Will State University Systems Punish Underperforming Schools?
The California State University System is implementing a plan that will encourage universities to hit enrollment targets, but at great cost. In January, Cal State leaders announced the blueprints for…
How Community Colleges Can Avoid the “Cliff”
Community colleges were not doing too well in terms of enrollment before the pandemic; since then, things have gotten only worse, a few bright lights here and there notwithstanding. The…
UNC’s Compelled-Speech Policy Is Working
Across the country, universities’ zeal for “diversity, equity, and inclusion” is encroaching on the free speech and academic freedom of students and faculty. In February, the UNC Board of Governors—which…
Tuition Discount Rates Are Rising
The National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO) released its biennial tuition-discounting survey in April. The results indicate that increasing discounts may be the canary in the coal…
What Are “Stranded” Credits?
Thousands of current and recently graduated students across the UNC System—and millions around the country—are having future job and academic opportunities put on hold as a result of outstanding account…
Why We Need the Liberal Arts
John Agresto’s splendid new book, The Death of Learning, is not nearly as depressing as its title might lead one to expect. On the contrary, it is an exhilarating read and,…
What Online Learners Want
Earlier this year, the marketing firm Education Dynamics released its 12th annual Online College Students Report, which professes to identify “the demands and preferences of online college students today.” As…
The State of AI-Chatbot Detection
On April 4 of this year, the academic-services firm Turnitin activated a software designed to catch a certain kind of student plagiarist. As has been widely discussed on the Martin…
The Strange World of “Citational Justice”
The latest fresh hell is citational justice. Which is quotas for footnotes. Now we’re supposed to track the group identity of the authors we cite and make sure there are…
Undoing “Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion” Requires Alumni Effort
An historic battle is waging over the future of higher education in the U.S. And the stakes couldn’t be higher. The presenting issues are critical social justice theory and freedom…