Does the university system in England provide good value for money? It’s a question that select committee inquiries, the National Audit Office, and assorted thinktanks have failed to answer satisfactorily. Now, the whole issue is going to be picked over yet again by the review of post-18 education and funding. The problem is that all […] … learn more→
Author Archives: Kevin
Debunking the ‘value for money’ myth in higher education
The Republican war on academic freedom in North Carolina
Joe Knott, one of the Republicans who dominate the University of North Carolina Board of Governors, published an op-ed on May 25 that imagines an alarming future for higher education under the headline “We need more conservative professors. Here’s how we can do that at UNC.” Knott generously declares his support for academic freedom: “If scholars are […] … learn more→
How globalization is upsetting the university
Higher education has always had an international dimension. However, a new step seems to have been taken in the late 1990s. In addition to the increase in student mobility, a global map of the university is emerging, with new actors, public and private, while national systems are undergoing processes. polarization and prioritization. In France, this […] … learn more→
White men’s voices still dominate public science. Here’s how to change this
Visibility in the mass media matters for scientists. It gets funders’ attention. It attracts top students. It can be a pathway to policy influence. Media coverage may even boost the number of times a piece of research is cited in scientific literature. There are imbalances all over the world, and white men tend to get the lion’s share of […] … learn more→
Illinois University: Cut faculty pay to zero
It’s so hard to keep up with the collapse of higher education. One of the big problems is administration; our universities are so overloaded with overpaid admin that they no longer can afford to have full time faculty. So far, they’ve addressed this issue with providing minimal pay and harsh working conditions to “adjunct” faculty, […] … learn more→
We’re not prepared for the genetic revolution that’s coming
When humans’ genetic information (known as the genome) was mapped 15 years ago, it promised to change the world. Optimists anticipated an era in which all genetic diseases would be eradicated. Pessimists feared widespread genetic discrimination. Neither of these hopes and fears have been realised. The reason for this is simple: our genome is complex. […] … learn more→
What’s wrong with secret donor agreements like the ones George Mason University inked with the Kochs
George Mason University President Ángel Cabrera acknowledged this month that his school gave the Charles Koch Foundation “some influence” over hiring and evaluating faculty as it accepted millions of dollars for its free-market research center, the Mercatus Center. This news rankled the academic world, but it perhaps didn’t come as a surprise. Many scholars saw this as just the […] … learn more→
College students slutting it up
A century ago, our culture respected “college boys,” kids who not only graduated high school, but managed to get accepted into college. Yes, “college boys” tended to be wealthy, so there was certainly some elitism here, but the fact remained that going to college was considered an honorable, respectable, achievement, and a sign of future […] … learn more→
‘Progressive stacking’ leads to a wobbly form of equality
In the classic John Ford western Stagecoach, a group of travellers have to make a decision about whether to continue their journey through Apache territory. They decide to settle the issue with a vote, but with one important proviso: that the women have their say first. This kind of chivalry may seem outdated, but the idea […] … learn more→
9 ways debt is compromising your financial future and how to break the cycle
Borrowing some cash can help you access some things that were previously beyond your current financial muscle. Nevertheless, in the absence of a diligent management, debt can jeopardize your financial health. At the same time, debt has a way of causing an emotional trauma which may lead to stress. In this condition, it can be […] … learn more→
