Failing Introductory Economics
In June 2014, I wrote a piece entitled “Reform Intro Economics” for Inside Higher Ed. There, I argued that then-current introductory economics courses were little changed from those of decades…
The ACT is Still Useful
Standardized tests have been attacked for being biased against some groups of students. Is that true? Should we stop using them? Exams like the American College Test (ACT) are supposed…
Higher Education Used to Love Controversy
It is interesting but depressing to me that the more eminent a college or university is perceived to be, the more outrageous are efforts by administrators to stifle individual expression…
British Universities Show Why “More” Does Not Mean “Better”
The Biden administration is seeking to “cancel” student debt by transferring what individual students owe to the American taxpayer. Opponents question why Americans who never graduated from college, and had…
UNC’s Board of Governors May Reconsider A Fee Increase
Today, the UNC Board of Governors will take up an important question: Is it appropriate to increase student fees when students are already facing tight budgets due to inflation? For…
After Student-Loan Forgiveness, Mandatory Credentialing Has to Go
President Biden recently announced a controversial, half-trillion-dollar student-loan-forgiveness scheme in which his administration would use a minor provision of the post-9/11 HEROES Act to excuse student borrowers from repaying roughly…
Bias Response Teams Have No Place on N.C. Campuses
It’s no secret that university students, once known for their brash defense of unfettered free speech, have gone rather quiet on the issue. Campus surveys reveal that most college students…
AP Economics is a Model of Academic Rigor
As a college professor and former academic dean, I have long heard that Advanced Placement courses are generally not the equal of their college equivalents. Each of the 38 AP…
Did You Know? Student-Athletes Need Mental-Health Services, Too
Did you know that 92 percent of NAIA athletic departments wish they could offer psychiatric services designed specifically for their athletes? As mental-health awareness surges among higher-ed faculty and students,…
Why the Canon Wars Still Matter
Like an overlong proxy war, the “canon” skirmishes of the 1980s and ’90s no longer feature in the media, though the conflict persists. As in a battle over this or…