The Emptiness of College Rankings
Inputs are out, and outcomes are in. So goes the current thinking about the methodology used to create college rankings. The publications that tell us which colleges are best, next…
Articles
Articles
Don’t Scrap the Textbooks Yet
In August 2023, West Texas A&M University announced that it will stop requiring students to purchase textbooks in order to offset the soaring costs of higher education. Instead, the university…
USC Says “Goodbye, 2U”
The University of Southern California has 50 years of experience in distance education. USC’s initiative began in the Viterbi School of Engineering as an industry partnership with Los Angeles-based aerospace…
Understanding the Duke Price-Fixing Settlement
For decades, university tuition has risen, while educational outcomes have fallen. The list of reasons is long. Now we can add unlawful price-fixing to that list, at least for the…
Against Scholar-Activism
The rise of political orthodoxy on campus is often cited as one of the key reasons for reforming universities. But if there is a rise of orthodoxy, what does this…
Why Is the College-Completion Rate Stagnating?
A college education is often touted as absolutely necessary if one is to achieve the American dream. Yet college-completion rates have stagnated in recent years. Given that enrollment rates have…
Expand Fair Admissions to the Military Academies
In June 2023, Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. (SFFA) prevailed in complaints alleging racially discriminatory admissions practices at Harvard University and the University of North Carolina. The 6-3 Supreme Court…
Of Course UNCG Faculty Oppose Academic Cuts
A months-long saga at UNC Greensboro is coming to a close. The chancellor announced roughly four months ago that some academic offerings would be re-evaluated, and, as of February 1,…
Athletics in the Small-College Marketplace
As a long-time faculty member at a small, private, liberal-arts college, I’ve come to dread my daily glance at the industry’s trade journals, the Chronicle of Higher Education and Inside…
Divestment Isn’t Neutral
The UNC chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) doesn’t have a great track record on free speech and civil discourse. Its members have occupied university administrative buildings, attempted…