Students can survive by cheating unless their professors enforce academic integrity standards. We presume such enforcement exists, but my personal experience suggests otherwise. Let’s be honest: professors face unpleasant consequences … Continue reading “Cheaters Never Prosper—Or Do They?”
While the year 2021 wasn’t quite as tumultuous and unpredictable as 2020, the higher education landscape continues to look very different: overall enrollment continues to drop and countless institutions have … Continue reading “Reform in 2022: Our Hopes for the New Year”
Given the enormity of the public and private investment in US higher education, of course we should evaluate its effectiveness. But, how? It is claimed that over 200 higher education … Continue reading “Are College Exit Exams a Valid Measure of Learning? It’s Complicated”
Predictions that American higher education is on the verge of great change have been heard for quite a few years, but so far the system doesn’t look much different than … Continue reading “How Higher Education is Going to Change”
It’s old news by now that the wage premium attached to a college degree largely depends on the field of study. Engineering and health care, for example, are far more … Continue reading “Making a College Degree More Valuable the Wrong Way”
Scuba diving ought to be very dangerous. Recreational diving involves submerging to depths of up to 60 feet. If something goes wrong at that depth, a quick return to the … Continue reading “The Scuba Model of Higher Education”
Students are paying a higher price tag for college, but is the quality of their education also increasing, or at least staying stable? A lot of indicators suggest “no.” During … Continue reading “Did You Know? The Ignorance of College Graduates”
Two viruses—one biological, the other ideological—have delivered a mortal blow to American higher education. Hundreds, maybe thousands, of colleges and universities will soon be wiped out by an unprecedented combination … Continue reading “It’s Time to Start a New University”
Professors, particularly at research universities, wear many hats. On the one hand, they are instructors, entrusted to pass on knowledge to their students. On the other hand, they are researchers … Continue reading “The Better Teacher: A Professor or Another Student?”
At the end of every semester, at nearly every college in the country, millions and millions of students fill out student evaluations of teachers. These forms ask very sensible questions. … Continue reading “Should We Stop Asking College Students to Evaluate Their Instructors?”