Blueprints for Reform
The university system in the United States has accomplished a great deal of good, but it has strayed from its chief goals of scholarly inquiry and responsible teaching, especially in … Continue reading “Blueprints for Reform”
Universities and the Poverty Narrative
Universities are supposed to prepare young people to become independent by teaching them critical thinking and preparing them for careers. When a young adult enters university, we expect him or … Continue reading “Universities and the Poverty Narrative”
The University of Chicago Isn’t Living Up to Its “Principles”
Much has been made of the “Chicago Principles,” formal statements by the University of Chicago concerning the institutional inclusion of opposing political viewpoints. Articulated in 2015, the principles seek to … Continue reading “The University of Chicago Isn’t Living Up to Its “Principles””
When Universities Don’t Step Up, Good Professors Are Forced to Step Down
With “cancel culture” running rampant on social media, in politics, and in the classroom, professors who put forth the effort to help students think critically and challenge their beliefs are … Continue reading “When Universities Don’t Step Up, Good Professors Are Forced to Step Down”
1776 Unites: An Alternative to Campus Victimhood Culture
Over the past decade, American moral culture has changed. The evidence of those changes has been especially apparent on college campuses, where new concepts such as microaggressions, safe spaces, trigger … Continue reading “1776 Unites: An Alternative to Campus Victimhood Culture”
What’s in a Syllabus? The Keys to Undoing Academic Freedom, If We’re Not Careful
The syllabus is such a basic document that most of us tend not to think much about what goes into making one. What are its necessary ingredients? A listing of … Continue reading “What’s in a Syllabus? The Keys to Undoing Academic Freedom, If We’re Not Careful “
The Spurning of Old Books: The Devaluation of the Past Threatens Higher Ed
Alan Jacobs’ new book, Breaking Bread with the Dead: A Reader’s Guide to a More Tranquil Mind, is a coaxing argument to read “old books that come from strange times.” … Continue reading “The Spurning of Old Books: The Devaluation of the Past Threatens Higher Ed”
Leaving the Blight of Higher Education: Part I–Farewell, Students
Editor’s note: This is the first of a two-part series. In May of 2020, my wife and I took our retirement after more than 30 years of teaching college, the … Continue reading “Leaving the Blight of Higher Education: Part I–Farewell, Students”
To De-Politicize Art Schools, Students Need to Fight Back
It has never been harder to teach artistic individualism in America. A religious devotion to the causes of social justice dominates the ideas of professors in the academy, and David … Continue reading “To De-Politicize Art Schools, Students Need to Fight Back “
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 … Continue reading “Where Did ‘Cancel Culture’ Come From?”