Why Colleges Churn Out Poor Writers and Poor Thinkers
People in and out of the academic world have been pointing to a glaring defect in our education system for many years. That defect is the failure to teach students to write competently. Unfortunately, it’s hard to see how colleges will break their bad habit of allowing students to coast through with miserable writing skills. Despite the presence of a few traditionalists and reformers, academic writing instruction still seems to be heading in the wrong direction.
Trustees Need Training, and They Need to Take Charge of It!
The ultimate responsibility in higher education rests with the governing boards of trustees. If trustees are to be thoughtful overseers, they need to be informed about the role of the board, higher education issues generally, and the challenges facing their state and their campuses. Their knowledge of such matters cannot be taken for granted; they need focused, ongoing education.
Rising UNC Student Loan Default Rates Indicate Fundamental Problems
Rising student default rates at University of North Carolina schools are rising, with particularly troubling rates at the system’s HBCUs.
Taking the Scenic Route to a Ph.D.
After several decades away from academia, I am back pursuing the Ph.D. in political philosophy that I just missed attaining at a much younger age. My decision to return and finish my degree after a rewarding and lucrative career in government and business has met with a variety of reactions: surprise, delight and, yes, envy—but never indifference. Here’s my story.
Higher Education Technology Offers Much, But It Is Not Everything
Going forward, new technology will likely bring out the best in traditional universities by forcing them to justify their existence. If brick-and-mortar schools offer nothing better than the digital sphere does, they will be finished.
It’s No Laughing Matter: Campuses Have Become Intolerant
Millennials can be a hypersensitive bunch and nowhere is this more apparent than in the academy. American institutions of higher learning have become veritable minefields of trigger warnings, safe zones, and speech codes. It appears we can add another line item to the growing list of things too radical for college students: humor.
Are Entrepreneurs Born or Made? (Part II)
Today’s Pope Center commentary presents arguments by two distinguished writers on an age-old question: can entrepreneurship be taught or is it hard-wired into us? The first argument, by former university president and economist James V. Koch, suggests that entrepreneurship is primarily a matter of our inherent gifts. The second argument, by Buck Goldstein, Internet entrepreneur and “Entrepreneur in Residence” at UNC-Chapel Hill, suggests that entrepreneurship is more a “habit of mind” that can be developed.
Are Entrepreneurs Born or Made? (Part I)
Today’s Pope Center commentary presents arguments by two distinguished writers on an age-old question: can entrepreneurship be taught or is it hard-wired into us? The first argument, by former university president and economist James V. Koch, suggests that entrepreneurship is primarily a matter of our inherent gifts. The second argument, by Buck Goldstein, Internet entrepreneur and “Entrepreneur in Residence” at UNC-Chapel Hill, suggests that entrepreneurship is more a “habit of mind” that can be developed.
Survey Says: UNC System Only Needs Band-Aids, Not Real Reform
Results from an employer survey suggest that graduates of North Carolina’s 16 public universities—especially those from less selective schools—are deficient in terms of their written and oral communication, work ethic, and workplace etiquette. Such problems are serious matters, and they must be addressed in ways that reflect that seriousness. Unfortunately, some system leaders—echoing recommendations made by the surveyed employers—have proposed surface solutions, such as expanding career counseling and internship opportunities. The UNC system should not put much faith in band-aid approaches that hide the serious problems underneath its surface. Better to keep focus on the system’s real shortcomings—general education programs—even if feathers get ruffled.
Why Innovation Beats Politics in Reforming Higher Education
There is a powerful lesson in the emergence of companies like Uber for those who wish to reform higher education. All the focus tends to be on political and policy debates, but meanwhile innovators are busy working around the status quo without waiting for permission or consensus.