Topic: Academics

Caveat Magister: Even Medical Professors Must Not Say Politically Incorrect Things

Apr 24, 2019 · · No Comments on Caveat Magister: Even Medical Professors Must Not Say Politically Incorrect Things

How far has the United States gone down the road of punishing people for uttering politically incorrect thoughts? Very far indeed, as an incident at the University of Louisville shows. Yes, we know that faculty in the “soft” fields of the social sciences endanger their careers if they happen to say something that upsets someone … Continue reading “Caveat Magister: Even Medical Professors Must Not Say Politically Incorrect Things”

The End of Being a Duke Professor and What It Means for the Future of Higher Education

Apr 22, 2019 · · No Comments on The End of Being a Duke Professor and What It Means for the Future of Higher Education

The end of the spring semester marks the 20th anniversary of my professorship at Duke, first as an assistant professor and then as an associate professor of the practice at the Sanford School of Public Policy. During this time, I regularly taught the required ethics class for all undergraduate public policy majors. I won multiple … Continue reading “The End of Being a Duke Professor and What It Means for the Future of Higher Education”

Conservative Arguments in Support of Undocumented College Students

Apr 19, 2019 · · No Comments on Conservative Arguments in Support of Undocumented College Students

In 2011, the leading Republican presidential candidates met for a debate and former Texas governor Rick Perry was booed by the audience. During the debate, he was asked to explain his approval of a policy at the University of Texas that gave scholarships to undocumented students. The audience did not approve. Governor Perry was right … Continue reading “Conservative Arguments in Support of Undocumented College Students”

The Keys to Getting a Startup Job in College

Apr 17, 2019 · · No Comments on The Keys to Getting a Startup Job in College

Most people go to college to get a job. Recreation is an added benefit on top of getting a job. Education comes second to recreation in terms of hours spent studying. That is the great secret of a college education. It’s the secret everybody within the walls of the university knows but isn’t allowed to … Continue reading “The Keys to Getting a Startup Job in College”

How Bad Is For-Profit Higher Education, Actually?

Apr 10, 2019 · · No Comments on How Bad Is For-Profit Higher Education, Actually?

For about fifteen years, from 1995 to 2010, enrollments grew rapidly in the for-profit higher education sector, but since then have fallen substantially. The reason for the decline is mainly the overt hostility to for-profits during the Obama administration. The Department of Education killed off two of the largest for-profit competitors (Corinthian and ITT), and … Continue reading “How Bad Is For-Profit Higher Education, Actually?”

The Radical Experimental College in the Blue Ridge Mountains

Apr 8, 2019 · · No Comments on The Radical Experimental College in the Blue Ridge Mountains

North Carolina is widely respected for institutions such as the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Duke University, both research-intensive and high-prestige schools. But it’s less known for a radically experimental college that was tucked away in the Appalachian mountains more than half a century ago. Just east of Asheville, Black Mountain College … Continue reading “The Radical Experimental College in the Blue Ridge Mountains”

A History Textbook that Inspires, Not Lectures, Students about America

Apr 5, 2019 · · No Comments on A History Textbook that Inspires, Not Lectures, Students about America

From the very beginning, it’s clear that Wilfred M. McClay’s Land of Hope: An Invitation to the Great American Story isn’t a typical textbook. The title alone alerts readers that McClay’s book will not be the kind of history text that has become so popular in today’s high school and college courses—a diatribe against America’s … Continue reading “A History Textbook that Inspires, Not Lectures, Students about America”

Campus Free Speech Needs Protection—The Question Is How

Apr 3, 2019 · · No Comments on Campus Free Speech Needs Protection—The Question Is How

Like a cannonball, President Trump has leaped into the turbulent waters of higher education free speech policy and action. Carrying through on a promise he made during a freewheeling speech he delivered at CPAC a few weeks ago, the president has issued an executive order that throws the power of the federal government into the … Continue reading “Campus Free Speech Needs Protection—The Question Is How”

DC Wants to Further Subsidize Higher Education: Here’s Why That’s a Bad Idea

Mar 29, 2019 · · No Comments on DC Wants to Further Subsidize Higher Education: Here’s Why That’s a Bad Idea

Congressional Democrats are reintroducing the Debt-Free College Act in an attempt to lower costs and increase federal intervention in higher education. This debt-free proposal would require the federal government to match every dollar from states’ higher education appropriations to help students pay “all the costs” of college, Wisconsin Rep. Mark Pocan told reporters. But while … Continue reading “DC Wants to Further Subsidize Higher Education: Here’s Why That’s a Bad Idea”

Making the Case Against Forced Union Representation

Mar 27, 2019 · · No Comments on Making the Case Against Forced Union Representation

It’s a simple principle, really: In a free society, government cannot force an individual to belong to any group. Instead, each of us chooses with whom we will associate, and under what conditions. What is the point of freedom of association, if not this? Almost all of us understand and accept this basic tenet of … Continue reading “Making the Case Against Forced Union Representation”