Articles

Articles

Sep 9, 2015 ·

The English Department’s Willful Self-Destruction

Are the humanities in trouble on American campuses? That is certainly the impression one gets from the media today; articles in publications of both left and right describe the increasing flight from the humanities into other disciplines. But is it all hype? After all, the blogosphere is always full of “next big things” or “imminent collapses” that never come to pass. And many academics scoff at the idea that the humanities are suffering from any sort of existential crisis. To find out the real situation, I explored what is going on in one of the main humanities disciplines, English. Concentrating on English departments and their faculties in the University of North Carolina system, I used a mix of empirical and qualitative methods to look behind all the rhetoric and wagon-circling.

Sep 8, 2015 ·

The Decline of the English Department

Authored by director of policy analysis Jay Schalin, the report investigates current trends in English departments, including why student enrollment has declined in English departments at American universities and how both internal and external pressures have led to widespread changes in the discipline’s curriculum.

Sep 7, 2015 ·

I Fought Political Correctness and Correctness Won

If UNC-Chapel Hill officials can unceremoniously dump me for speaking out against the injustice done to my son and the lack of due process in campus sexual assault cases, they can and will do it to others who speak out on other issues. This is bigger than my job or myself; it is about the right to raise your voice on the UNC campus—a school that prides itself on a tradition of free speech—in protest of all and any injustice.

Sep 4, 2015 ·

University Endowments: Whose Money Is It, Anyway?

If you think that universities are not making the best use of endowment funds, you should look to persuasion rather than government regulation. There are many ways of trying to convince presidents, trustees, and other college leaders that they should change their approaches to the use of their endowments; that would be vastly better than turning to a recently proposed federal mandate.

Sep 2, 2015 ·

Federal Rules Run Afoul of First Amendment

In trying to avoid liability for “sexual harassment” under Title IX regulations, many schools have gone way too far. They have allowed hyper-sensitive or vindictive students to use the regulations as a weapon against anyone whose speech offends or annoys them.

Aug 28, 2015 ·

Why Colleges Churn Out Poor Writers and Poor Thinkers

People in and out of the academic world have been pointing to a glaring defect in our education system for many years. That defect is the failure to teach students to write competently. Unfortunately, it’s hard to see how colleges will break their bad habit of allowing students to coast through with miserable writing skills. Despite the presence of a few traditionalists and reformers, academic writing instruction still seems to be heading in the wrong direction.

Aug 26, 2015 ·

Trustees Need Training, and They Need to Take Charge of It!

The ultimate responsibility in higher education rests with the governing boards of trustees. If trustees are to be thoughtful overseers, they need to be informed about the role of the board, higher education issues generally, and the challenges facing their state and their campuses. Their knowledge of such matters cannot be taken for granted; they need focused, ongoing education.

Aug 21, 2015 ·

Taking the Scenic Route to a Ph.D.

After several decades away from academia, I am back pursuing the Ph.D. in political philosophy that I just missed attaining at a much younger age. My decision to return and finish my degree after a rewarding and lucrative career in government and business has met with a variety of reactions: surprise, delight and, yes, envy—but never indifference. Here’s my story.