No Lessons Learned: Campus Intolerance Intensifies in the Trump Era

Feb 13, 2017 · · 53 Comments on No Lessons Learned: Campus Intolerance Intensifies in the Trump Era

At this year’s Association of American Colleges and Universities meeting, held in late January in San Francisco, a sense of misgiving filled the conference hall. Panelists raised, implicitly, the question whether higher education has become out of touch with Donald Trump’s America. They fretted over their belief that the current social and political climate is … Continue reading “No Lessons Learned: Campus Intolerance Intensifies in the Trump Era”

Poll: How Should the NCAA Punish Academic Violations?

Dec 30, 2016 · · 8 Comments on Poll: How Should the NCAA Punish Academic Violations?

It’s been more than five years since whistleblowers uncovered extensive academic fraud at UNC-Chapel Hill. Now, the NCAA has released its third notice of allegations against the school. But, so far, there have been no official sanctions. Other schools have been less fortunate. Many have faced swift punishment from the NCAA for academic misconduct. The severity of the sanctions … Continue reading “Poll: How Should the NCAA Punish Academic Violations?”

Your Generosity Is Helping to Improve Higher Education

Dec 26, 2016 · · 8 Comments on Your Generosity Is Helping to Improve Higher Education

As each year comes to a close, I take some time to review what the Pope Center accomplished during the previous 52 weeks, to analyze what challenges we still face, and to plan for what awaits us in January and beyond. None of our work here would be possible without you, so I wanted to … Continue reading “Your Generosity Is Helping to Improve Higher Education”

The “Snowflake” Generation: Real or Imagined?

Dec 19, 2016 · · 116 Comments on The “Snowflake” Generation: Real or Imagined?

When universities institute things such as “safe spaces” and “trigger warnings,” they often justify doing so in the name of protecting students’ mental health. Critics, on the other hand, argue that universities are more often protecting students from ideas with which they disagree and shielding them from the vicissitudes of adulthood. But there is at … Continue reading “The “Snowflake” Generation: Real or Imagined?”

The University of Chicago’s Support for Free Speech Sparks Opposition

Sep 14, 2016 · · 31 Comments on The University of Chicago’s Support for Free Speech Sparks Opposition

Last month, just before the new academic year began, the University of Chicago’s dean of students, John Ellison, sent a letter (reproduced in this piece) to all incoming students. It was meant to reaffirm the university’s commitment to free speech and inform the students that they shouldn’t expect the academic environment at Chicago to include … Continue reading “The University of Chicago’s Support for Free Speech Sparks Opposition”

Should Universities Be Outsourcing Their Chancellor Searches?

Sep 12, 2016 · · No Comments on Should Universities Be Outsourcing Their Chancellor Searches?

Among the duties of a university’s board of trustees, there is perhaps no bigger responsibility than helping to select the leader of the campus—the chancellor/president. Such an important responsibility requires diligence and a deep understanding of the needs and culture of the university. Many boards, however, have become increasingly reliant on private search firms to … Continue reading “Should Universities Be Outsourcing Their Chancellor Searches?”

The Freshman Experience: Social Justice Indoctrination and Academic Handholding

Aug 29, 2016 · · 10 Comments on The Freshman Experience: Social Justice Indoctrination and Academic Handholding

It took less than a week into the 2016-2017 academic year for several outrageous stories to surface on college campuses. At the University of Texas at Austin, thousands of students protested the state’s new campus carry law by wielding sex toys in a campaign called “Cocks Not Glocks.” The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee told students that … Continue reading “The Freshman Experience: Social Justice Indoctrination and Academic Handholding”

In Troubled Times, Some Important Advances to Protect Student Rights

Nov 16, 2015 · · No Comments on In Troubled Times, Some Important Advances to Protect Student Rights

In the last few years, the rights of students in North Carolina universities have received some significant new protections. It is important that state legislators and educators continue to do so, for such rights—pertaining to free speech and due process of punitive proceedings—have been under assault on college campuses nationwide in recent years.

Accommodating College Students with Learning Disabilities: ADD, ADHD, and Dyslexia

Mar 25, 2010 · · Comments Off on Accommodating College Students with Learning Disabilities: ADD, ADHD, and Dyslexia

Universities are providing extra time on tests, quiet exam rooms, in-class note-takers, and other assistance to college students with modest learning disabilities. But these policies are shrouded in secrecy. This paper, “Accommodating College Students with Learning Disabilities: ADD, ADHD, and Dyslexia,” by Melana Zyla Vickers, examines the nature of this assistance and discusses the policy questions it raises.

Why UNC-CH leftists are right to complain about Coulter’s visit

Sep 19, 2003 · · No Comments on Why UNC-CH leftists are right to complain about Coulter’s visit

UNC-CH leftists are incensed about the decision to fund Coulter’s speech. Why should they pay — through their student fees — to support Coulter, whose views they find odious?

In other words, they’re sounding like conservatives, who’ve been objecting to their being made to support leftist causes through student fees for years.