Academics

Future leaders in business, government, and civil society need more than just job skills. The following articles defend the value of liberal education, with a focus on academic quality and rigor, fundamental knowledge, and the ideas that have shaped Western Civilization. They also scrutinize academic programs that have departed from these ideals in the name of progressive ideology.

Racial references to blame for black graduation rates at N.C. State, not low aid

Feb 1, 2002 · Jon Sanders

A collection of black student interest groups at North Carolina State University has graded the university on the subjects of enrollment and graduation of black students and recruitment of black faculty. The African-American Student Advisory Council, not surprisingly, gave the university mostly failing grades. In essence, the groups gave N.C. State low marks because the university doesn’t discriminate enough in the way they want it to.

Bill would study giving illegal immigrants access to in-state tuition rates

Jan 18, 2002 · Jon Sanders

Some illegal immigrants may now pay resident tuition to attend public universities in California, thanks to legislation signed last year by Gov. Gray Davis and a vote this week by the University of California Board of Regents. In North Carolina, a bill before the Senate would create a commission to study doing the same thing here.

UNC-Wilmington professor at center of free-speech fight

Jan 15, 2002 · Jon Sanders

Controversy continues to swirl around what the University of North Carolina at Wilmington did to a professor for chiding a student’s mass-distributed e-mail as “bad speech.”

College isn’t ‘more important than ever,’ despite the Lumina Foundation study

Jan 11, 2002 · Jon Sanders

Despite the Lumina Foundation’s jeremiad over the “inaccessibility” of higher education hindering the goal of making college available to all citizens, other research indicates that such a goal itself is not socially optimal.

UNCW denies chilling free speech after inspecting professor

Dec 21, 2001 · Martin Center Staff

Controversy continues to swirl around what the University of North Carolina at Wilmington did to a professor for chiding a student’s mass-distributed e-mail as “bad speech.” As well as around what UNCW didn’t do.

UNC-Chapel Hill mulls opening business school in Qatar

Dec 15, 2001 · Jon Sanders

As the liberation of Afghanistan continues unabated and well ahead of schedule, and as Hamas takes credit for another bloody round of suicide-bomb attacks on civilians and teenagers in Israel, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill mulls a proposal to open a business school in the Emirate of Qatar.

Changes (and rumors of changes) to racial preferences nationwide

Dec 7, 2001 · Martin Center Staff

The face of racial preferences, under the misnomer “affirmative action,” is changing in several places nationwide.

Former Black Panther leader decries “fascist” U.S. at Duke

Dec 1, 2001 · Jon Sanders

A former head of a domestic terrorist organization spoke at Duke University on Nov. 15 to an apparently receptive crowd.

Leftists blast report urging colleges to teach American history and principles

Nov 30, 2001 · Martin Center Staff

A report by the American Council of Trustees and Alumni has the establishment-left wing of academe up in arms. “Defending Civilization: How Our Universities Are Failing America and What Can Be Done About It” builds on the fact that “academe is the only sector of American society that is distinctly divided in its response” to the terrorist attacks on America to reiterate (not to mention, underscore) the organization’s call for trustees, donors and alumni to seek change in their institutions of higher education.

Harsh critic of UNC-Chapel Hill to speak in Chapel Hill, Raleigh

Nov 23, 2001 · Martin Center Staff

Leftist-radical-turned-conservative-activist David Horowitz will be speaking in Raleigh and at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill on Wednesday, Nov. 28. Horowitz, president of the Center for the Study of Popular Culture, has been sharply critical of leftists in higher education prior to and following Sept. 11, and he has been especially critical of UNC-CH.