Between recent seminary closings and a general decline in admissions, the future may not bode well for some Baptists schools in higher education. The difficulty moderate and liberal schools face, however, seems greater than what conservative schools will deal with. The year 2021 will mark 30 years since the opening of the first freestanding Baptist … Continue reading “For Liberal Baptist Seminaries, an Uncertain Future”
On April 10, U.S. Senator Thom Tillis announced that $378 million from the Department of Education will go to North Carolina colleges to help them weather the fallout of COVID-19. The 142 North Carolina colleges, public and private, that will receive the funding are required to use about half of the amount for cash grants … Continue reading “Did You Know? The NC Colleges Getting the Most Coronavirus Aid”
Unforeseeable conditions caused by the coronavirus have driven universities across the country to launch online courses. As a sophomore at North Carolina State University, I’ve experienced the online transition since classes resumed on March 23. NC State has relied on Zoom, a video-chat program, for professors to continue lectures. Some tests are being proctored online … Continue reading “A Student Perspective on NC State’s Online Transition”
Too many North Carolina students leave their universities with too much debt and a degree that won’t pay off. A new tool released in January by the Texas Public Policy Foundation (TPPF) reveals which programs give students the most (and least) return on their investment. The tool uses data from the College Scorecard as well … Continue reading “Did You Know? The UNC Degrees That Don’t Pay Off”
The types of jobs available before and after the Great Recession starkly differ. With the after-effects of the economic slowdown thanks to the coronavirus, the pattern could be repeated. Many of the jobs usually held by less-educated Americans before the recession have disappeared, while workers with at least some college education disproportionately occupy growing industries, … Continue reading “‘Some College, No Degree’ Jobs and the Trouble with the Credential Treadmill”
Students across the country are taking their classes online and staying off campus. The coronavirus has interrupted higher ed for millions of students, faculty, and administrators alike. But a growing divide between students and university leaders has been whether students will get refunds and how much they should get back. Not all refunds are created … Continue reading “Did You Know? The College Systems Giving Students COVID-19 Refunds”
The coronavirus, combined with the public and private reactions to it, has affected every aspect of Americans’ lives, including the ways they learn. From pre-K to graduate seminars, many classes are moving online for the duration of the pandemic and perhaps beyond. That may spur pedagogical reforms that will lead to the creation of more … Continue reading “Higher Education Will Never Be the Same—And That’s Not All Bad”
College athletics is big business. And head coaches of successful teams have the salaries to prove it, particularly in football and men’s basketball. Although sports are canceled, for now, it’s worth taking a look at spending on coaches’ salaries. Across the UNC system, the average pay of head coaches varies widely. The table below shows … Continue reading “Did You Know? The Highest Coaching Salaries in the UNC System”
Education has lost one its most important disruptors: Clayton Christensen, PhD and distinguished professor at Harvard Business School. After a successful career as the CEO of CPS Technologies, Christensen returned to school at age 40 to earn his PhD in business from Harvard University. He became a well-known scholar, particularly for his key contributions to … Continue reading “American Education Just Lost a Great Champion of Innovation”
College sports are a gigantic entertainment business that have nothing to do with the missions of the schools. Frequently, the highest-paid employee of a school is the football or basketball coach, and the athletics budget is hugely subsidized by fees paid by financially strapped students. Players who read and write at a middle-school level (if … Continue reading “How College Sports Turned into a Corrupt Mega-Business”