It is rare to encounter a scientific fact that stirs widespread debate and distrust quite like the matter of climate change. Despite consensus among climate specialists about a theory that is supported by a mountain of facts from the physical, natural, and cultural sciences, the debate continues to be perpetrated by politicians, industrialists, academics, and […] … learn more→

When US education secretary Betsy DeVos announced in August that she would rewrite the Title IX rules on campus sexual assault, former education secretary Arne Duncan called foul. “Instead of building on important work to pursue justice,” he rebutted, “they are once again choosing politics over students, and students will pay the price.” Duncan was […] … learn more→

Last September, as colleagues back in the Midwest applied the finishing touches to syllabuses they hoped would prove watertight, I bent my shoulder to the grim task of cleaning up after Category 1 Hurricane Hermine struck the Gulf Coast region of Florida, my family’s home-away-from-home for three generations. At the time, the events seemed surreal: […] … learn more→

Higher education researchers and journalists often use the percentage of Pell recipients at a college as a proxy for the share of low-income students the school serves. But in actuality, the make-up of low-income students is more complicated than that. Students’ eligibility for Pell Grants is based on a range of factors: family income, benefits […] … learn more→

With the advent of technology and internet, students in the US have found a solution to writing their academic papers. Initially, there was a lot to work on while professors didn’t provide enough materials to help in the completion of the same. However, online essay services have become a real partner for students in their […] … learn more→

It used to be controversial speakers were controversial, and that was it. Now controversial has been defined down to the most meager of offenses. As faculty, even to say something as “controversial” as “Trump doesn’t get a fair shake in the media” is enough to get you fired. Heck, even in chatting in forums, I […] … learn more→

Forty years ago to the week, I began life as an undergraduate student at the University of Glasgow. Little did I realise then that four decades on, universities would still be playing a very prominent part in my life. Having attended a comprehensive school in the west of Scotland, and with no family history of higher […] … learn more→

Pop quiz: when a student transfers from a community college to a four-year school, which school decides which credits to take in transfer? Hint: the word “take” is key. The four-year school decides.  The community college is at its mercy. I bring that up because it demonstrates why this piece by Ames Brown, identified in […] … learn more→

It was a warm summer day in Kazakhstan. I was having a pretty tough time. Mid-thesis crisis. Emotionally demanding fieldwork in Central Asia, a break-up, and just the feeling that I didn’t succeed with my fieldwork, or my PhD. I was supposed to do productive fieldwork in the political sphere of Kazakhstan. Instead I felt […] … learn more→

For university students, work placements are heralded as a highly valuable opportunity. Taking a year out from studying to work in their chosen industry gives students a chance to learn more about their sector and get real life experience. Placements also allow students time to make contacts and network and prove themselves in a working […] … learn more→