Monthly Archives: December 2016

Professor fired for “anti-Semitism”

Professor fired for “anti-Semitism”

The culture of fear in higher education is quite remarkable. Publicly, we’re told we have freedom of speech and academic freedom, but the reality is quite clear that faculty are only free to talk about certain things, publicly or academically. And so we come to the latest firing for a professor saying the wrong thing: […] … learn more→

Was 2016 just 1938 all over again?

Was 2016 just 1938 all over again?

On December 31 1937, Cambridge classicist and man of letters F L Lucas embarked on an experiment. He would keep a diary for exactly one calendar year. It was, as he put it: “an attempt to give one answer, however inadequate, however fragmentary, to the question that will surely be asked one day by some […] … learn more→

‘New Voices’ laws aim to ensure student press freedoms in higher ed

‘New Voices’ laws aim to ensure student press freedoms in higher ed

Campus newspapers face many of the same challenges confronting the professional media—inconsistent readership, dwindling financial resources, and competition with bloggers and social media. And when it comes to the involvement of administrators in editorial decisions, a movement now spreading across the country is pushing state legislatures to reaffirm the press freedoms of student journalists—particularly at […] … learn more→

Graphic novels on campus

Graphic novels on campus

Who can doubt that academic life is full of striking human dramas? Alongside the familiar campus novels and detective fiction set in universities, there are a fair number of plays and films focused on academic rivalries or seductions. A while ago, I became intrigued by the slightly less trodden topic of academics in comics and […] … learn more→

Fake news: the solution is education, not regulation

Fake news: the solution is education, not regulation

After Donald Trump’s victory in the US presidential election, the BBC ran a quiz asking readers to distinguish fake news stories from real ones. They asked, for example, which of these widely reported stories was an actual event: Putin issues international arrest warrant for George Soros Black Lives Matter thug protests President Trump with selfie…accidentally […] … learn more→

University is not Day Care

University is not Day Care

So often I’ve quoted Poo Bahs in Higher Ed bragging about how they’re going to make education worse, to make it harder for students to actually gain something from university, that I can understand why a reader might think that’s the only thing Poo Bahs do. Granted, it’s what most Poo Bahs do, but I […] … learn more→

Change the way we run universities to unlock women’s talent

Change the way we run universities to unlock women’s talent

Striving for gender equality is vitally important, particularly in higher education. As the sector continues to encounter massive changes, we need every bit of talent and the very best, skilled leaders to guide us through. There is a wealth of evidence from the private sector that increased diversity in senior positions leads to better-run and […] … learn more→

Want to invest in an educational franchise? Start here

Want to invest in an educational franchise? Start here

Ever thought of starting a small business for yourself to supplement your present income? Or perhaps you’re looking to transition from employee to boss? Interested in working as an educator or providing students with a head start in a certain area? Curious about what an educational franchise has to offer? The appeal is plain to see: You […] … learn more→

Teaching and learning in a post-truth world

Teaching and learning in a post-truth world

In today’s post-truth environment, university educators face new challenges. Their students are surrounded by a broader spectrum of ideologies and beliefs than ever. Some are fuelled by the US alt-right movement and the growth of similar identitarian movements across Europe. With Brexit and Trump as its mascots, 2016 has ushered in what David Simas calls […] … learn more→