Monthly Archives: October 2015

9 phrases smart people never use in conversation

9 phrases smart people never use in conversation

We’ve all said things that people interpreted much differently than we thought they would. These seemingly benign comments lead to the awful feeling that only comes when you’ve planted your foot firmly into your mouth. Verbal slip-ups often occur because we say things without knowledge of the subtle implications they carry. Understanding these implications requires […] … learn more→

Adjunct abuse might end?

Adjunct abuse might end?

I’ve written more than a few times of horrible treatment of the typical college professor now. The adjunctification of higher education has been a secret for years, and it’s long past time that people know that getting a really good education can lead, not to riches, or to even security, but to sub-minimum wage jobs, […] … learn more→

As China ends the one-child policy, what is its legacy?

As China ends the one-child policy, what is its legacy?

China has announced the end to its infamous one-child policy, the restrictive rule that has limited many families to one child, and some to two children for the past 37 years. The changes will allow all couples to have two children. China has a long history of controlling its population. Throughout the 1950s, family planning […] … learn more→

Higher Education: Capitalism at its most despicable

Rating capitalist despicability is a daunting task with Big Pharma and High Finance in the running, but Higher Ed’s betrayal of a century-old trust with young Americans vaults it toward the top of the list.Since 1862 public colleges had been expected to serve primarily as a means for the American people to achieve an inexpensive […] … learn more→

Test scores are clear: US Higher Ed is weak

In our “public” school system, it’s all high stakes testing, all the time. To succeed as a teacher in that system, you need to be very good at teaching kids to take standardized tests, or so the teachers say. Even if this isn’t perfectly accurate, it’s still pretty clear that American children get plenty of […] … learn more→

Will name-blind UCAS forms make UK university admissions fairer?

David Cameron has announced that applicants’ names will be removed from UCAS forms from 2017 in an effort to combat ethnic inequalities in admissions to top universities. The prime minister’s announcement comes in response to evidence that British ethnic minority applicants to highly selective universities are less likely to be offered places than white British […] … learn more→

Does cold-calling ever work?

What are your thoughts on cold-calling a university or a department that does not have a posted job opening? Is this ever done? What if you are an alum (undergrad)? Do people ever send a letter and CV to a dean, for example, and would that kind of behavior ever lead to being considered for […] … learn more→

Uga the Bulldog, Handsome Dan and why university spirit matters

Head to Yale and you’ll meet Handsome Dan. At Boston College, you’ll find Baldwin the Eagle, and at the University of Georgia, Uga the Bulldog. Across American college and university campuses, mascots are used to help create that distinct “spirit” that has become such a fundamental part of a US college education. In the UK, […] … learn more→

How evernote can help you with your literature review

I try to get my PhD work done as quickly, or rather as efficiently, as possible. I’d much rather be having a pint than reading Deleuze. So I put effort in at the front end of my writing process, while I was beginning to put together my literature review, to create a speedy and reliable work […] … learn more→