The kangaroo campus court system is doing a fine job of wrecking lives; it has way too much power, and is devoid of anything resembling the checks and balances system necessary to anything resembling justice. Instead, our campus courts are merely reinforcing the totalitarian infantilism that has become the trademark of many of our universities. […] … learn more→
Author Archives: Kevin
Kangaroo-icide on Campus
Supervisors are morally obliged to publish with their PhD students
Should PhD supervisors publish with their students? Should PhD students include their supervisors as co-authors on articles emanating from their PhD projects? To many academics, the answer seems, self-evidently, yes. But some – especially, in our experience, in the social sciences – remain adamantly unconvinced. We have worked in two universities where PhD supervisors publishing […] … learn more→
Australia: Programs that prepare students for university study may no longer be free
For the first time, students may have to pay up to A$3271 for “enabling” courses, designed to prepare students for university study. The change was announced as part of the government’s recent higher education reform package. Until now, university enabling programs have been subsidised by the government – and are therefore free for students. The […] … learn more→
A part-time and distance PhD
Earlier this month, I submitted my PhD in Organisational Behaviour and Human Resource Management at the University of New England Business School. I did my PhD part-time, while I worked full-time in the IT sector, and I did my PhD through distance, so my project had a few challenges along the way. I live in […] … learn more→
How internationalisation crushes national character
Last June, as I was leaving the polling station at which I had just voted in favour of the UK’s leaving the European Union, my eldest son was passing on his bicycle. He stopped to talk, but, on learning what I had done, he berated me, albeit jovially, mentioning in particular his difficulties in recruiting […] … learn more→
African universities must take a critical view of knowledge and how it’s made
Most universities boast “centres” or “institutes” designed to announce their strengths in a certain field. But there’s more to it than that: when a university establishes a new centre, it is making a statement of intent. It’s saying that it perceives a need for more work in that area, and that it intends to drive […] … learn more→
Are movies a good way to learn history?
Guilt-free online shopping: can parcel deliveries ever be truly carbon-neutral?
Whether you’re a fashion junkie or a reluctant shopper, there is no denying that buying online is hugely convenient – a couple of clicks and your order is on its way to your door. But we are all aware that these goods need to be transported, and that a delivery involving planes, ships and trucks […] … learn more→
Scrounging for money: how the world’s great writers made a living
It’s a lean time for writers, as arts funding shrinks on all sides, journalists are laid off in droves, broadcasting budgets are slashed, and book publishing remains in a state of seemingly unceasing upheaval. It often seems as if the age of living by the pen may be brought to a close by an increasingly […] … learn more→
Mizzou closes 7 dorms: No students
For years I’ve watched the Poo Bahs of Higher Ed abandon their mission of helping humanity and instead debase higher education in exchange for growth. The Poo Bahs don’t want growth per se, they want the massive increases to pay they get for ruling larger institutions (truth be told, I suspect the reasons our politicians […] … learn more→
