Fans of the classic, North Carolina-set sitcom, The Andy Griffith Show, immediately recognize the exclamation “Surprise, surprise, surprise!” The character Gomer Pyle frequently and humorously utters this expression. Many may…
When the United States began its experiment with federally backed student loans in the 1960s, no one predicted that, by the early 21st century, students would have run up over…
College athletics are big business. And states are increasingly competing to give their universities an edge in recruiting talented student-athletes. What began as an effort to allow athletes to profit…
The hot new words in higher education are educational attainment and career outcomes. Educational attainment is the raw share of adults who hold a degree or credential. Career outcomes or…
In the realm of state higher-education reform, Texas and Florida are often in the spotlight. But North Carolina’s slow, thoughtful reforms have led to important and lasting changes for Tar…
Late last year, the Martin Center debuted a major new resource for readers seeking state-by-state higher-education analysis and policy coverage. The project is a small part of the Martin Center’s…
News recently came out of Chapel Hill that the flagship campus of the University of North Carolina had adopted a new policy that allowed administrators to record class proceedings at…
The UNC System’s new policy requiring public posting of faculty syllabi is grounded in a sound principle: Taxpayers deserve to know what is being taught at their public universities. Greater…
For blind students trying to log onto university websites, things as simple as downloading a syllabus, signing up for a class, or watching a lecture can turn into headaches—especially when…
Every fall, I attempt to convince my yearly cohort of college-counseling students that writing is the single most important skill they will ever learn. Many of them stare at me…