;

higher education



  • Reject the Bombastic Optimism of College Presidents

    by Joshua Doležal

    When the rhetoric of university presidents—transformative this, vision that—resembles that of prosperity gospel televangelists, it may be time for some healthy skepticism. 



  • The Labor of Teaching and Administrative Hysteria

    by Elise Archias and Blake Stimson

    Although diversity and cultural sensitivity administrators often embrace (and arguably encourage) student complaints about ideas presented in the classroom, students are more harmed when administrators use those complaints to undercut the expertise and autonomy of faculty who have effective ways of teaching difficult material.



  • How an Accreditor Became a Political Target

    The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools used to keep a low profile while verifying the academic integrity of schools in their region. But their region includes Texas and Florida. 



  • Statehouse Assaults on Tenure and Diversity are Impacting Hiring at State Universities

    "In Florida, some candidates’ concerns are so profound that they’re turning down job offers in the state — despite not having other offers, said Andrew Gothard, president of the United Faculty of Florida, a union representing faculty at all 12 of the state’s public universities, a private one, and community colleges."



  • Controversy Dogs Another Florida Campus Presidential Search

    by Francie Diep

    The elevation of Henry Mack III, a senior leader at the state education department, to the final tier of candidates for the presidency of Florida Gulf Coast University has raised questions whether academic experience or political considerations are the driving factor. 



  • Rutgers Unions Suspend Strike after Big Gains

    Although unions representing graduate workers, lecturers, and full-time faculty must approve them, a framework for agreement has been reached that would deliver significant gains in wages and other demands. 



  • Another Consequence of Gun Culture: Fake Emergency Calls

    Although campus communities are thankful when they don't experience gun violence, shootings have spawned another disruptive phenomenon: the mass shooting hoax. A campus security expert discusses how colleges can respond. 



  • Anti-DEI Bills are Already Changing Higher Ed

    Even though many state-level bills banning diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs have not yet taken effect, many campus administrations appear to have begun complying with the political pressure to roll back existing initiatives. 



  • The Inexcusable Silence of Florida's College Presidents

    by Brian Rosenberg

    Florida's public college presidents have made it clear that they intend to keep out of sight as the governor attacks the independence of the state's higher education system, even as the very idea of the universities they run is being undermined. 



  • What's Really Happening in the Professor-Student Dynamic?

    Highly publicized incidents suggest that both liberal and conservative students are flexing their muscle to try to control the content of instruction. The reality is more complicated and more important to understand.