Blowing the Boiler of American Education
The need for change in the visual arts may offer a way to fix two of the many fundamental problems afflicting American liberal arts education in general. These are the…
Bridge to Discrimination: Decades of Gender Bias in the UNC System
Although many colleges and universities today claim to be dedicated to diversity, equity, and inclusion, their policies and practices often violate those principles. Among the most common types of violations…
Peer Review, a Tarnished “Gold Standard”
I recently submitted a manuscript to an education journal, a review essay of another scholar’s work. It opened with a compliment of the author’s “highly-praised and influential work.” To that…
Did You Know? State Laws Against Critical Race Theory
Florida is now one of several states that have legislated against teaching Critical Race Theory (CRT) in the classroom. In a new move to tackle CRT in campuses and promote…
What Are Students Learning? Make Syllabi Public
Online education, especially as it has been implemented in the past year, isn’t for everyone. But it has had one unexpected benefit: transparency. Across the country, parents have had a…
Why Did a Christian College Fire a Tenured Professor?
I am a 72 year old Air Force veteran. After 30 years of service, I was ready to retire when I heard about an opening at a small Christian college…
Free Expression at UNC Schools: Freshman Orientation Edition
About two years ago, I spoke to a class of UNC-Chapel Hill students about free speech: what it is and why it is important. I covered some basic points such…
Did You Know? Differences Between US and UK Higher Ed Systems
There are several notable differences between the higher education systems in the United States and the United Kingdom. One difference is the breadth of subjects students study. In the US,…
How Can Professors Inspire Students to Want to Learn?
COVID-19 has revolutionized how we think about online college teaching. Until last spring, two perspectives predominated. One argued that massively enrolled online classes presented by impressive teachers or prestigious universities…
When Universities Don’t Step Up, Good Professors Are Forced to Step Down
With “cancel culture” running rampant on social media, in politics, and in the classroom, professors who put forth the effort to help students think critically and challenge their beliefs are…