Are Microcredentials More Than the Next Higher-Ed Fad?
How do you spot a hot trend in higher education? Hint: Headlines in industry outlets simultaneously insist that everyone wants it, no one is sure what it is, and nobody…
ChatGPT Is Everywhere. What Are Colleges Doing About It?
ChatGPT has become a hot topic at pretty much every university in the nation. When staff at Montclair State University asked ChatGPT to define its function, it responded that “GPT…
Treat Student-Loan Borrowing Like Medicare
I recently turned 65 and became eligible for Medicare. Like other medical insurance, Medicare requires providers who accept reimbursement to agree to a set rate for the services they provide.…
Higher Education and the Law of Diminishing Returns
Early in the introductory college economics course, instructors talk about the Law of Diminishing Returns. An illustration: A farmer has a 100-acre field on which he wants to harvest wheat.…
Do Academics Still Trust Research?
No matter where one falls politically, one must admit that the pandemic brought to the foreground the importance of scientific research. A new report from The Economist’s think-tank spinoff, Economist…
Checking In on Project Kitty Hawk
In 2021, the North Carolina General Assembly appropriated $97 million for the launching of an ed-tech startup known as Project Kitty Hawk (PKH). This non-profit is designed to partner with…
The Way Forward for Religious Institutions
Traditional religion in this country has never been more under attack than it is today, with the recent passage of the 2022 “Respect for Marriage Act.” Despite its half-hearted nod…
North Carolina Strikes a Blow Against Credentialism
Last week, following an executive order by Gov. Roy Cooper, North Carolina joined a growing movement to pull down unnecessary barriers to public employment. Bearing the modest title “Recognizing the…
How a Private College Mandated Civics Instruction
In the fall of 2020, Cairn University in southeastern Pennsylvania implemented a revised core curriculum that introduced, among other things, a new required course in civics and government. Reactions to…
Davidson College Affirms Free Speech
Last week, faculty at Davidson College affirmed their commitment to free expression on campus by approving their own version of the Chicago Principles. It’s a step that the pro-free-speech organization…