Moral bankruptcy is undermining higher education
Moral bankruptcy is undermining higher education
Wisconsin won’t admit it, but its new egalitarian policy leads to grading quotas
In July, I wrote about the pressure that University of Wisconsin officials have been exerting on the faculty for greater “equity” on campus.
Doubts about the integrity of Confucius Institutes lead to mounting criticism
What are the limits of the partnerships that a public institution of higher education may form? A growing number of critics, including university officials and faculty, argue that accepting funding and academic influence from the communist Chinese government crosses a line.
Why the Pope Center has an internship program (hint: it’s not just for the cheap labor)
Why the Pope Center has an internship program (hint: it’s not just for the cheap labor)
A promise from the president of the Pope Center
In a few months, I will retire as president of the Pope Center for Higher Education Policy. I know that my successor, whoever it is, will continue the Pope Center’s commitment to improving higher education.
5 things American colleges and universities get right
On the whole, U.S. colleges and universities don’t get everything right. They’re overpriced, operationally hidebound, and ideologically stagnant. But American higher education does some things very well—well enough that students from around the world still choose to come to the United States to get advanced degrees.
Can remediation succeed at the college level?
About one-third of all freshmen are enrolled each year in a remedial class. Yet current remedial methods are not very effective. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, a mere 17 percent of four-year students enrolled in remedial reading and 27 percent of four-year students enrolled in remedial math go on to earn a bachelor’s degree. A 2010 study says that only half of the students required to attend remedial classes even complete remediation.
The "gainful employment" rule won’t make students better off by decimating the for-profit sector
At the end of October, the Department of Education released its much-awaited "gainful employment" rule. It is supposed to fix (or at least lessen) the problem that many students who pursue vocational training with federal student aid money wind up without a job that pays well enough for them to cover their loans.
Now, here is something to wake up trustees
Ever since it was created in 1995, the American Council of Trustees and Alumni has been trying to help trustees do a better job. ACTA has issued readable, thoughtful reports advising trustees on topics such as advancing intellectual diversity, dealing with grade inflation, measuring academic effectiveness, criticizing accreditation, and cutting costs. But turning the ship of higher education around is a herculean task.
Science and the senator: missing the point about government waste
About to retire, Oklahoma senator Tom Coburn, M.D., has just released his 107-page 2014 Wastebook, a tabloid-type listing of over a hundred wasteful government-funded projects. Coburn continues the tradition of the late William Proxmire, the Wisconsin senator who, more modestly, chose just one or two “Golden Fleeces” each year.