Topic: Academics

University Administrators’ Pandemic Power Grab

Nov 27, 2020 · · No Comments on University Administrators’ Pandemic Power Grab

Universities’ profligate spending habits have caught up with them after substantial losses in student enrollments due to COVID-19. As undergraduate enrollment fell by 4.4 percent and students had fewer “on-campus experiences,” universities desperately began laying off employees. Some even have plans to consolidate departments and entire campuses. Those actions spell trouble for the future of … Continue reading “University Administrators’ Pandemic Power Grab”

UVA and the Dangerous Politicization of Our College Campuses

Nov 25, 2020 · · No Comments on UVA and the Dangerous Politicization of Our College Campuses

It is no secret that our colleges and universities have witnessed a sea change in campus culture over the past two decades. Political correctness has run rampant. High-profile incidents such as the Yale Halloween costume controversy and phenomena such as safe spaces and building re-namings have captured public attention. College officials, however, assure us that … Continue reading “UVA and the Dangerous Politicization of Our College Campuses”

‘Wokeness’ Infiltrates College Music Departments

Nov 23, 2020 · · No Comments on ‘Wokeness’ Infiltrates College Music Departments

Inevitably, college music departments have succumbed to pressure to promote “social justice” and fight racism. It’s hard to see much injustice or racism in music, but that doesn’t matter to activists intent on showing that they’re in the vanguard of America’s transformation. Consider, for example, the announcement back in September by the music department at … Continue reading “‘Wokeness’ Infiltrates College Music Departments”

The Case Against the Cult of Critical Thinking

Nov 20, 2020 · · No Comments on The Case Against the Cult of Critical Thinking

To speak against critical thinking in today’s academy is comparable to denying the divinity of Jesus in the medieval church—it’s heterodox. Not only does it rail against the values of contemporary scholarship, it may even be foolish in light of today’s students. Isn’t the lack of critical thinking the problem in modern society? Here’s how … Continue reading “The Case Against the Cult of Critical Thinking”

Did You Know? For Some Post-Graduate Plans, Employer Tuition Reimbursements Is the Way

Nov 19, 2020 · · No Comments on Did You Know? For Some Post-Graduate Plans, Employer Tuition Reimbursements Is the Way

Many students since the pandemic have questioned whether they should attend graduate school or change their career plans altogether. The Chronicle of Higher Education reported that 17 percent of graduate students said their career plans changed since the pandemic started. Students are now worried they cannot afford graduate school. According to a 2020 Pew Research … Continue reading “Did You Know? For Some Post-Graduate Plans, Employer Tuition Reimbursements Is the Way”

For Teacher Training, Drop Critical Theory and Add Character

Nov 18, 2020 · · No Comments on For Teacher Training, Drop Critical Theory and Add Character

With the pandemic, more parents are discovering what their children are being taught in public schools—from explicit how-tos in sex-ed class to narratives of power that divide everyone into oppressors and oppressed. Yearning for a richer emphasis on cultural literacy, character, and civil discourse, parents are turning to alternative curricula, such as Core Knowledge and … Continue reading “For Teacher Training, Drop Critical Theory and Add Character”

Heavy Is the Head that Wears the Crown

Nov 16, 2020 · · No Comments on Heavy Is the Head that Wears the Crown

Since 2015, the University of North Carolina system’s Board of Governors (BOG) has endured one controversy after another, beginning with protests over decisions to close three “academic centers” for being overly political and to replace Democrat Thomas Ross as the system president with Republican Margaret Spellings. Some of the problems have been of the board’s … Continue reading “Heavy Is the Head that Wears the Crown”

The Problem of Higher Ed and Economic Mobility

Nov 13, 2020 · · No Comments on The Problem of Higher Ed and Economic Mobility

Virginia’s top public universities are largely stratified by socioeconomic status. Consider the following statistics that appear in the new book by James V. Koch and Richard J. Cebula, Runaway College Costs: How College Governing Boards Fail to Protect their Students. At the College of William & Mary only 13.6 percent of the student body comes … Continue reading “The Problem of Higher Ed and Economic Mobility”

Did You Know? The Trouble with Aiding Students with Learning Disabilities

Nov 12, 2020 · · No Comments on Did You Know? The Trouble with Aiding Students with Learning Disabilities

As college classes go online, one group of students is ignored: those with learning disabilities. The Atlantic calls learning disabilities an “invisible disability” because they aren’t physically obvious. These disabilities can be detrimental to a student’s success if they don’t get help. Students with disabilities aren’t rare; almost 20 percent of undergrads reported having one, … Continue reading “Did You Know? The Trouble with Aiding Students with Learning Disabilities”

Could Law School Be the Worst Higher Education Investment?

Nov 11, 2020 · · No Comments on Could Law School Be the Worst Higher Education Investment?

For decades, law school was a growth industry. Back in 1970, there were 146 law schools with an enrollment of 78,000 students; by 2013, there were 201 schools, enrolling 139,000 students. Enrollment peaked in 2010 at 147,000. (For the current year, it seems that enrollments will probably remain level with last year.) By 2015, we … Continue reading “Could Law School Be the Worst Higher Education Investment?”