Since 2003, the James G. Martin Center for Academic Renewal has been a voice for excellence in higher education. We are dedicated to promoting knowledge over credentials, restoring genuine liberal … Continue reading “Celebrating 20 Years of Academic Renewal”
In 2022, Jon Lauck published The Good Country: A History of the American Midwest, 1800-1900. His book describes a wonderful range of things to love about the 19th-century Midwest: its … Continue reading “Now Is the Time to Renew History Departments”
Yesterday, U.S. News released its 2024 Best Colleges Rankings. UNC-Chapel Hill moved up to number four among public universities and number 22 among all universities in the U.S. (up from … Continue reading “Despite Naysayers, UNC-Chapel Hill Climbs the Rankings”
America’s educational institutions used to adhere to objective standards of excellence. Students and faculty members had to strive and were rewarded (or not) according to their performance. What their background … Continue reading “What Happens When Schools Abandon Merit?”
Step inside any gym and you’ll likely see a familiar sight: regular gym buffs, for whom the gym is a second home, using the workout machines with ease. You will … Continue reading “The College Classroom Can Be a Judgment-Free Zone”
Ancient and medieval astronomers could not explain the apparent movements of the heavenly bodies while shackled to a Ptolemaic paradigm of an Earth-centered universe. Thus they spun out ad hoc … Continue reading “Campus “Anti-Racism” Is a Degenerating Research Program”
In many red-leaning states around the country, lawmakers have proposed modifying or ending tenure. In my home state of North Carolina, House Bill 715 was under consideration but appears to … Continue reading “Does Tenure Matter?”
I first encountered DEI in exercise science in 2017. That year, the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) published a position paper titled “Achieving equity in physical activity participation: ACSM … Continue reading “How DEI Threatens Exercise Science”
Duke University graduate students’ years-long effort to unionize is a microcosm of a growing national trend that is splintering opinion about the form and future of a traditional academic province. … Continue reading “A Successful Grad-Student Unionization Effort at Duke”
Observers of the American collegiate scene are likely well aware of the academic jihad against University of Pennsylvania law professor Amy Wax and the disgraceful shouting down of federal judge … Continue reading “The Ne Plus Ultra of Collegiate Wokeness”