Topic: Governance

From Boys to Men? A Review of Alexandra Robbins’ ‘Fraternity’

Mar 13, 2019 · · No Comments on From Boys to Men? A Review of Alexandra Robbins’ ‘Fraternity’

Wars are rarely kind to the wide-ranging pursuit of the truth. The same goes for culture wars, including the war over fraternities. Harvard University’s recent decision to penalize students who join “final clubs” and other single-sex social organizations is one front in that war. In sober moments, opponents of all-male social organizations concede that they … Continue reading “From Boys to Men? A Review of Alexandra Robbins’ ‘Fraternity’”

Can a New Law Protect Intellectual Diversity on Campus?

Mar 8, 2019 · · No Comments on Can a New Law Protect Intellectual Diversity on Campus?

American colleges and universities lean left. Among faculty at leading U.S. universities, Democrats outnumber Republicans by more than 11-to-one. The administration is even more skewed: there, Democrats outnumber Republicans by 12-to-one. Further evidence can be found by examining summer reading choices, non-academic campus programming, commencement speakers, and funding given to student groups. George R. LaNoue … Continue reading “Can a New Law Protect Intellectual Diversity on Campus?”

Former University President Nails Many of Higher Education’s Ills

Feb 27, 2019 · · No Comments on Former University President Nails Many of Higher Education’s Ills

Often, the strongest criticisms of higher education come from insiders. One insider is Daniel Johnson, who retired as president of the University of Toledo in 2006 after an academic career that included several senior leadership positions. He has recently published a book, The Uncertain Future of American Public Higher Education, that illuminates many of the … Continue reading “Former University President Nails Many of Higher Education’s Ills”

Protecting Student-Athletes in the UNC System

Feb 25, 2019 · · No Comments on Protecting Student-Athletes in the UNC System

In college athletics, student-athletes have few protections against coaching demands that may put their health at risk. As the parent of a college athlete who was left with a chronic back injury, I was shocked to discover how state universities deprive their athletes of health care, injury and abuse protections, and information about athletic policies. … Continue reading “Protecting Student-Athletes in the UNC System”

Don’t Hire the Illusion: Screening Candidates for UNC Chancellor

Feb 18, 2019 · · No Comments on Don’t Hire the Illusion: Screening Candidates for UNC Chancellor

When hiring new workers, one of the overriding concerns for a company is ensuring that they hire the right people with the right qualifications. It’s the same for higher education. True, universities are dedicated to education and research, not business, but they are often institutions with billion-dollar budgets and many people with access to funds … Continue reading “Don’t Hire the Illusion: Screening Candidates for UNC Chancellor”

Arts Everywhere: Distracting from a UNC Scandal

Feb 11, 2019 · · No Comments on Arts Everywhere: Distracting from a UNC Scandal

Although the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s former chancellor, Carol Folt, will mostly be remembered for the numerous scandals and years-long protests on campus during her tenure, she also leaves behind other less-publicized, but still controversial, projects. One of those projects she oversaw is Arts Everywhere, a “campus-wide arts initiative supported by the … Continue reading “Arts Everywhere: Distracting from a UNC Scandal”

The Slippery Slope of Speech Suppression at CUNY

Feb 6, 2019 · · No Comments on The Slippery Slope of Speech Suppression at CUNY

Public universities morally should and legally must uphold free speech. Unfortunately, the university where I’ve taught for 43 years has a very bad record, and matters are getting worse. The City University of New York (CUNY) has a long history of speech suppression, as a sampling of legal cases at its various campus units reveals. … Continue reading “The Slippery Slope of Speech Suppression at CUNY”

The Board Ain’t Broke, So It Don’t Need “Fixin’”

Feb 4, 2019 · · No Comments on The Board Ain’t Broke, So It Don’t Need “Fixin’”

Attacks by academics and the media on the University of North Carolina system’s Board of Governors have become a major part of the state’s political landscape in recent years, and such attacks may be intensifying. The board is described at times as inept, divisive, “partisan,” “anti-intellectual,” and mean-spirited; unless they are “reined in,” North Carolina’s … Continue reading “The Board Ain’t Broke, So It Don’t Need “Fixin’””

Colleges Should Stop Forcing Students to Live On-Campus

Jan 28, 2019 · · No Comments on Colleges Should Stop Forcing Students to Live On-Campus

A long-time practice for many private universities has been to require most freshmen and sophomores to live in campus residence halls. State-supported public universities, too, have copied their private counterparts in recent years. However, doing so drives up the cost of education and restricts the constitutional rights of public university students—all in the name of … Continue reading “Colleges Should Stop Forcing Students to Live On-Campus”

Fixing a Liberal Arts Education Requires a Standardized Curriculum

Jan 25, 2019 · · No Comments on Fixing a Liberal Arts Education Requires a Standardized Curriculum

In higher education, the value of a liberal arts education has been frequently debated. Defenders on the left argue that it exposes students to coursework and teaches critical thinking skills they would otherwise miss. Critics on the right, however, have argued that the liberal arts can be a vehicle for leftist indoctrination and provide minimal … Continue reading “Fixing a Liberal Arts Education Requires a Standardized Curriculum”