A Scholar’s Lament
Professor John Ellis has served on college faculties since 1963 and is now an emeritus professor at the University of California-Santa Cruz. He has witnessed enormous changes in higher education…
Articles by George Leef
How College Sports Turned into a Corrupt Mega-Business
College sports are a gigantic entertainment business that have nothing to do with the missions of the schools. Frequently, the highest-paid employee of a school is the football or basketball…
Court Decision Erases a Huge Student Debt—Is that Good or Bad?
For years, a contentious and sometimes emotionally heated debate has raged over the issue of letting people discharge their student loan debts in bankruptcy. A recent decision opens the door…
The Overhyped College Dropout ‘Scandal’
About 40 percent of Americans who enroll in college drop out before earning a certificate or degree. A high percentage of those who drop out are from poor families; they…
Which Country’s Higher Education System Is Best?
Many Americans crow that our higher education system is “the envy of the world,” even though it’s nearly impossible to point to any proof of that. In truth, however, some…
Can American Higher Education Be Restored?
People who analyze and write about higher education generally fall into two camps. One camp consists of those who believe that our system is “the envy of the world” and…
Donors Beware: College Officials Have Their Own Ideas About Using Your Money
It is quite common: A successful college alum decides to donate a large sum of his accumulated wealth to his alma mater, but wants the money to be used in…
Restoring a Great Intellectual Tradition to America’s Campuses
Americans used to relish good debates. The debates between Senator Stephen Douglas and his challenger Abraham Lincoln in 1858 were transcribed and widely read. Even though Lincoln lost the election,…
Exposing the Moral Flaws in Our Higher Education System
Many if not most professors and higher education leaders enjoy pontificating about their high-minded ideals in contrast with the grubby, self-interested world outside of academia. What few people have done…
The Oberlin Case Gives College Leaders a Teachable Moment
When college officials violate people’s rights, they run the risk of bringing on lawsuits that can cost their schools a lot of money. The most common instance has been hyper-aggressive…