Janus v. AFSCME Archives — The James G. Martin Center for Academic Renewal

After Janus: Vindication and Hope

Jul 25, 2018 · Charles Baird · No Comments

Last month, the U.S. Supreme Court took a significant step toward restoring individual liberty for all government employees, including faculty in public universities and colleges, with its decision in Janus v. AFSCME. Faculty members will no longer be forced to pay any labor union any fee for any purpose as a condition of continued government … Continue reading “After Janus: Vindication and Hope”

Students’ Speech Chilled at the University of Texas Jan 18, 2019
Written in 1903, the University of Texas fight song’s opening lyrics are “The Eyes of Texas are upon you/All the livelong day.” Unfortunately, for many on campus, the sentiments expressed are more than just a catchy tune—it’s a frightening reality. Thanks to four policies that the school maintains—a verbal harassment ban, an Acceptable Use Policy … Continue reading “Students’ Speech Chilled at the University of Texas”
The Coming Crises for Christian Colleges Jan 16, 2019
An African-American pro-life speaker recently spoke at a Midwestern college and several members of the school’s student government declared the speaker “had made many students, staff, and faculty of color feel unheard, underrepresented, and unsafe on our campus.” On America’s politicized campuses, that hardly is news. However, these were not students at some notoriously leftist … Continue reading “The Coming Crises for Christian Colleges”
Looking at Higher Ed Through Rose-Colored Glasses Jan 14, 2019
It can be tempting for college leaders to focus solely on data that support their policy initiatives—to the exclusion of other relevant information. Unfortunately, intentionally or not, University of North Carolina system president Margaret Spellings seems to have given in to this temptation. At Spellings’ last meeting of the UNC Board of Governors with her … Continue reading “Looking at Higher Ed Through Rose-Colored Glasses”

Be Wary of This Test Jan 11, 2019
There is a notable new testing effort afoot. It’s called Imbellus, an assessment project that has raised millions in investment capital and whose founder Rebecca Kantar recently earned a gushing profile in Forbes. Here is a video of Ms. Kantar, a Harvard dropout (that experience features strongly in the publicity for Imbellus), who says of … Continue reading “Be Wary of This Test”
Parents, Student Loans, and Government: An Unhealthy Mix Jan 9, 2019
Parent PLUS is not typically the loan program making headlines when student loans are in the news. But over the past several years, it has become a central part of America’s higher-education financing system. Under Parent PLUS, parents can borrow freely—with no limit—from the federal government to support their children’s education. Government programs without significant … Continue reading “Parents, Student Loans, and Government: An Unhealthy Mix”
Income Share Agreements Offer a Promising Alternative to Federal Loans Dec 28, 2018
College is expensive. Even in today’s deeply divided political climate, all Americans seem to agree on that. But while most, if not all, Americans agree that student loan debt is a big problem, the proper role of the federal government in distributing loans remains hotly contested. A solution could lie in offering a more attractive … Continue reading “Income Share Agreements Offer a Promising Alternative to Federal Loans”

Students’ Speech Chilled at the University of Texas Jan 18, 2019
Written in 1903, the University of Texas fight song’s opening lyrics are “The Eyes of Texas are upon you/All the livelong day.” Unfortunately, for many on campus, the sentiments expressed are more than just a catchy tune—it’s a frightening reality. Thanks to four policies that the school maintains—a verbal harassment ban, an Acceptable Use Policy … Continue reading “Students’ Speech Chilled at the University of Texas”
The Coming Crises for Christian Colleges Jan 16, 2019
An African-American pro-life speaker recently spoke at a Midwestern college and several members of the school’s student government declared the speaker “had made many students, staff, and faculty of color feel unheard, underrepresented, and unsafe on our campus.” On America’s politicized campuses, that hardly is news. However, these were not students at some notoriously leftist … Continue reading “The Coming Crises for Christian Colleges”
Cultural Marxism Is Real Jan 4, 2019
Samuel Moyn, a Yale law professor, recently asked, “What is ‘cultural Marxism?’” His answer: “Nothing of the kind actually exists.” Moyn attributes the term cultural Marxism to the “runaway alt-right imagination,” claiming that it implicates zany conspiracy theories and has been “percolating for years through global sewers of hatred.” Alexander Zubatov, an attorney writing in … Continue reading “Cultural Marxism Is Real”

Students’ Speech Chilled at the University of Texas Jan 18, 2019
Written in 1903, the University of Texas fight song’s opening lyrics are “The Eyes of Texas are upon you/All the livelong day.” Unfortunately, for many on campus, the sentiments expressed are more than just a catchy tune—it’s a frightening reality. Thanks to four policies that the school maintains—a verbal harassment ban, an Acceptable Use Policy … Continue reading “Students’ Speech Chilled at the University of Texas”
The Coming Crises for Christian Colleges Jan 16, 2019
An African-American pro-life speaker recently spoke at a Midwestern college and several members of the school’s student government declared the speaker “had made many students, staff, and faculty of color feel unheard, underrepresented, and unsafe on our campus.” On America’s politicized campuses, that hardly is news. However, these were not students at some notoriously leftist … Continue reading “The Coming Crises for Christian Colleges”
Looking at Higher Ed Through Rose-Colored Glasses Jan 14, 2019
It can be tempting for college leaders to focus solely on data that support their policy initiatives—to the exclusion of other relevant information. Unfortunately, intentionally or not, University of North Carolina system president Margaret Spellings seems to have given in to this temptation. At Spellings’ last meeting of the UNC Board of Governors with her … Continue reading “Looking at Higher Ed Through Rose-Colored Glasses”