Governance

University boards have the primary responsibility for ensuring fidelity to the institution’s mission, managing university finances, and setting personnel policies. The following articles expose poor governance practices and identify policies that keep boards accountable to the taxpayers, students, parents, alumni, and donors whom they serve.

Mar 17, 2021 · Bruce Gilley

Silenced by the Sheep: Academia’s New Censorship

The nation’s cultural elites have been gripped by an intense wave of moral panic since the January 6 riot at the United States Capitol. That panic has found expression in…

Mar 8, 2021 · Shannon Watkins

UNC Transfer Students Will No Longer Miss Out on Hard-Earned Credit

Few things are more discouraging than seeing one’s hard work go to waste—a set-back with which many transfer students are familiar. All too often, transfer students must retake courses because…

Mar 5, 2021 · Richard K. Vedder

The Edifice Complex Is a Threat to University Budgets

According to one recent estimate, American colleges in the last few years, in a period of extraordinary enrollment decline, have added 70 million square feet of new instruction and research…

Mar 4, 2021 · Shannon Watkins

Did You Know? The UNC BOG Nominations Process

Some new faces might be on the UNC Board of Governors this year, as 12 members’ four-year terms are set to expire. The state’s Senate and House of Representatives will…

Feb 26, 2021 · Martin Morse Wooster

Feminist College Funders and the Problem of Donor Intent

Suppose you’re a donor interested in steering a college in a more sensible direction with your grants. Many questions will arise with the restrictions you put on your aid. Can…

Feb 22, 2021 · Shannon Watkins

Don’t Rock the Boat: UNC BOG Members Rarely Vote ‘Nay’

The members of the University of North Carolina Board of Governors are charged with a solemn duty: to oversee and guide the state’s public university system. Although some of their…

Feb 12, 2021 · William A. Jacobson

Exposing Critical Race Training in Higher Education

The Legal Insurrection Foundation, of which I am the president, has launched a website, criticalrace.org, to provide resources to parents and students regarding Critical Race Training in higher education. The…

Feb 11, 2021 · Anthony Hennen

Did You Know? COVID-19 Budget Cuts Hit Students and Profs, Not Admins

It only took a global pandemic to force public and private universities to cut their spending. The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimated that about 650,000 jobs were cut in the…

Feb 1, 2021 · Megan Zogby

Even in a Pandemic, Campus Housing Restrictions Don’t Apply to Greek Life

In tracing COVID-19 outbreaks at colleges, the blame has been placed on Greek life, the fraternities and sororities that drive social life on many campuses. While university leaders have criticized…

Jan 6, 2021 · Stephen Baskerville

The Ways in Which Colleges Legally Silence Troublesome Scholars

Radicals on campus do more than just “cancel” speakers. Failure by administrators to stand firm alters the atmosphere at colleges as well as, eventually, our system of government. The most…