Topic: Governance

Identity Politics Versus Basic Logic: Should Colleges Offer Affirmative Action for the Female Majority?

May 24, 2019 · · No Comments on Identity Politics Versus Basic Logic: Should Colleges Offer Affirmative Action for the Female Majority?

Academic postmodernism is no stranger to the idea that classical Enlightenment values such as reason, equal treatment, and individual agency should be cast aside for the sake of racial and sexual grievances. We should denounce reason and science as the legacy of “dead white men”—or so we are told. Western academia has become both ideologized … Continue reading “Identity Politics Versus Basic Logic: Should Colleges Offer Affirmative Action for the Female Majority?”

Bill Roundup: The Higher Ed Topics Prioritized by the North Carolina General Assembly

May 20, 2019 · and · No Comments on Bill Roundup: The Higher Ed Topics Prioritized by the North Carolina General Assembly

May 9 was the “crossover” deadline for bills in the North Carolina General Assembly. For a bill to have survived past that date, it must have either passed at least one chamber or carried a substantial spending component. For bills focused on higher education, about a dozen are left standing—mostly because they contain appropriations. Bills … Continue reading “Bill Roundup: The Higher Ed Topics Prioritized by the North Carolina General Assembly”

Forgiving Student Debt Isn’t the Solution to Anything

May 15, 2019 · · No Comments on Forgiving Student Debt Isn’t the Solution to Anything

The time-honored American tradition of outlandish political promises continues apace. Now, the spotlight is on student debt. Democratic presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren added to the debate recently when she put forward a proposal to cancel $640 billion worth of federal and private student loans. Warren touts her plan as a way to boost the economy, … Continue reading “Forgiving Student Debt Isn’t the Solution to Anything”

The High Price of Faculty and Administrative Salaries in the UNC System

May 13, 2019 · · No Comments on The High Price of Faculty and Administrative Salaries in the UNC System

Faculty pay can vary greatly across universities and even within the same university system. Among University of North Carolina schools, the type of institution can matter as much as a professor’s job title. Yet, for even the most highly paid professors, their salaries are eclipsed by administrators. A Martin Center analysis of salary data from … Continue reading “The High Price of Faculty and Administrative Salaries in the UNC System”

Administrative Hardball at the University of Tulsa       

May 8, 2019 · · No Comments on Administrative Hardball at the University of Tulsa       

On April 11, the administration of the University of Tulsa shocked faculty, students, and alumni by announcing the elimination of 40 percent of the school’s academic programs. Undergraduate and graduate programs in theater, musical theater, dance, vocal and instrumental music, English, history, philosophy, religion, chemistry, French, German, Russian, Chinese, Greek, Latin, anthropology, mathematics, and many … Continue reading “Administrative Hardball at the University of Tulsa       “

The Challenges That the UNC System’s Top Teachers See for the Future

Apr 29, 2019 · · No Comments on The Challenges That the UNC System’s Top Teachers See for the Future

Good teaching is vital for college students to learn, but the work demands on professors and what type of work is actually rewarded means that teaching can be of secondary importance. To keep teaching quality high, the University of North Carolina system tries to recognize great teaching. For 25 years, the UNC system has given … Continue reading “The Challenges That the UNC System’s Top Teachers See for the Future”

Conservative Arguments in Support of Undocumented College Students

Apr 19, 2019 · · No Comments on Conservative Arguments in Support of Undocumented College Students

In 2011, the leading Republican presidential candidates met for a debate and former Texas governor Rick Perry was booed by the audience. During the debate, he was asked to explain his approval of a policy at the University of Texas that gave scholarships to undocumented students. The audience did not approve. Governor Perry was right … Continue reading “Conservative Arguments in Support of Undocumented College Students”

How NC State Became Free-Speech Friendly

Apr 15, 2019 · · No Comments on How NC State Became Free-Speech Friendly

Free speech on North Carolina’s campuses has come a long way in the last decade. North Carolina State University is the most recent school to earn a “green light” from the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) for its speech policies. Nearly ten years ago, when the Martin Center partnered with FIRE to take … Continue reading “How NC State Became Free-Speech Friendly”

Improving Student Outcomes by Consolidating the University System of Georgia

Apr 12, 2019 · · No Comments on Improving Student Outcomes by Consolidating the University System of Georgia

As the cost of college creeps up and more small colleges close, consolidation has become a lifeline of last resort. To survive, dozens of small institutions have either merged or have been absorbed into larger ones. That way, the threat (usually financial) disappears and students are assured the larger institution is stable. But these mergers … Continue reading “Improving Student Outcomes by Consolidating the University System of Georgia”

Making the Case Against Forced Union Representation

Mar 27, 2019 · · No Comments on Making the Case Against Forced Union Representation

It’s a simple principle, really: In a free society, government cannot force an individual to belong to any group. Instead, each of us chooses with whom we will associate, and under what conditions. What is the point of freedom of association, if not this? Almost all of us understand and accept this basic tenet of … Continue reading “Making the Case Against Forced Union Representation”