The Trouble with eBooks and Digital Reading
The cost of college textbooks has increased at an alarming rate. According to the College Board, the average student spends more than $1,200 on books and materials each year. The…
Articles
Articles
When a University Helps a Business Avoid Property Taxes
State governments treat public university land as non-taxable because the mission of these institutions is nonprofit education. But when state legislatures aren’t careful, university administrators can take advantage of their…
Departure of Spellings from UNC Creates Opportunity for Governance Reform
The surprise resignation of Margaret Spellings from the presidency of the University of North Carolina system presents an opportunity to improve the system’s insufficient governance policies. The key to this…
In Oklahoma, a ‘Transformative Leader’ Brings New Vision to University
A strong executive with a proven track record, though lacking a typical background in academia, is selected as president of a large public research university in America’s heartland. Quickly identifying…
Preserving the Values of a Free Society in Higher Education
Editor’s Note: Roger Ream gave the following lecture at the Martin Center’s annual policy banquet on October 24th. It appears here in abridged form. It is an honor to be…
Reviving Trust in Higher Education, One Innovative College at a Time
Americans’ trust in higher education is crumbling. According to a recent Gallup poll, only 48 percent of American adults have a “great deal” or “quite a lot” of confidence in…
What Do College ‘Chief Diversity Officers’ Accomplish?
Over the last few decades, the number of college administrators has grown far more than the numbers of students and faculty. Amid this administrative bloat, the greatest growth has been…
A Remarkably Hard College Course Proves Remarkably Popular
We’re used to hearing that American college students don’t like reading and avoid tough courses where they have to. But a new course at the University of Oklahoma (OU) proves…
The Liberal Arts Are Important: But Whose Liberal Arts?
Over the decades, the conception of a liberal arts education appears to have slowly lost its meaning. Just because students may attend a “liberal arts” college does not mean that…
Answering the Perennial Question: Why Does College Cost So Much?
Last month, Amanda Ripley, writing for The Atlantic, asked a good question: why does higher education in the United States cost significantly more than in every other OECD nation except…