When students (and others) disrupt events where speakers are trying to make arguments they dislike, they say that their conduct is justified. Most commonly, the disrupters maintain that they are … Continue reading “The ‘Right’ to Disrupt Free Speech on Campus Doesn’t Exist”
Zachary Wood is a remarkable young man. He’s black, attends a predominantly liberal elite college (Williams) and believes that robust and civil arguments are vital to America’s continuing success. He … Continue reading “When a Black Student Dares to Speak Up for Free Speech”
The federal government has no constitutional authority to spend money on higher education, to give or lend students money for it, to direct how colleges will function, or anything else. … Continue reading “The One Instance Where the Feds Should Spend More on Higher Education”
In last year’s campaign for the presidency, Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders tried to attract votes with promises of free college. In the British elections earlier this year, one reason … Continue reading “If There’s a College Affordability Crisis, What Should We Do About It?”
On November 2, House Republican leaders unveiled their tax reform plan. A number of its provisions affect higher education. While this is only a proposal, it’s worth looking into those … Continue reading “The Good and the Bad for Higher Ed in the Republican Tax Proposal”
Harvard history professor Jill LePore tells this story. She was hosting an event in her home for new students, promoting the university’s history and literature program. One of the students … Continue reading “Liberal Arts Education Is Not (Necessarily) a Waste of Time”
Former Harvard University president Derek Bok can’t stop thinking and writing about higher education. Ten years ago, he wrote Our Underachieving Colleges, in which he lamented that on the whole, … Continue reading “Why Is It Such a Struggle to Reform Our Colleges?”
The turnabout in federal policy towards higher education has been dramatic. Back on September 7, Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos announced that her department was rescinding the 2011 “Dear Colleague” … Continue reading “The Campus Free Speech Problem Worsens and Washington Finally Acts”
Academic freedom has long been a guiding principle for American colleges and universities: Neither faculty nor students should be told what to say or punished for saying whatever they think. … Continue reading “The Chinese Don’t Like Academic Freedom, So American Schools Should Avoid Their Confucius Institutes”
It is very rare for a federal agency to admit having made a mistake and rarer still for the secretary of a cabinet department to announce a U-turn in policy … Continue reading “Secretary DeVos Begins to Rectify the Title IX Mistake”