The Benefits of Renewing Education with the Socratic Method
“I cannot teach anybody anything. I can only make them think.” —Socrates Classical education—a tradition of education with ancient roots—is becoming an increasingly popular alternative to the current K-12 public…
The Idea of a University: When Trustees Turn a College into a Commodity
Editor’s Note: This article by Randolph Bourne, a writer and public intellectual, was originally published as “The Idea of a University” in The Dial on November 22, 1917. This is the…
Round One—Harvard Beats Asian Americans
In a long-awaited decision, federal trial judge Allison Burroughs has ruled that, while Harvard does consider a student’s race in determining who gets in and who doesn’t (“the use of race…
The Success of Community College ‘Non-Completers’
A sense of urgency has taken hold of higher education leaders nationwide. Reports of declining community college graduation rates and the lack of skilled workers have led policymakers and college…
Did You Know? Student-Athletes Can Be Admitted to UNC Schools Despite Low Academic Success
College admissions standards are meant to determine whether a student is academically prepared to succeed at college. Colleges also have Minimum Admissions Requirements (MARs) and Minimum Course Requirements (MCRs), which…
Can Independent Christian Study Centers Restore the Soul of Higher Education?
In The Soul of the American University published in 1994, the historian George Marsden gave a powerful account of how once-great pillars and trend-setters of American higher education have abandoned…
The True Cost of a PhD: Giving Up a Family for Academia
In 2012, CBS noted the bleak future that awaited PhD graduates. From 2005 to 2009, American universities graduated 100,000 new PhDs but only created 16,000 new professorships. The average PhD…
Did You Know? UNC System Grads Carry Less Student Debt
Most students rely on loans to pay for college; colleges raise their prices, and student debt increases. Now, about 44 million students collectively owe $1.6 trillion in student debt. In…
Overlapping Magisteria–A Review of Anthony Kronman’s ‘The Assault on American Excellence’
In his new book The Assault on American Excellence, Yale law professor Anthony Kronman traces many of the current woes of American universities back to the use of one word…
The Free Online Courses that Cultivate the Mind
The task of learning never ends for those who want to grow in wisdom. But in a world of eight- or ten-hour workdays, traffic jams, and daily responsibilities, it can…