Reading: Feeding the Mind and Soul
Imagine a room full of fresh-faced humanities graduate students tasked with answering this timeless question: “Why read literature?” These eager youths race to the white board, markers in hand, scribbling…
Many NC Students Are Missing out on Core Knowledge
What will they learn? That is the question that the American Council of Trustees and Alumni (ACTA) has been asking America’s colleges for thirteen years in a report by the…
10 Books We’d Like to Find Under the Christmas Tree in 2021
One of my favorite projects at the Martin Center is the cultivation of our higher education library. So far, we’ve collected nearly 750 books about higher education and educational philosophy.…
Let the Buyer Beware!
“Almost all students cite getting a better job as a primary reason for attending college,” writes Preston Cooper in the opening paragraph of his new study, entitled Is College Worth…
Universities Have Forgotten Their Purpose: Pursuing the Contemplative Life
Editor’s note: this essay is adapted from a talk delivered by Jessica Hooten Wilson at Word on Fire’s Good News Conference on November 7, 2021, in Orlando, Florida. Universities are…
Three Ways to Teach Students How—Not What—to Think
How do we teach students how to think rather than what to think? If the latest election cycle showed us anything, it’s that parents care deeply about what their children…
What Should We Teach in Journalism Schools?
There’s something rotten in American journalism schools. From a tendency toward bias to outright activism, journalism in higher education is not what it should be: a place to guide young…
Are Summer Reading Assignments Indoctrinating Freshmen?
Often, incoming freshmen receive their first university assignment before the school year even begins: the summer reading. Many institutions see the summer reading assignment as an opportunity for new students…
Are College Exit Exams a Valid Measure of Learning? It’s Complicated
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…
Are Students Learning the Right Skills? Why Academia Needs to Go Back to the “Basics”
Last year, Forbes published a headline, “Americans rank a Google internship over a Harvard degree.” It seems higher education is quickly losing hold of its value proposition as the best…