Carl Dobsky’s brilliant, fiery painting “Birds of Paradise” has been the focus of attention at his recent exhibitions, because it accurately and effectively captures the zeitgeist of contemporary American life. … Continue reading “Birds of Paradise: The Moral Poverty of Faculty Freedom Fighters”
Even though experts believe college is still worth the cost, employers question the value to their businesses. Many believe college degrees do not provide graduates with the skills needed in today’s workplace. … Continue reading “To Close the Skills Gap, Create Industry-Vetted Certificate Programs for Students”
Rumors of the humanities’ decline have been greatly exaggerated, a new report by the American Academy of Arts and Sciences says. While the popularity of specific majors has changed, overall, … Continue reading “The Future of the Humanities Is Not an Adjunct-Fueled Decline”
Higher ed gets a lot of criticism from supporters and reformers alike. Sometimes it’s necessary, though, to look at its benefits and note the strengths of colleges. Steven Brint, distinguished … Continue reading “Defending Higher Education”
In May, The Chronicle of Higher Education asked four academics from across the country to weigh in on the “adjunct crisis.” The results were predictable, with most of the blame directed at the usual … Continue reading “No, the World Doesn’t Need More Humanities PhDs”
Reliable information is a prerequisite for good management. How can you make intelligent decisions if you are basing them on shaky information? This has been an ongoing problem for the … Continue reading “UNC Faculty Teaching Loads Report Is Insufficient for Making Policy”
The number of part-time and nontenure faculty continues to rise on campus as university officials try to cut costs. So does their dissatisfaction over wages and benefits, which is stirring … Continue reading “With Colleges Shifting to Adjuncts, Teaching Quality May Suffer”
The “adjunctification” phenomenon is a familiar concern to most recent Ph.D. graduates, as well as a recurring criticism of perceived trends in faculty employment. One professor recently wrote that it … Continue reading “Are Full-Time Faculty Being Adjunctified? Recent Data Show Otherwise”
Why neglect 70 percent of your workforce? Notes from an adjunct