When discussions take place about first-generation college students, often the focus is on how disadvantaged they are in comparison to their peers whose parents went to college. Research we recently conducted shows that first-generation college students experience another form of disadvantage that lasts long after they graduate – and that is: how much they earn. We are sociologists who […] … learn more→
Blog Archives
First-generation college students earn less than graduates whose parents went to college
Professional graduate degrees are not inferior
Professional graduate degrees in the US have long been seen as the poor cousins of their academic counterparts. There is a persistent perception that degrees focusing on specific careers are formulaic, their content dictated by accrediting bodies and lacking in innovative thought or pedagogy. Higher education literature suggests that they do not contribute to intellectual […] … learn more→
College math course: “Hillary is wonderful”
I’ve mentioned before that political leanings are now part of the hiring process on some of our campuses: if you don’t follow the Social Justice ideology and all, everything, it entails, you can’t be hired. Yes, even in mathematics, you must be a social justice warrior to teach math, on some campuses. Now, not…everything…is wrong […] … learn more→
Is REF moving the goalposts for early career working-class researchers?
Since its inception in 2014, the research excellence framework has been fraught with controversy amid claims ranging from academic bullying to discouraging academic innovation. One thing that critics have failed to note, however, is how much of an obstacle REF represents for early career working-class researchers who are trying to break into their first long-term […] … learn more→
Academic freedom: I spent four months at UAE’s national university – this is what I found
The case of the Durham PhD student, Matthew Hedges – who has been arrested and placed in solitary confinement on the charge of spying – exposes the extreme limits on academic freedom in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). But Hedges’s plight, while outrageous, is not altogether shocking for seasoned observers of the oil-rich Gulf monarchy. This year […] … learn more→
Are you prepared for the problems of success?
Visibility is a form of currency in academia. A rolling stone gathers moss as the proverb goes, and in my case moss = opportunities. Because of my profile, I get asked to keynote conferences, run workshops, contribute to books, be on grants and so on. Taking up these opportunities naturally leads to more conventional forms […] … learn more→
Who will protect academics from plagiarism by other academics?
When the Roman poet, Juvenal, wrote the line “Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?” (Who will guard the guards?), it really meant, “Who will ensure that those who guard us do not overreach their authority?” But there is another sense of the question: Who will protect those who are meant to protect us? At higher education institutions […] … learn more→
Philosophy courses must not shy away from suicide
A study published in September shows that one in five US college students has had suicidal thoughts within the past year. Research from 2009 suggests that more than half have had such thoughts at some point in their lives. Suicide is the second leading cause of death among college-age students, and there are roughly 1,000 […] … learn more→
How we discovered the genetics of university success
Many people can vividly remember being 18 and tentatively opening that envelope containing crucial information about the future. On the surface, it’s strange to think that genes have anything to do with it – but our new study, published in Scientific Reports, reveals that genetic factors influence both university enrolment and achievement. How can inherited DNA […] … learn more→
15% of students admit to buying essays. What can universities do about it?
New research on plagiarism at university has revealed students are surprisingly unconcerned about a practice known as “contract cheating”. The term “contract cheating” was coined in 2006, and describes students paying for completed assessments. At that time, concerns over the outsourcing of assessments were in their infancy, but today, contract cheating is big business. In 2017 alone, the […] … learn more→
