The End of Being a Duke Professor and What It Means for the Future of Higher Education

Apr 22, 2019 · · No Comments on The End of Being a Duke Professor and What It Means for the Future of Higher Education

The end of the spring semester marks the 20th anniversary of my professorship at Duke, first as an assistant professor and then as an associate professor of the practice at the Sanford School of Public Policy. During this time, I regularly taught the required ethics class for all undergraduate public policy majors. I won multiple … Continue reading “The End of Being a Duke Professor and What It Means for the Future of Higher Education”

The Essential Ingredient for a ‘Deep Education’

Mar 18, 2019 · · No Comments on The Essential Ingredient for a ‘Deep Education’

About a year ago, Princeton philosopher Robert P. George came to Chapel Hill, North Carolina to speak about civil discourse and diversity of thought with the UNC system Board of Governors. He returned on February 8, but this time he came with Cornel West, a long-time friend and philosopher at Harvard University, as guest speakers … Continue reading “The Essential Ingredient for a ‘Deep Education’”

The Liberal Arts Are Important: But Whose Liberal Arts?

Oct 22, 2018 · · No Comments on The Liberal Arts Are Important: But Whose Liberal Arts?

Over the decades, the conception of a liberal arts education appears to have slowly lost its meaning. Just because students may attend a “liberal arts” college does not mean that they will receive a liberal arts education as it was traditionally conceived. One person who decries this transformation of the liberal arts is author and … Continue reading “The Liberal Arts Are Important: But Whose Liberal Arts?”

A Monumental Question

Jul 23, 2018 · · No Comments on A Monumental Question

Today’s radical left has embarked on a quest to purge college campuses of their controversial histories. These “social justice warriors” not only believe themselves licensed to tear down statues—they view it as their sacred duty to rid universities of monuments that do not meet their standards of political correctness. But merely removing statues they deem … Continue reading “A Monumental Question”

Nancy MacLean Continues to Embarrass Duke, but Exposes its Double Standards

Mar 16, 2018 · · No Comments on Nancy MacLean Continues to Embarrass Duke, but Exposes its Double Standards

Last year, Duke University History Professor Nancy MacLean became one of the country’s best-known academics for her book Democracy in Chains. That is not, however, to say that her book was so praiseworthy that it made her famous. Quite the opposite—Democracy in Chains was excoriated by academic critics for its blatantly dishonest attack on the … Continue reading “Nancy MacLean Continues to Embarrass Duke, but Exposes its Double Standards”

Campus Feminism: The Real War on Women

Mar 7, 2018 · · No Comments on Campus Feminism: The Real War on Women

At a time when the majority of American college students are female—currently 57 percent of all students—higher education’s conversation surrounding women’s rights is largely dominated by modern feminist ideology. Roughly 63 percent of female students identify as feminists, and while no similar statistic is available for female faculty or staff members, most likely an even … Continue reading “Campus Feminism: The Real War on Women”

Title IX Is an Insult to Victims of Sexual Assault

Jan 26, 2018 · · 10 Comments on Title IX Is an Insult to Victims of Sexual Assault

Rape is an appalling crime. Its perpetrators deserve criminal prosecution and lengthy imprisonment upon conviction. Yet the discourse on sexual assault at American colleges and universities in the past few years has fueled a backlash. Until the recent revelations of #MeToo, colleges have dominated the discussion of sexual misconduct in America. (This focus is misplaced, … Continue reading “Title IX Is an Insult to Victims of Sexual Assault”

Should the Confederate Monuments Stay or Go?

Aug 28, 2017 · · 55 Comments on Should the Confederate Monuments Stay or Go?

It’s been more than two weeks since white nationalists gathered in Charlottesville, Virginia, to march against the removal of a Robert E. Lee statue and chant racist slogans. Social media captured the ensuing chaos and violence in real-time: a white nationalist terrorist rammed his car into a crowd of counter-protestors, killing one woman and injuring … Continue reading “Should the Confederate Monuments Stay or Go?”

Duke Assails Free Speech So It Can “Protect and Value Diverse Perspectives”

Jun 14, 2017 · · 31 Comments on Duke Assails Free Speech So It Can “Protect and Value Diverse Perspectives”

American college campuses are becoming more and more like the old communist states where people enjoyed freedom of speech—but only so long as they didn’t question some aspect of the official orthodoxy. Any such “deviationism” was apt to land them in severe trouble with the authorities, who encouraged loyal citizens to report it. (Alexander Solzhenitsyn … Continue reading “Duke Assails Free Speech So It Can “Protect and Value Diverse Perspectives””

Is Underemployment of Recent College Grads a Serious Problem?

Oct 7, 2016 · · 1 Comment on Is Underemployment of Recent College Grads a Serious Problem?

For decades, the American higher education establishment was able to sell the idea that promoting college was sound policy because it seemed that nearly all graduates found good, high-paying jobs. But around 15 years ago, people began to notice that a rather large percentage of college grads were taking low-skill jobs with poor pay and … Continue reading “Is Underemployment of Recent College Grads a Serious Problem?”