Monthly Archives: March 2017

A doctorate at a distance – take one

A doctorate at a distance – take one

I did my PhD by distance education. This wasn’t terribly common at the time I did it – but it wasn’t all that unusual in universities that specialised in catering for remote, working or part-time students. However, the doctorate at a distance is relatively common now.  As more and more people enrol in doctoral degrees, more also want to […] … learn more→

Translating reclassification policies into school-level practices

Translating reclassification policies into school-level practices

Last month, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine released Promoting the Educational Success of Children and Youth Learning English: Promising Futures, a synthesis of current research on English learners (ELs) from birth to young adulthood. The report serves as a one-stop compendium on EL policies, demographics, language development, promising educational practices, development of […] … learn more→

Higher education must prepare for the rise of the machines

Higher education must prepare for the rise of the machines

In the year 2000, Goldman Sachs employed 600 stock traders, according to Marty Chavez, the investment bank’s deputy chief financial officer. Now, Chavez told a symposium at the Harvard University Institute for Applied Computational Science in January, it employs just two. The other 598 have been replaced by 200 computers. Meanwhile, a 2017 McKinsey Global […] … learn more→

Five strategies for building a great University brand

Five strategies for building a great University brand

A decade ago, few universities thought strategically about their brand. Now, as the market for academic talent, funding, and recognition heats up, the need has become acute. Universities recognize the necessity of building appreciation for what makes them unique. Yet while some universities may be regarded as “great” brands, most aren’t. And it may be […] … learn more→

Does it pay to get a double major in college?

Does it pay to get a double major in college?

Students are bombarded with an array of competing opportunities during college, all with the promise that each will lead to a better job or higher earnings upon entering the “real world.” One such option is the double major, in which a student earns two bachelor degrees at once, sometimes in entirely different disciplines. But will […] … learn more→

Claremont College: New program excludes whites

Claremont College: New program excludes whites

  It’s so funny how often official policy is ignored; in particular, every campus I’ve been on has had policy regarding equality, that everything is open to everyone without concern for ethnicity, gender, orientation, or anything else. Despite such policy, I’ve seen faculty and administration chosen based on race and gender, and I’ve seen faculty […] … learn more→

Teaching-only roles could mark the end of your academic career

Teaching-only roles could mark the end of your academic career

Teaching academic (TA) roles in Australian universities have risen three fold over the past decade, making up around 5% of the academic workforce – and further roll outs are expected. But new research suggests that these roles can be a negative career move for academics. TA roles feature university teaching as the primary or only […] … learn more→

Silent sufferings

Silent sufferings

Near the end of my PhD, my partner, an early career researcher, was being honoured by her professional society with a career award. We travelled interstate to a conference and to attend the fancy conference dinner together, where she was to deliver a short speech on stage in front of a couple hundred of her […] … learn more→