In Princeton’s Contempt for Justice, Shades of Duke Lacrosse

Jun 27, 2022 · · Comments Off on In Princeton’s Contempt for Justice, Shades of Duke Lacrosse

Presidents of prestigious universities often make outrageous decisions inconsistent with such bedrock values as freedom of expression and providing the accused with traditional American due process. The shameful manner in which Princeton University fired Joshua Katz, a distinguished scholar and winner of several teaching awards, leads me to consider Christopher Eisgruber to be the worst … Continue reading “In Princeton’s Contempt for Justice, Shades of Duke Lacrosse”

Diary of a Mad Emerita

May 9, 2022 · · Comments Off on Diary of a Mad Emerita

During the years I taught college English, I had a ringside seat watching a new breed of Jacobins seize control of a university English department, then extend their reach throughout the humanities. Posing as the champions of “social justice,” they have built an empire cultivating “victims”—and silencing colleagues who oppose the new mission of the … Continue reading “Diary of a Mad Emerita”

How Open Are North Carolina Schools to Free Speech?

Nov 1, 2021 · · Comments Off on How Open Are North Carolina Schools to Free Speech?

Free speech is under attack in the United States today. Even Big Tech is censoring content: sites like Twitter and Facebook censor speech that is deemed anti-diversity, anti-racist, or even simply against the current political climate. Despite claiming to be places for free and open discussion, these companies often shut down or ban conversations while … Continue reading “How Open Are North Carolina Schools to Free Speech?”

Is it Time to Rethink Tenure?

Oct 4, 2021 · · Comments Off on Is it Time to Rethink Tenure?

In a recent article for the Martin Center, Duke professor Mike Munger asked an important question: should “a political board composed of nonacademics…be empowered to evaluate faculty proposals on hiring and curriculum in the first place?” He argued that, in practice, boards have already ceded that authority. For many years, shared governance, at least on … Continue reading “Is it Time to Rethink Tenure?”

Where Did ‘Cancel Culture’ Come From?

Nov 2, 2020 · · Comments Off on Where Did ‘Cancel Culture’ Come From?

“People that work at universities and newspapers should be the most intellectually free people in the world.” Few would vocally disagree with these words recently said by former New York Times writer Bari Weiss. And yet, despite living in the freest country in the world, it’s become increasingly risky for students, academics, and journalists even … Continue reading “Where Did ‘Cancel Culture’ Come From?”

For University Endowments, There’s No Time like the Present

Jan 4, 2017 · · Comments Off on For University Endowments, There’s No Time like the Present

During his presidential campaign, Donald Trump argued that requiring wealthy universities to spend more of their endowment funds on tuition aid would reduce students’ financial burdens. Whether implementing that idea—which has floated around Congress since 2008—would lower college costs on the whole is doubtful. And, in my view, the federal government is already meddling too … Continue reading “For University Endowments, There’s No Time like the Present”

Should Universities Be “Sanctuaries” for Illegal Immigrants?

Dec 5, 2016 · · Comments Off on Should Universities Be “Sanctuaries” for Illegal Immigrants?

On November 16, thousands of students at public and private universities across the country walked out of classes to protest the election of Donald Trump to the presidency. One of their main goals was to urge college officials to declare their campuses as “sanctuaries” for illegal immigrants—a controversial move that could start a political battle … Continue reading “Should Universities Be “Sanctuaries” for Illegal Immigrants?”