On April 3, the North Carolina House approved a proposed biennial budget, House Bill 259, which the Senate is now considering. The plan provides generous raises for state employees while … Continue reading “Reading the N.C. Higher-Ed Budget”
Public educational institutions are constitutionally forbidden to retaliate against faculty members because of their speech. A professor can’t be fired, demoted, or otherwise penalized just because he or she has … Continue reading “Schools Should Think Twice Before Punishing Faculty for Their Speech”
The pandemic has affected numerous aspects of daily life. Included among these are how students and faculty relate and respond to each other on campus. With many classes going virtual … Continue reading “Do American Undergraduates Still Respect Their Professors?”
As students and parents shop for colleges, trying to envision what they will receive in return for tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars, one of the central questions on … Continue reading “Beyond Student-Faculty Ratios”
Late last year, UNC-Chapel Hill’s chancellor, Kevin Guskiewicz, announced the appointment of the university’s new executive vice chancellor and provost, Christopher “Chris” Clemens. Clemens, who officially began his new role … Continue reading “A Conversation with UNC-Chapel Hill’s New Provost, Chris Clemens”
Editor’s note: This is part 2 of a two-part series of articles. Part 1 can be found here. What are the boundaries of the “fitness” standard for faculty employment in … Continue reading “Placing Limits on Faculty Speech”
Incidents of academics being targeted for their views are on the rise, according to a new report by the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE). FIRE notes that the … Continue reading ““Death by a Thousand Cuts”: Professor Files Lawsuit Against NC State University”
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 … Continue reading “Is it Time to Rethink Tenure?”
Editor’s note: This is the second of a two-part essay; part I can be read here. The previous essay dealt with the moral decline of the student body in higher … Continue reading “Leaving the Blight of Higher Education: Part II–Farewell, Faculty”
Remember the stereotype of the lazy college professor living an almost stress-free life while enjoying tenure, virtually a sinecure, often supported by taxpayer dollars? Tomes and articles identifying examples of … Continue reading “Mental Health and the Professoriate During the Pandemic”