Topic: Academics

Is Our Obsession with College Fueling a Mental Health Crisis?

Aug 2, 2021 · · Comments Off on Is Our Obsession with College Fueling a Mental Health Crisis?

Long before Covid, mental health experts declared a different sort of pandemic—a precipitous decline in mental health on college campuses. One 2019 survey by the American College Health Association found that over the course of a year, 55.9 percent of students reported feeling hopelessness, 65.6 percent reported feeling very lonely, 70.8 percent reported feeling very … Continue reading “Is Our Obsession with College Fueling a Mental Health Crisis?”

Beauty and Wisdom: Renew the Culture by Restoring the Liberal Arts

Jul 30, 2021 · · Comments Off on Beauty and Wisdom: Renew the Culture by Restoring the Liberal Arts

Universities are in dire need of reform. They are too expensive; the classwork is too easy; the curriculum too unfocused. Too many students drop out or don’t care. Indeed, many of today’s universities have strayed so far from their original purpose that creating a path for reform and renewal seems impossible. But a new book … Continue reading “Beauty and Wisdom: Renew the Culture by Restoring the Liberal Arts”

Safe Spaces: Balancing Academic Freedom and Wokeness

Jul 28, 2021 · · Comments Off on Safe Spaces: Balancing Academic Freedom and Wokeness

The following is adapted from an address given at a Martin Center luncheon on July 15, 2021. Finally, I come to my main argument: Safe spaces. I want to come out in favor of safe spaces. Not everywhere, or for all purposes, but in general I think there should be a strong presumption in favor … Continue reading “Safe Spaces: Balancing Academic Freedom and Wokeness”

Did You Know? The Negative Effects of Affirmative Action on Minority Students

Jul 22, 2021 · · Comments Off on Did You Know? The Negative Effects of Affirmative Action on Minority Students

Affirmative action policies aim to increase the representation of minorities in higher education. Some, however, have objected to these policies and argue students should be admitted based on academic merit, not based on race. And evidence suggests that race-based admissions policies negatively affect minority students. In a 2013 article entitled “The Sad Irony of Affirmative … Continue reading “Did You Know? The Negative Effects of Affirmative Action on Minority Students”

Blowing the Boiler of American Education

Jul 21, 2021 · · Comments Off on Blowing the Boiler of American Education

The need for change in the visual arts may offer a way to fix two of the many fundamental problems afflicting American liberal arts education in general. These are the related problems of grade inflation and providing students with degrees that may lead to a good career. Over the last decade, the number of Americans … Continue reading “Blowing the Boiler of American Education”

Bridge to Discrimination: Decades of Gender Bias in the UNC System

Jul 19, 2021 · · Comments Off on Bridge to Discrimination: Decades of Gender Bias in the UNC System

Although many colleges and universities today claim to be dedicated to diversity, equity, and inclusion, their policies and practices often violate those principles. Among the most common types of violations are single-sex programs for women and girls, which exclude men and boys. Such violations are pervasive through the University of North Carolina System, as described … Continue reading “Bridge to Discrimination: Decades of Gender Bias in the UNC System”

Peer Review, a Tarnished “Gold Standard”

Jul 16, 2021 · · Comments Off on Peer Review, a Tarnished “Gold Standard”

I recently submitted a manuscript to an education journal, a review essay of another scholar’s work. It opened with a compliment of the author’s “highly-praised and influential work.” To that statement, one reviewer of my manuscript asserted that I used “emotionally loaded language of incredulity, dismissiveness, and hyperbole.” More “tone policing” comments riddled the review, … Continue reading “Peer Review, a Tarnished “Gold Standard””

Did You Know? State Laws Against Critical Race Theory

Jul 15, 2021 · · Comments Off on Did You Know? State Laws Against Critical Race Theory

Florida is now one of several states that have legislated against teaching Critical Race Theory (CRT) in the classroom.  In a new move to tackle CRT in campuses and promote viewpoint diversity, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed three new education bills. The bills, House bills numbers 5 and 233, and Senate bill number 1108, seek … Continue reading “Did You Know? State Laws Against Critical Race Theory”

What Are Students Learning? Make Syllabi Public

Jul 12, 2021 · · Comments Off on What Are Students Learning? Make Syllabi Public

Online education, especially as it has been implemented in the past year, isn’t for everyone. But it has had one unexpected benefit: transparency. Across the country, parents have had a chance to see for themselves what their children are learning. At the K-12 level, it’s been eye-opening. But college students need less supervision. So, even … Continue reading “What Are Students Learning? Make Syllabi Public”

Why Did a Christian College Fire a Tenured Professor?

Jul 9, 2021 · · Comments Off on Why Did a Christian College Fire a Tenured Professor?

I am a 72 year old Air Force veteran. After 30 years of service, I was ready to retire when I heard about an opening at a small Christian college in Kentucky, I applied for the position of academic vice president and was hired. Berea College was founded in 1855 by an abolitionist; it was … Continue reading “Why Did a Christian College Fire a Tenured Professor?”