Accreditation has no clothes
Accreditation is one of those “the emperor is wearing no clothes” phenomena overloading our educational system.
Innovation
College isn’t the only path to human flourishing. Individuals’ postsecondary choices should be aligned with individual academic preparation, talents, and preferences, and education providers should be able to experiment with new methods and models. The following articles highlight new programs, identify barriers, and suggest policies that encourage innovation.
Free-Market Foundation Helps Build Unique, Low-Tuition School
Nov 16, 2000 ·
Martin Center Staff
Thanks to the help of a free-market minded organization, a private law school in Germany is helping students abroad obtain a solid and affordable legal education.
Student Congress Backs Universal Health Care
Jun 22, 2000 ·
Martin Center Staff
The Student Congress of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill recently expressed its support of legislative efforts to provide universal health care in North Carolina.
NEA Gives Thumbs Up to Distance Education
Jun 15, 2000 ·
Martin Center Staff
The National Education Association (NEA) this week released a study showing positive support among NEA-member faculty for distance education. The study polled more than 400 plus instructors who had taught distance-learning courses and 130 who had not in an effort to assess distance learning’s strengths and weaknesses. Currently, one in 10 higher-education NEA members teaches a distance-learning course.
UNC-TV Needs $65 Million
May 4, 2000 ·
Martin Center Staff
On Wednesday, less than ten hours before UNC-TV aired a documentary showcasing UNC’s facilities needs, UNC-TV director and general manager Tom Howe told the Joint Select Committee on Higher Education Facilities Needs that UNC-TV needs $65 million in state money to meet a federal mandate.
Charter Colleges Offer Benefits, Professors Contend
Mar 23, 2000 ·
Martin Center Staff
Converting traditional public colleges and universities to charter schools could pay off financially and spark innovation, according to a recent paper by the Boston-based Pioneer Institute.
States use online learning to save space, cut spending
Feb 3, 2000 ·
Martin Center Staff
What has been called a “crisis” by some higher education leaders in North Carolina is being viewed as an opportunity to cut state spending and improve services in Washington State.
UNC, Public College Students Post High Family Income
Dec 12, 1999 ·
Martin Center Staff
On average, students at the “flagship” universities of state college systems have a higher family income than their counterparts at private colleges and universities, according to a recent Washington Post report. The University of North Carolina is no exception.
A growing percentage of students are opting out of graduate school in order to stake their claim on the booming Internet business, according to a recent New York Times report.
The University of Virginia Reevaluates Its Use of Race in Admissions
Oct 21, 1999 ·
Martin Center Staff
The University of Virginia Board of Visitors recently adopted unanimously a resolution supporting the changes in the university admissions policy by President John T. Casteen III. Casteen this month acknowledged that in June he had ended the university’s use of a scoring system in admissions that awarded extra points to black applicants.
Victory at Wisconsin
Mar 7, 1999 ·
Martin Center Staff
The Faculty Senate of the University of Wisconsin at Madison voted Monday to narrow an 18-year old speech code that permits the punishment of professors for remarks that students find offensive. The new code, which was approved by a vote of 71 to 62, says that “all expressions germane to the instructional setting — including but not limited to information, the presentation or advocacy of ideas, assignment of course materials, and teaching techniques — is protected from disciplinary action.”
AND
Students in some N.C. State University courses are doing their homework and even taking quizzes on the World-Wide Web, thanks to a program designed primarily by N.C. State professors. The program, WebAssign, is used in physics, math, computer-science and statistics courses at N.C. State, provides instant feedback to students as they submit their homework and quiz answers online.