During the pandemic, many college professors abandoned assignments from printed textbooks and turned instead to digital texts or multimedia coursework. As a professor of linguistics, I have been studying how electronic communication compares to traditional print when it comes to learning. Is comprehension the same whether a person reads a text onscreen or on paper? And are listening […] … learn more→

This is the time of year that I run writing workshops and courses. And because I’m preoccupied with teaching, I’m also thinking about new and different strategies for authoring and revision. Authoring and revision strategies are inter-related – heuristics used for authoring can often be converted for revision purposes and vice versa. I sometimes find […] … learn more→

Cornel West and his co-author made a common mistake when they wrote a recent essay in The Washington Post chastising Howard University for eliminating its classics department. Reducing the decision to a “spiritual catastrophe,” they overlooked a deeper and more urgent problem: the financial constraints facing historically Black colleges and universities, and the inequality that underlies them. […] … learn more→

After years of secrecy, lobbying and other corporate political activities are becoming increasingly visible. The ongoing scandal in the UK about former prime minister David Cameron’s lobbying activities on behalf of the financial services company Greensill Capital has added to concerns about how the government assigned Covid-related contracts. There are similar concerns in Germany, where […] … learn more→

If you have ever thought about becoming a homeowner but got discouraged due to the high initial costs associated with owning a home, you’ll be happy to hear about the following three government loans. These loans have guarantees by the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) home loans, the Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) home loans, and […] … learn more→

High school can be especially challenging for the 2%-3% of U.S. teens who identify as transgender, or trans. They disproportionately experience harassment and victimization by their peers and rejection by family members. Entering an affirming and inclusive college environment can help set trans youth on a path of personal, academic and professional success. A trans-affirming college can also be transformative […] … learn more→

Dutch academic institutions have a reputation for being global and international in their outlook. For many, they embody the very best of the Netherlands’ socially tolerant and liberal society. As a non-white academic from a non-Western country who has worked there, I disagree. Like many others, I saw an academic career in the Netherlands as […] … learn more→