I have no idea how I got a tenure-track university position. I didn’t network well in graduate school, had few friends, and wrote my dissertation on an author (Houellebecq) whom most academics despise. My teaching-assistant evaluations were subpar, my thesis was insufficiently scholarly (at least according to one committee member), and—unlike many of my colleagues—I […] … learn more→

In several previous posts under this title, I have focused on the rapidly widening gap between administrative compensation and faculty compensation, as well as on the compensation received by “celebrity” visiting faculty and adjunct faculty. In other posts, I have written about how things being packaged as “innovations,” such as MOOCs, will widen the gap […] … learn more→

Far from relaxing its economic blockade on Gaza as its negotiators sit across the table from their Palestinian counterparts in the latest attempt at peace talks, Israel has tightened the screw – reimposing a ban, lifted just a month ago, on the transfer of construction materials into the occupied territory. It took the decision last […] … learn more→

The choices have been clear for a long time. One side, though, seemed to have won within the last decade. As Elaine Weiss, writing for the Huffington Post, says, there has been “a philosophical shift from education as a critical tool to advance democracy to a consumer-oriented system of individual choice, achievement, and even profit.” […] … learn more→

When it comes to health and fitness, there are rarely any quick fixes. But if you’re struggling to get the recommended 30 minutes of exercise a day, micro workouts might be just the thing you need to start improving your fitness. We all know vigorous exercise is good for our health. It’s hard to sustain […] … learn more→

For a variety of reasons (including daunting costs such as those mentioned above and lack of technical expertise among most college administrators), many universities have begun contracting with a variety of companies to assist in expanding online programs.[23] These for-profit companies, such as Pearson, Embanet, Learning House, Bisk, Deltak, Academic Partnerships, 2U and scores of […] … learn more→

Recent changes in standards for the programs that prepare the nation\’s teacher work force mark the beginning of a new era in teacher education. If the standards—approved in August by a new national accrediting body—are enforced properly, institutions that have used teacher education as a cash cow to pay for other priorities will no longer […] … learn more→

Two recent incidents have shown that you no longer need to risk life and limb to rob a bank. In September, an attempted cyber-robbery at a London branch of Santander was stopped in its tracks and shortly afterwards, details emerged of a similar earlier, and more successful attack that had taken place at a Barclays […] … learn more→

No. Many online courses are, in fact, more expensive. For example, tuition at for-profit colleges, which have the highest concentration of online courses and programs, is considerably higher than in traditional colleges and universities.[1] In 2009, the average tuition was $14,000 a year at for-profits; $2500 at public community colleges; and around $7,000 at 4-year […] … learn more→

There’s an assumption that online courses must be cheaper for colleges and universities to offer; but once again, there is no evidence that online courses, done well, are cheaper than face-to-face classes. In fact, there is considerable evidence that good online courses can be expected to cost even more than face-to-face courses. Who says? College […] … learn more→