Librarians in the University of California system are represented by the American Federation of Teachers.  They are currently engaged in bargaining a new contract.  In the course of that process the UC-AFT proposed that the following underlined language be added to Article 1, Recognition, in the new contract: The University recognizes librarians as academic employees, and further recognizes […] … learn more→

By reporting fraud, my husband acted to protect the scientific integrity of repositories of knowledge in libraries and databases. Protecting these valuable but endangered resources from the introduction of falsified publications must be done early in the manuscript review stage. My husband was a faculty member in the School of Medicine and Director of a […] … learn more→

This month, more than 4 million students across the nation will begin high school. Many will do well. But many will not. Consider that nearly two-thirds of students will experience the “ninth-grade shock,” which refers to a dramatic drop in a student’s academic performance. Some students cope with this shock by avoiding challenges. For instance, they may drop rigorous coursework. […] … learn more→

Higher education leaders are, in essence, multitaskers: educational diplomats who are equally proficient financiers, human resource managers and pedagogical visionaries. The last quality is particularly important with the introduction of digital technologies and the transition that they will bring to all facets of the higher education environment. Higher education is experiencing the ripple effect of […] … learn more→

Few would disagree that a good education means more than just exam results. The benefits of non-academic experiences – from sports competitions, charity events, or school plays – have been shown to lead to more than just happy memories. Evidence shows that taking part in extracurricular activities can support academic attainment, even into adulthood, as well as bringing personal benefits […] … learn more→

Bypassing any call for public input, the Department of Education announced the details of its Open Textbook Pilot last Monday, releasing a notice inviting applications for $5 million in new competitive funds. Several Senators who invested in the success of the Open Textbook Pilot, however, have continued to raise concerns with the Department’s actions. At the end of last […] … learn more→

A common phrase once applied to those serious on embarking on a scholarly path was “publish or perish”. All that mattered to foster a successful academic career was to get articles (typically double-blind peer-reviewed ones) accepted into so-called leading or international journals. Now that is no longer enough. The pressure on academics to promulgate their […] … learn more→

You’ve all heard the advice that it’s good to write regularly. Perhaps it was phrased this way – productive writers write a lot because they write regularly. You’ve been told that you can get a lot done if you just write every day. That it’s no good hanging around waiting for the next big gap in your […] … learn more→

I’ve sneered quite a bit at Gender Studies, and while I feel it’s obvious on the face of it that this is a topic well worth a sneer, a recent op-ed article in the Washington Post by a professor of sociology and director of the Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Program at Northeastern University really […] … learn more→

In order for  performance based funding (PBF) to work, institutions must be incentivized to adhere to the model, and improve their results on key metrics. In Michigan, a relatively small share of funding that only applies to annual budget increases does little to hold institutions accountable for several state goals. What’s more, the PBF formula is […] … learn more→