Author Profile

Jenna A. Robinson

Jenna Robinson is the president of the James G. Martin Center for Academic Renewal. She joined the Martin Center in 2007 as campus outreach coordinator and later became the center’s director of outreach. She was previously the E.A. Morris Fellowship assistant at the John Locke Foundation, where she had worked since 2001.

Robinson serves on the board of the Alumni Free Speech Alliance, the UNC Alumni Free Speech Alliance, the steering committee of the Bastiat Society of Raleigh, and as a member of the Board of Visitors at UNC-Chapel Hill. She has previously served as a member of the North Carolina Longitudinal Data System Board, the North Carolina Advisory Committee for the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, and the Classical Liberals in the Carolinas.

Robinson earned her bachelor’s degree from NC State University. She received her M.A. and Ph.D. in political science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Robinson also studied at the University of East Anglia and is a graduate of the Koch Associate Program. She has taught courses in American politics at UNC-Chapel Hill, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, and Wake Technical Community College.

Robinson’s work has appeared in Investor’s Business Daily, Roll Call, Forbes, American Thinker, Human Events, Carolina Journal, and the Raleigh News & Observer.

Robinson lives in Cary, NC, with her husband and two sons.

Articles by Jenna A. Robinson

Senate Budget Is Prudent, Predictable (And That’s a Good Thing)

May 22, 2017 · Jenna A. Robinson

The budget released by the North Carolina Senate in early May sets a careful course for higher education. It includes modest increases over last year’s budget for both the University … Continue reading “Senate Budget Is Prudent, Predictable (And That’s a Good Thing)”

NC Joins Growing List of States Seeking to Protect Campus Free Speech

Apr 24, 2017 · Anna Beavon Gravely and Jenna A. Robinson

Student intolerance and opposition to free speech have been gaining momentum. What began as isolated incidents at the University of Missouri and Yale University in fall 2015 quickly spread to … Continue reading “NC Joins Growing List of States Seeking to Protect Campus Free Speech”

Wake Forest Faculty Attempt to Undermine Koch-Funded Campus Institute

Mar 27, 2017 · Jenna A. Robinson

The Faculty Senate at Wake Forest University made headlines last week when it demanded that the university reject a $3.69 million grant from the Charles Koch Foundation. Such a stance … Continue reading “Wake Forest Faculty Attempt to Undermine Koch-Funded Campus Institute”

Evidence, Not Emotion, Should Guide the Campus Concealed Carry Debate

Mar 13, 2017 · Jenna A. Robinson

In 2015, Time magazine reported that there had been 23 shootings on college and university campuses that year, including an attack at a community college in Oregon that claimed 10 … Continue reading “Evidence, Not Emotion, Should Guide the Campus Concealed Carry Debate”

Five Questions to Ask Future UNC Board Members

Mar 6, 2017 · Jenna A. Robinson

Since 2010, the UNC system’s Board of Governors has become somewhat more conservative and more interested in serious educational reforms. Members of the Board have professed interest in decreasing costs, … Continue reading “Five Questions to Ask Future UNC Board Members”

Bigger’s Better? In Higher Ed’s Amenities Arms Race, Bigger’s Just Bigger!

Jan 30, 2017 · Jenna A. Robinson

Testifying before the U.S. Senate in 2013, University of Wisconsin professor Sara Goldrick-Rab described college campuses as “glorified summer camps.” She said administrators were “engaging in an arms race to … Continue reading “Bigger’s Better? In Higher Ed’s Amenities Arms Race, Bigger’s Just Bigger!”

Poll: How Should the NCAA Punish Academic Violations?

Dec 30, 2016 · Jenna A. Robinson

It’s been more than five years since whistleblowers uncovered extensive academic fraud at UNC-Chapel Hill. Now, the NCAA has released its third notice of allegations against the school. But, so far, … Continue reading “Poll: How Should the NCAA Punish Academic Violations?”

Now that the election has ended, Donald Trump faces new challenges. He must assemble a team, choose a direction, and begin to govern. During his long campaign, he gave a … Continue reading “Poll: What Should Trump’s Education Department Do to Reform Higher Ed?”