Student Loans: A Multi-Generational Financial Trap
When the United States began its experiment with federally backed student loans in the 1960s, no one predicted that, by the early 21st century, students would have run up over…
Articles
Articles
Harvard Tries Grade Deflation
This academic year, Harvard has endured a dark night of the soul, including (among other troubles) facing down the consequences of grade inflation and searching for curricular absolution. In a…
Taxpayers Shouldn’t Fund NIL
College athletics are big business. And states are increasingly competing to give their universities an edge in recruiting talented student-athletes. What began as an effort to allow athletes to profit…
Rara Avis: Professor Finds Harvard’s Faults
Harvey Mansfield is the William R. Kenan Jr. Professor of Government at Harvard University. Still teaching at the age of 94, he has just published a collection of essays, Where…
50-State Comparison: Syllabus Transparency
In an era of the internet, AI, and constant information overload, most public colleges and universities in the United States still don’t consistently make syllabi and course information publicly available.…
North Carolina Has the Degrees, But What About the Paychecks?
The hot new words in higher education are educational attainment and career outcomes. Educational attainment is the raw share of adults who hold a degree or credential. Career outcomes or…
A Little-Known Lawsuit May Weaken University Ethics Boards
For 45 years, research at American universities has been supervised by Institutional Review Boards (IRBs), which are committees that ensure scientific research is conducted ethically. At most universities, faculty, students,…
Degrees Still Matter—But They’re Not Enough
A recent poll shows employers still value college degrees, but they are worried about a skills gap between what they need and what candidates actually possess. Earlier this year, Lumina…
How Accreditation Became a Shield for Campus Ideology
For years, universities have embraced accreditation standards that echo their own ideological commitments, especially around Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). These standards haven’t felt like external requirements so much as…
Professors Like Democrats. But Do Democrats Like Them Back?
It is well known that college professors vote overwhelmingly Democrat. But do the Democrats return their love? The question is rarely asked. Common sense implies that if a group votes…