Colleges Helped Cause the Enrollment Crash
There is considerable talk these days about the enrollment crash in higher education, especially in liberal-arts education. The Chronicle of Higher Education has been expressing worry about this crisis for…
Yes, an Academic Free-Speech Conference Needed Protection from the Mob
Jumping to conclusions is sometimes a big mistake. I recently became puzzled and mildly infuriated when I read that Stanford University was going to have a conference on freedom of…
Why the Left Relies on Statistical Illiteracy
In September 2022, three researchers published the provocatively titled article, “Do Introductory Courses Disproportionately Drive Minoritized Students Out of STEM Pathways?” That article got loads of social media publicity for…
At NC State, a STEM Department Considers Diversity Statements
The increasing use of “diversity statements” in hiring and faculty evaluation has provoked considerable concern from free-speech advocates and defenders of academic freedom. An American Enterprise Institute study last November…
The U.S. Naval Academy is Adrift
America, it would seem to some, is irredeemably racist, bigoted, and guided by hate. Those fighting against these pervasive evils have experienced a great “awokening” and are on a noble…
What’s So Great About Diversity, Anyway?
What is diversity, and why is it so good for college students? That’s one of the questions at the heart of the Supreme Court cases over race-conscious admissions practices at…
What the Justices Heard and Said
One week ago today, attorneys for Students for Fair Admissions (SFFA) laid out their cases against Harvard and the University of North Carolina before the U.S. Supreme Court. The justices…
Improving Higher Ed Through Better Open-Records Laws
It is no secret that American higher education is in crisis due to a lack of affordability, growing irrelevance, and the ideological conformity that prevails in today’s classrooms. Less well-known…
Political Accountability Versus Campus Autonomy
A pronounced distrust has developed between many state legislatures and their public campuses. There has been a general decline in public confidence in higher education, and that loss has been…
Even Liberals Should Be Skeptical of Racial Preferences in Higher Education
In most public discussions, “affirmative action” in higher education is treated as one of the core issues that divides liberals from conservatives. It is rare in public life to hear…