signaling the application of Critical Race Theory. They read DEI statements from their employers, see stories about DEI on the news, and learn about it in school. What Americans may not be aware of—yet—is that myriad companies, institutions, and organizations … Continue reading “Did You Know? “DEI” is Becoming “DEIJ””

How the Best of Intentions Created Today’s Academic Disasters

Jul 15, 2022 · · Comments Off on How the Best of Intentions Created Today’s Academic Disasters

Today’s assault on intellectual excellence in the academy will eventually end. Hopefully, an investigation will then commence on its causes, and all the usual suspects will be rounded up. This tribunal will, however, likely ignore one key culprit: ordinary faculty—people like me—who complained about the assault, all while enthusiastically aiding it. Yes, some criticized the … Continue reading “How the Best of Intentions Created Today’s Academic Disasters”

A Defense of the “Ungrading” Movement

Jul 13, 2022 · · Comments Off on A Defense of the “Ungrading” Movement

In his April piece for the Martin Center, Adam Ellwanger critiqued “contract grading” as a symptom of “the war against academic excellence” and the broader societal movement toward “some fetishized notion of social justice.” I agree with the diagnosis my colleague offers regarding the pervasiveness of “Lake Wobegon” syndrome, wherein everyone is above average, trophies … Continue reading “A Defense of the “Ungrading” Movement”