Bachelor’s Degrees Aren’t Cool Anymore
In a new research brief, The Pell Institute for the Study of Opportunity in Education found that only 44 percent of American high school students expected to earn a bachelor’s…
Articles by Sherman Criner
Duke Is Abandoning American History
Imagine, for a moment, the year is 2500. Human civilization is gone, lost to disaster, time, or neglect. One day, an alien research team lands in what was once North…
Not All New Credentials Are Created Equal
A new report from AEI and the Burning Glass Institute offers a data-rich yet sobering diagnosis of modern credentialism. As Americans have sought faster, cheaper alternatives to traditional college degrees,…
The Florida “Brain-Drain” Study Is Flawed
A new study by two University of Southern California economists claims that Florida’s 2022 post-tenure-review law caused a significant exodus of professors from the state’s public universities. According to researchers…
Why I Started A Free-Speech Magazine at Duke
At America’s elite universities, we are told that pursuing free inquiry and civil discourse is a fundamental value. Administrators champion “grand” initiatives such as the Duke Provost’s Initiative on Free…
Can Community Colleges Spur Apprenticeship Growth?
A recent study by the advocacy organization Apprenticeships for America reveals the growing potential of community-college apprenticeship programs. Since 2016, the number of community colleges with active apprentices in hosted…
Can Universities Fix Gen Z’s “Soft Skills” Problem?
Approximately four in 10 employers avoid hiring Gen-Z candidates in favor of older workers, a new survey of 800 U.S. managers, directors, and hiring executives has found. In response to…
What Causes College Dropouts?
Alarming figures from a recent National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) report have shed light on a concerning trend in higher education. The study reveals that a mere 60 percent…
Have Left-Leaning Students Begun Supporting Free Speech?
According to a recent Axios poll, Republican and Democratic college students agree that campuses must broaden free speech “even if there’s some risk of violence.” Moreover, roughly 77 percent of…
In Praise of F’s
On January 5, 2024, Western Oregon University (WOU) announced a bold change to its grading regime: “The letter grades of D- and F” have been axed in favor of a…