Topic: Costs

Why Do UNC Schools Spend Money on Diversity Training That Doesn’t Work?

Nov 30, 2020 · · No Comments on Why Do UNC Schools Spend Money on Diversity Training That Doesn’t Work?

Higher ed leaders love committees and training sessions. The technocratic mind that rules campus sees a problem and usually decides that the solution is more resources and education. Once the money is spent and the trainings, workshops, and seminars are completed, then the problem is solved. Since the police killing of George Floyd, colleges have … Continue reading “Why Do UNC Schools Spend Money on Diversity Training That Doesn’t Work?”

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”

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”

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?”

Unifying the Country Starts with the Education System

Nov 4, 2020 · · No Comments on Unifying the Country Starts with the Education System

Education reformer E.D. Hirsch may have discovered the cure for our current political divisions—but it won’t be easy. His prescription is a total overhaul of the K-12 education system as well as our schools of education. Hirsch lays out his plan in a new book, How to Educate a Citizen: The Power of Shared Knowledge … Continue reading “Unifying the Country Starts with the Education System”

Did You Know? Elite Colleges Fail to Report $6.5 Billion in Foreign Donations

Oct 29, 2020 · · No Comments on Did You Know? Elite Colleges Fail to Report $6.5 Billion in Foreign Donations

Elite colleges are quick to take foreign donations, but slow to inform the federal government. A recent report from the Department of Education found $6.5 billion in foreign donations that colleges had failed to self-report before the Department raised the issue. “Since 2000, the higher education industry has increased its entanglement with foreign adversaries, leading … Continue reading “Did You Know? Elite Colleges Fail to Report $6.5 Billion in Foreign Donations”

What the Election Will Mean for Higher Education

Oct 23, 2020 · · No Comments on What the Election Will Mean for Higher Education

Though the 2020 election has focused on COVID-19 and the economy, higher ed has still gotten some attention. But only one party has a plan to transform college in their image. The Democrats have promised more money, more student debt forgiveness, and more initiatives to push young people through the college system in some way, … Continue reading “What the Election Will Mean for Higher Education”