Student Loan Forgiveness Done Right

Helping the victims of degree mills.

DeSantis v. The DOE/SACSCOC

Another entry into the ongoing performative politics of Ron DeSantis.

Tabs for Thursday

Stories of interest/that I am not going to get around to writing more about. (And yes, these are really all open tabs that I want to close).

Are eBooks Books and eLibraries Libraries?

A pending lawsuit seeks to settle those questions.

Princeton Fires Creepy, Lying Professor Who Happened to be Conservative

There’s much more to the story than meets the eye.

More on Florida’s Higher Ed “Reform”

Pointless change that will increase costs and create confusion.

Vaccine Mandates and Education

The politics and the science are in conflict.

books library books library

41 States’ Higher Ed Funding Down Since 2008

Per-student investment in public colleges has not recovered from the Great Recession.

George Washington Students Want to Drop ‘Colonials’ Nickname

Despite the obvious connection with the university’s namesake, the word does have other connotations.

Wisconsin Waging War on Higher Education?

Wisconsin-Stevens Point is shuttering 13 majors, including English, history, political science and sociology while expanding more job-oriented programs.

Syllabus Selection Sexism

International relations prof mostly assign readings by male scholars. Female profs are slightly less likely to do so.

Why is Harvard Subsidized by the Taxpayer?

A wealthy alumnus has given Harvard $400 million, sparking a heated debate.

More on the Costs of Higher Education

Tuition goes up as state funding goes down.

Rich Kids Go to Elite Colleges, Becoming Rich Adults

The economics of higher education is increasing the gap between rich and poor.

Prestige Schools Dominate Academic Placement

Want to teach political science for a living? Go to one of a handful of top schools or don’t bother.

George Zimmerman Kicked Out of College

The man who killed Trayvon Martin has been expelled from junior college because he’s so controversial.

Graduate Students Unprepared for Graduation?

A consultant for would-be academics, says she wouldn’t have a job if professors would do theirs.

Oral History, Confidentiality, and the Courts

The Obama Justice Department is siding against historians trying to protect the confidentiality of their sources.

Information Overload Not New

While complaints that there’s too much information for intellectuals to sort through, much less read, are constant, they’re not new. Harvard historian Ann Blair argues in her new book Too Much to Know: Managing Scholarly Information Before the Modern Age that this stress goes back at least to Seneca’s time.

Professor Sabbaticals Under Fire

Iowa Republicans are targeting professor sabbaticals, thus demonstrating that they understand neither higher ed nor economics.

Universities vs. Education

The skyrocketing cost of tuition makes it harder for students to justify getting a liberal arts education rather than training for a high paying job.

Should Universities End Football?

Boston University and Northeastern have found that there is life after football. Shouldn’t most schools follow their lead?

White Students Minority Among UT Freshmen

For the first time ever, white students do not make up a majority among freshmen at the University of Texas at Austin.

Alabama Students Fight Mandatory Meal Plans

Should universities be able to force students to buy meal plans for the cafeteria? Alabama students are suing to end the practice.

Women’s Games as ‘Warm-Up’ Acts

Under pressure from the Feds, the NCAA is cracking down on colleges who put women’s games ahead of men’s games, which some say relegates them to “warm-up act” status.

For-Profit Universities

For-profit universities are defrauding their students. Indeed, it’s their business model.

Libraries: Paper or Digital?

Professorial Economics

Beltway Traffic Jam