Can Higher Education Be Saved? The Hope for Governance Reform

Jul 15, 2020 · · No Comments on Can Higher Education Be Saved? The Hope for Governance Reform

Academia is a troubled institution plagued by financial problems, falling academic standards, and poor educational outcomes. Especially concerning is its politicization; it increasingly sows racial discord, advocates for anti-American and anti-Western perspectives, and promotes socialism. At times, it even rejects its most important value—the pursuit of truth—for a distorted vision of social justice. How has … Continue reading “Can Higher Education Be Saved? The Hope for Governance Reform”

Bolstering the Board: Trustees Are Academia’s Best Hope for Reform

Jul 14, 2020 · · Comments Off on Bolstering the Board: Trustees Are Academia’s Best Hope for Reform

From the Executive Summary of Bolstering the Board: Trustees Are Academia’s Best Hope for Reform: Two conditions are needed to effect large-scale reforms in academia: a hierarchical, top- down system of governance that can enact sweeping changes, and for that system to be controlled or heavily influenced by those outside the system. Strong board governance … Continue reading “Bolstering the Board: Trustees Are Academia’s Best Hope for Reform”

How Tulsa University Was Turned into Toxic University

Mar 25, 2020 · · No Comments on How Tulsa University Was Turned into Toxic University

Suffering from self-inflicted wounds, the University of Tulsa is sick and getting sicker. This is a case study in how “progressive” academic leadership can wreck a once-excellent university. Last April 11, the university’s administration rolled out “True Commitment,” a radical restructuring that gutted the liberal arts, raised course loads, dissolved academic departments, and effectively turned … Continue reading “How Tulsa University Was Turned into Toxic University”

In Wilmington, the Decline of Community College Leadership

Mar 9, 2020 · · No Comments on In Wilmington, the Decline of Community College Leadership

Something is rotten in the County of New Hanover. Cape Fear Community College, the fifth-largest in the state, is experiencing very public governance issues. Faculty and staff have accused CFCC president Jim Morton of creating a hostile work environment built on favoritism and bullying. The “toxic culture,” as multiple sources put it, has made employees … Continue reading “In Wilmington, the Decline of Community College Leadership”

Liberty University: A Cautionary Tale

Oct 25, 2019 · · No Comments on Liberty University: A Cautionary Tale

A recent cascade of investigative reporting on the shady business dealings of Jerry Falwell Jr. has raised some troubling questions about the controversial evangelical figure and his vision for Liberty University, the conservative Christian institution he has led for more than a decade. Reports from Politico and Reuters, with university staff and administrators as sources, … Continue reading “Liberty University: A Cautionary Tale”

What We’re Reading: A Defense of the University, Governance Guidebooks, and a Higher Ed Satire

May 31, 2019 · · No Comments on What We’re Reading: A Defense of the University, Governance Guidebooks, and a Higher Ed Satire

Jenna A. Robinson, President In March, Helen Pluckrose and James A. Lindsay penned “A Principled Defense of the University” for Areo. Coming from two of the authors of the “Sokal Squared” publishing scandal, it’s an important disclaimer: Grievance studies are not representative of the whole university. In the essay, the authors explain why they believe … Continue reading “What We’re Reading: A Defense of the University, Governance Guidebooks, and a Higher Ed Satire”

UNC’s Leadership Crisis Exposes Academia’s Feckless Mindset

Jan 21, 2019 · · No Comments on UNC’s Leadership Crisis Exposes Academia’s Feckless Mindset

Carol Folt’s tenure as chancellor of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill came to an abrupt end last week, thanks to her failure to grasp political realities and her defiant support of the school’s radical social justice crowd. She challenged the system’s governing body, the Board of Governors, by having the pedestal of … Continue reading “UNC’s Leadership Crisis Exposes Academia’s Feckless Mindset”

The Four Perspectives of Higher Education Policy Explained

Dec 5, 2018 · · No Comments on The Four Perspectives of Higher Education Policy Explained

Explaining higher education policy is never easy (even to people who are involved in it). Over the years, while training young writers for the Martin Center, I have come up with a model that has proven useful. One way to produce clarity among the confusion is to apply a model having four basic perspectives rather … Continue reading “The Four Perspectives of Higher Education Policy Explained”

Fixing the Divide Between the Public and Higher Ed

Sep 10, 2018 · · No Comments on Fixing the Divide Between the Public and Higher Ed

The partnership between America and its colleges and universities is broken. Americans are disappointed with higher education. A majority of Americans (57 percent) now say higher education fails to provide students with good value for the money they and their families spend, according to the Pew Research Center. Universities are equally disappointed with the students … Continue reading “Fixing the Divide Between the Public and Higher Ed”