2017 was the year of the publicized sex scandal. Granted, the phrase “casting couch” didn’t come from nowhere, it’s been long known that in Hollywood an actress might well have to advance her career on a couch. Other “obvious” places where sexual shenanigans occurred didn’t seem to get nearly as much attention. Perhaps I […] … learn more→

Why go to university? When asked, today’s students are openly careerist and materialist. In a 2012 survey by the Higher Education Research Institute in Los Angeles, almost 90 per cent held that “being able to get a better job” was a “very important” or “essential” reason to go to college. The rationales of being “very […] … learn more→

Recent Ucas statistics revealed the country’s class system is still hard at work and as active as ever in more than half of our universities. Figures analysed by Times Higher Education (“Most privileged outnumber least advantaged 2:1 at most UK HEIs”, 25 January) showed that, at 70 universities, students from the most advantaged areas were […] … learn more→

All those excellent “How to do a PhD” books provide a linear progression from start to finish. They seem to encompass all the intricacies along the way, but ultimately serve as a sort of telescope that draws your vision towards a clear and cohesive end point where your research question is answered neatly, you wear […] … learn more→

More than a quarter of UK graduates received a first-class degree, and nearly half received an upper second-class award in 2016-2017. This means 75% of graduates gained “good degrees” – up from 60% ten years ago. Repeated media outcry and government condemnation over this upward drift, continues to fuel debates over the robustness of the current degree classification system […] … learn more→

In Australian public discussion recently, the idea that current university arrangements fulfil a truly valid role for students has been challenged. During the 1960s, the challenge from social critics was universities merely “credentialised” the pretensions of the elite, to validate their claims to positions and occupations of privilege on meritocratic grounds. The extension of the modern […] … learn more→

Last September, I missed my first All-Ireland Hurling Final in 20 years. I have loved the sport and the final since I was six years old. It’s the biggest fixture in the sports calendar and an annual gathering of most of my oldest friends. I probably won’t see some of my friends again until the […] … learn more→

The whole “women can do anything just as well as men” paradigm that’s driven our society of late has always puzzled me. Yes, absolutely, women should be allowed the same opportunities as men, I’ve certainly no problem with that, but there’s always been a strange hypocrisy to it that I’ve found troubling. Women joining the […] … learn more→

Recently I discussed a Leftist professor advocate of white genocide who implied the problem with our campuses is Leftism is being discouraged on our campuses, that voices like his are being silenced. Rubbish. My memory isn’t the best, but it sure seems like conservative faculty are the ones in the crosshairs, so I thought I’d […] … learn more→

About once a month I dream what Freud called the “examination dream”: the one that requires me to resit my finals, having done no revision. The dream is presumably a manifestation of impostor syndrome – that nagging fear, known to many academics, that we will be found out. But on one subject I never doubt […] … learn more→