Academics

Future leaders in business, government, and civil society need more than just job skills. The following articles defend the value of liberal education, with a focus on academic quality and rigor, fundamental knowledge, and the ideas that have shaped Western Civilization. They also scrutinize academic programs that have departed from these ideals in the name of progressive ideology.

No net ground won or lost in the latest Culture War battles

Aug 15, 2001 · Jon Sanders

The latest skirmishes in the Culture War have resulted in a wash, according to experts reading the field journal of the decades-long battle, Lingua Franca.

Assessing women’s need for an on-campus masseusse

Jul 15, 2001 · Jon Sanders

UNCW has completed its “needs assessment” for a proposed women’s center there.

The trouble with teacher training

Jun 15, 2001 · George Leef

Among the successful attacks on President Bush’s education bill, already mauled by the education establishment and its pack of congressional Dobermans, is a provision to dump more federal money into training “certified” teachers. I suggest that a large part of the explanation for the poor student performance, however, is the fact that our teacher-education programs are often worse than useless.

New technologies enable cheaters, detectors in a matter of keystrokes

Jun 7, 2001 · Martin Center Staff

Rapid changes in technology are providing students with newer, easier, and quicker ways to cheat. They are also making it easier for teachers to detect cheating. Perhaps the most well-known way of cheating in the Digital Age is through what are called “on-line paper mills,” web sites that provide ready-made term papers on thousands of topics for a per-paper fee.

UNC students protest proposed budget cuts

Jun 1, 2001 · Jon Sanders

In early May, more than 2,000 college students marched from N.C. State University to and through the State Legislative Building to protest a proposed reduction in state appropriations to schools in the University of North Carolina system.

UNC Benefactor Sues To End Race/Sex Quotas

May 22, 2001 · Martin Center Staff

One of the University of North Carolina’s greatest benefactors on Monday sued the state and the UNC Board of Governors for using “an unnecessary and illegal quota system” to ensure that minorities and women received spots on the UNC Board of Governors.

Study Proposes Over $100 Million in State Higher Ed. Savings

May 16, 2001 · Martin Center Staff

A state budget crisis has a new governor hamstrung, legislators flummoxed, state agencies fearful of reductions, taxpayers fretting over future tax increases, and state lottery opponents afraid they’ll lose their issue. Changing Course IV, a publication of the John Locke Foundation, proposes a biennial budget for North Carolina that would calm the fears of the taxpayers and lottery opponents. It would exacerbate those of the state agencies, however.