West Virginia Archives — The James G. Martin Center for Academic Renewal

Free Speech in Peril at West Virginia Colleges

Jun 19, 2022 · Jenna A. Robinson, Adam Kissel and Laura Beltz · Comments Off

From the introduction of Free Speech at West Virginia Colleges and Universities: Peril and Promise A campus-climate survey published by the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) in 2021—the largest of its kind ever performed, including 37,104 students at 159 institutions—found that 5-in-6 college students have self-censored because of how they perceived other students, … Continue reading “Free Speech in Peril at West Virginia Colleges”

Did You Know? Student Loan Defaults Are Most Common in West Virginia, New Mexico

Nov 14, 2019 · Madeline Baker · Comments Off

When students are late making a monthly payment on their federal student loans, the loan becomes delinquent. And if they don’t make any payments for 270 days, most types of federal student loans go into default. The Department of Education provides data on cohort default rates by institution, which informs the public of how many … Continue reading “Did You Know? Student Loan Defaults Are Most Common in West Virginia, New Mexico”

Can We Do Anything About “Party Schools”?

Mar 5, 2014 · George Leef · Comments Off

A sociologist’s book explores the disturbing party culture at her university but sees no real solution.

Free Speech in Peril at West Virginia Colleges Jun 19, 2022
From the introduction of Free Speech at West Virginia Colleges and Universities: Peril and Promise A campus-climate survey published by the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) in 2021—the largest of its kind ever performed, including 37,104 students at 159 institutions—found that 5-in-6 college students have self-censored because of how they perceived other students, … Continue reading “Free Speech in Peril at West Virginia Colleges”
Rules for Academic Reformers Feb 24, 2022
From the executive summary of Rules for Academic Reformers: For decades, observant Americans have looked upon our institutions of higher learning with dismay. The reasons for their anxiety varied; some were upset at the increasing politicization, others at rising costs, and so on. But it seemed as if there were no way to turn back … Continue reading “Rules for Academic Reformers”
Model Legislation: End Political Litmus Tests in Education Act Feb 8, 2022
The “End Political Litmus Tests in Education Act” can help preserve academic freedom and freedom of speech and conscience at public schools, colleges, and universities. Traditionally, faculty candidates at public universities have been evaluated based on four documents: a cover letter, their curriculum vitae, research statement, and teaching statement. Now, a fifth document is being … Continue reading “Model Legislation: End Political Litmus Tests in Education Act”

Tenure’s False Promise Jun 29, 2022
Although tenure has been hotly debated over the years, it is still widely misunderstood as guaranteeing a professor a lifetime position. What happened in May to Joshua Katz, a classics professor at Princeton, calls into question this assumption and, by extension, raises a question about the rights of an individual in our legal system. Katz’s … Continue reading “Tenure’s False Promise”
In Princeton’s Contempt for Justice, Shades of Duke Lacrosse Jun 27, 2022
Presidents of prestigious universities often make outrageous decisions inconsistent with such bedrock values as freedom of expression and providing the accused with traditional American due process. The shameful manner in which Princeton University fired Joshua Katz, a distinguished scholar and winner of several teaching awards, leads me to consider Christopher Eisgruber to be the worst … Continue reading “In Princeton’s Contempt for Justice, Shades of Duke Lacrosse”
Remembering Title IX Abuses Jun 24, 2022
Recently, Title IX has been in the news because of the Biden administration’s promised (and, as of yesterday, delivered) rejection of much-needed Trump-era reforms. As we are approaching the 50th anniversary of the statute, introduced as part of the Education Amendments of 1972, it is worth revisiting the history of Title IX and reviewing its … Continue reading “Remembering Title IX Abuses”