Monthly Archives: March 2018

Universities must become the Googles and Amazons of public life

Universities must become the Googles and Amazons of public life

The indisputable success of the UK’s universities over recent decades has been built on four bulwarks: steady growth in student demand, relatively generous funding arrangements, protective and supportive regulation and sustained public and political goodwill. But all of those bulwarks are being seriously eroded by political and market currents. Since 2006, total UK university revenues […] … learn more→

A flawed formula: Who benefits most from campus-based aid?

A flawed formula: Who benefits most from campus-based aid?

The trio of financial support to students known as campus-based aid includes Perkins loans, Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants (SEOG), and Federal Work-Study (FWS). Unlike more popular federal student aid programs, like Pell grants and the Federal Direct Loans, only students at participating institutions can receive campus-based aid, and funds are limited and typically awarded to […] … learn more→

What the National school walkout says about schools and free speech

What the National school walkout says about schools and free speech

Thousands of high school students across the nation left their classesMarch 14 precisely at 10 a.m. for 17 minutes. The walkout served two purposes: to honor the 17 people – including 14 students – killed exactly one month ago at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, and to call for stronger gun control laws. Organized by a Women’s March unit called […] … learn more→

Australia doesn’t have too many universities. Here’s why

Australia doesn’t have too many universities. Here’s why

Recent closures and transfers of university campuses and the University of Wollongong’s opening of a campus in Liverpool in southwestern Sydney reflect more general changes in Australian universities. This is affecting not only campuses but faculties, study modes and student groups. It may even have implications for some universities’ future. Australia does not have too many universities, overall. The median student […] … learn more→

How to close a University?

How to close a University?

  When the government shut down Corinthian, it was a complete disaster. Now, it wasn’t a disaster for the administration of Corinthian, they all got huge golden parachutes. It was an inconvenience for faculty, but they were all being paid starvation wages as adjuncts, so the loss of the minimal paychecks wasn’t so bad, and […] … learn more→

Leaving the Valley of Shit

Leaving the Valley of Shit

  “Today I got a date with my jury. So. Well. Pretty excited about it” I announced my impeding PhD thesis defence to a friend with these words. And yet, the feeling was much more complex than just excitement. It was difficult to find the right words to express the intricate mix of fear, excitement, […] … learn more→

Teaching students how to dissent is part of democracy

Teaching students how to dissent is part of democracy

In scenes unprecedented in previous school shootings, the past few weeks have been marked by students taking to the streets, to the media, to corporations and elected officials in protest over gun practices and policies. Responses to these teens have been mixed. Some have celebrated their passion. Some concluded that the students are immature and don’t yet fully grasp longstanding issues with […] … learn more→