There’s so much fraud and corruption going on in state and non-profit schools that I usually don’t discuss the immense frauds going on in the for-profit schools. However, for-profits are big enough that it would be a disservice not to at least mention them from time to time: they have so many students that it’s […] … learn more→

Over the last few years, leaders at Southwest Texas Junior College and Angelo State University – two Hispanic-Serving Institutions – witnessed incredible job growth and opportunity in the field of engineering all over west Texas. Neither institution had a program to train future engineers, so talent was brought in from outside while local aspiring engineers […] … learn more→

It’s been over five years since I graduated from my PhD – wow, how time flies. I remember often thinking I would never make it and then, suddenly, it’s all done and there are lots of questions to face… How do I get used to the empty space in my head where my research used […] … learn more→

The ongoing White House v. Congress struggle has recently involved the charge that one side wants to torpedo the other’s plan. That sounds violent, even metaphorically speaking, but torpedo has a more complicated usage history. In his account of Dr. Johnson’s life, James Boswell reports the Great Cham’s remarking that “Tom Birch is as brisk […] … learn more→

I was recently asked to talk to doctoral researchers about bad academic behaviour. Not in general, but bad behaviour specifically in relation to writing for publication. I came up with the following list. The Badly-behaved Academic Writer, or BAW for short – (1) has a hissy fit (that is, writes a hasty angry email to […] … learn more→

Jon Levine reported about a decision on where to go to college made by an incoming freshman, Ronald Nelson, last month. It’s a dilemma faced by countless high school seniors across America about this time each year. Mr. Nelson is an outstanding student at Houston High School in Memphis who has earned entry into all […] … learn more→

Across the country, states are in financial crisis, and in need of money. Naturally, they’ll turn to the higher education budget for a source of funds—it’s a curious feature of the American god of Democracy, that our leaders are always looking for the quick fix, always looking to kick the can of any problem down […] … learn more→

A few years ago I stopped referring to my students in my writing. It’s not that I ceased talking about students; I stopped referring to them as mine. Or at least I try. I am sure I still fall into the phrase my students sometimes in my written work (one of the astute readers of […] … learn more→

I’ve written before of the pandering of higher education, the creation of college classes not because they have any particular educational value, or any value in the jobs marketplace but because…they’ll sell. The sexualization of Harry Potter in exchange for that sweet student loan money may be the most egregious, but it’s hardly the only […] … learn more→

Academic writing is not all introduction, literature, methods, results, discussion. While this is the dominant mode of writing across the social sciences, and in other disciplines too, it is not all that there is. IMRAD, and the variations on it, is certainly the academic writing structure and style that is most recognised and rewarded, but […] … learn more→