The news that 125 Harvard students were under investigation for cheating on an exam came just days after we were informed that the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency was stripping Lance Armstrong of his Tour de France titles. In both of these cases, we have alleged wrongdoing by those at the top of their fields, and there […] … learn more→

In my academic research, I look at the governance of universities and implementation of new policies that are described as “neoliberal”. This involves trends such as privatization of funding (including increased tuition), treatment of students as consumers or customers and of education as a “private good”, and the marketization of education. These policy changes are […] … learn more→

You might not realise it, but there is a virtual queue of organisations snaking around you just waiting to make you more valuable than you actually are. Your spending patterns, loyalty program memberships and location at any point in time is worth good money – especially to others. Apple is the latest to join this […] … learn more→

I didn’t want to write this piece. In fact, I should be doing about 100 other things rather than writing this (like grading). But sometimes there are things that I need to write about, and really, it’s for my benefit first, yours (the reader’s) second. I also swore I was going to be more optimistic […] … learn more→

When Jerica Bennett, a senior at Frostburg State University, wants to know what\’s happening on the campus, she likes a message short and sweet. Ideally it would pop up on her cellphone as a tweet or a post on Facebook. A classmate, Tyler Mathews, would rather be reached by e-mail, which these days is seen […] … learn more→

It\’s been more than a decade since global leaders met in Stockholm, Sweden, to sign a treaty with the goal of eliminating persistent organic pollutants making their way into our food chain — such as harmful pesticides like DDT that nearly wiped out the American Bald Eagle. While leaders have come a long way in […] … learn more→

Longtime observers of the public university scene recognize ritual behavior as an essential component of institutional process. Among the many rituals of public university governance, open trustee board meetings have a special place. Everyone looks forward to the board meeting as a theatrical forum where talented individuals play ritualized parts according to well prepared scripts. […] … learn more→

I have a friend, let’s call him Peter. Like many of my friends, Peter is trying to finish off his PhD while simultaneously paying a mortgage and supporting a family. To do this he runs a successful consulting practice and teaches on a casual basis. In fact, Peter has been teaching for a long time […] … learn more→

If non-elite colleges and universities want to avoid the fate of travel agencies and film companies, what should they do in the age of free MOOCs? I’d suggest focusing more clearly on what they can offer that MOOCs can’t. That means having people around to help students get through the perplexing parts of courses; having […] … learn more→

The day will come when 11 September is just another date on the calendar. But that time is still some way off. Eleven years after the horrible spectacle of the World Trade Center towers being struck by one 767 airliner and then another, then collapsing into nothingness, continues to capture our imagination like a fragment […] … learn more→