Foreign Funding’s Questionable Odor
“Money doesn’t stink.” This proverb—pecunia non olet in the original Latin—is associated with the Roman emperor Vespasian, in justification of his decision to use public toilets to generate revenue. When…
Articles by Michael C. Behrent
UNC-Chapel Hill’s Matter of Honor
Honor is usually considered a good thing. Given that fact, should we be worried that UNC-Chapel Hill recently discontinued its longstanding student-run Honor Court? On July 17, 2024, Provost Christopher…
Teaching American Democracy in the UNC System
I would like to say something you don’t often hear from UNC-System faculty these days: I agree with the Board of Governors. At its February 28 meeting, the Board’s Committee…
The Utopianism of ‘Mental Health’
“Mental health” has become a catchphrase of our time. In 1976, Raymond Williams, the British literary scholar, published Keywords, in which he analyzed nearly 200 words that, in his view,…
“Forbidden-Word” Lists Are a Symptom of Administrative Bloat
On its “Inclusive Language” website, UNC-Chapel Hill reminds readers that words have consequences: “To fully represent the diversity of our students, faculty, staff and everyone in our community,” UNC states,…
Administrators Have Seized the Ivory Tower
The “ivory tower” has long been the lens through which American popular culture views higher education. The phrase conjures up images of seminar rooms and high-minded ideas debated at a…