These are wild times for the management and governance of the internet, as is clear from the ruling that came out of the US this week. In a victory for the private sector, the Federal Communications Commission was thwarted in its attempts to force network provider Verizon from treating all customers equally. The decision provoked […] … learn more→

At the end of the English-syntax course I co-taught last semester, my colleague and I set a number of examination questions designed to test students ability to argue points about syntactic structure. This one will serve as an example: Although the following two sentences exhibit a superficial similarity, they contrast sharply in syntactic terms: [1] […] … learn more→

What role, if any, should universities play in political disputes? When the American Studies Association passed a resolution urging American universities to boycott Israeli universities, the question arose again. I say “again,” because just months before, Brooklyn College scheduled a panel on the purpose and justification for such a boycott. A furor erupted. And a […] … learn more→

The start of 2014 has seen a tragic, but sadly predictable discussion around Australia about lives lost or hanging in the balance due to violence. All of the high-profile cases involved alcohol. These are the tip of a horrifying iceberg. Family violence, intimate partner violence, child abuse, gang violence, sexual assault, bullying and many other […] … learn more→

My recent experience as a jury foreperson highlighted the importance of collegiality, tolerance, deliberation, consensus building, and the unfettered pursuit of truth—traditional academic values under attack by those seeking to impose a corporate vision of “effectiveness” on the nation’s universities. This process of attack has been documented thoroughly in the past decade. Beyond sounding the […] … learn more→

\”Our nearly 60 fully online doctoral programs include Marketing, Leadership, Reading and Literacy, ” –Yes, that is from an accredited school. Online education is major part of higher education today. It has been a huge source of money for institutions, especially private for-profit institutions that care nothing for education (i.e., slightly less than public institutions), […] … learn more→

The technological advances and better facilities in medicine from the latter half of 20th Century has led to the increased assessment of the apparently healthy adults in America. In the general care terms, using the periodic health care measures and the routine screenings have been implemented on the general asymptomatic people to diagnose their disease. […] … learn more→

This week Richard Vedder, an Ohio State economist who runs the Center for College Affordability and Productivity, and his student, Christopher Denhart, ran a provocative piece in the Wall Street Journal on “How the College Bubble Will Pop.” They argued “the benefits of a degree are declining while costs rise.” Looking at earning potential, Professor […] … learn more→

Among the conclusions frequently drawn about the heavily reported \”crisis in the humanities\” is that humanities departments are woefully out of touch—with today\’s students, with the new economy, with the public at large. The argument is a familiar one. In response to a similar climate of hostility in the late 1980s and early 90s, the […] … learn more→

I really feel for the public today. Constantly bombarded with conflicting nutrition messages and sensationalist health warnings about particular foods or nutrients. Sugar is toxic. Wheat is the devil incarnate. We are designed to eat like our Palaeolithic ancestors. Glycaemic index is the key to health. Intermittent fasting is the best way to lose weight. […] … learn more→