It’s been a while since I discussed the core issue which has done so much harm to higher education: the student loan scam (so long, in fact, that a reader asked me to explain what I meant by it, and so here we are). The Rise of the Jumbo Student Loan Most students with loan […] … learn more→
Blog Archives
The student loan scam explained
The Department of deregulation
As reported in Politico’s Morning Education today, the Department of Education will be pursuing yet another regulatory agenda in the coming year, to include rewrite (or remove) the state authorization rules, the credit hour rule, accreditation regulations, and the requirements for regular and substantive interaction with instructors in distance education programs. This action comes while Congress is […] … learn more→
Students’ narcissism trumps their work ethic
When teaching medical students at a famous university in London, one of us would initiate the first tutorial with a question: what is the essence of an education? If you are sitting next to someone at a dinner party, how do you decide how educated they are? Is it about where they studied and how […] … learn more→
Active shooter drills may reshape how a generation of students views school
Recent school shootings and the March for Our Lives rallies held in cities around the world on March 24 have rekindled debates over how to keep students safe. “The notion of ‘it can’t happen here’ is no longer a notion,” said Sheriff Tim Cameron of St. Mary’s County, Maryland after a student opened fire on March 20 […] … learn more→
Dying Evergreen College: More than 1 admin per 6 students
(Alternate Title: Race Riots At Evergreen Cost 20% Of Student Base) One of the clearest signs of a school’s convergence, takeover by Social Justice Warriors (SJW), is the race riots. More accurately, it is the response to riots that gives the situation away. The normal response to student rioters is to eject the rioters from […] … learn more→
New federal program tackles spiraling costs of college textbooks
College students will keep more money in their pockets thanks to a new US$5 million pilot program approved as part of the $1.3 trillion appropriations bill that President Donald J. Trump signed on March 23. The new grant program, administered by the U.S. Department of Education, will support the creation or improved use of open textbooks for use at […] … learn more→
Your MC for this paper is…
Academic writing often needs an MC. Yes MC, a Mistress/Master of Ceremonies. The MC, or emcee, is an official host. A compere. At a public event, say a festival, their job is to introduce the acts – speakers or singers or DJs or bands. The emcee has to know enough about the performers to say […] … learn more→
Jury ‘is still out’ on online marking
Peak marking season used to mean piles of essays stacked high on my desk. It was sometimes an intimidating sight, acting as an ever-present reminder of how much work I had yet to do. This year, there will be no such problem. Last September, my employer, Bangor University, decided that all undergraduate dissertations and essays […] … learn more→
The PhD badly needs a doctor
The PhD was first introduced at Humboldt University of Berlin in the early 19th century and remains the iconic degree of the modern research university. But both in and outside the ivory towers, there is an increasing sense that the PhD is no longer fit for purpose, both in terms of the requirements of employers […] … learn more→
Time to end bias against academia’s female entrepreneurs
University spin-off companies play a key role in taking innovation into the wider market and they also contribute to economic growth. However, the participation of women scientists and engineers in the development and formation of university spin-offs is limited. This was clearly demonstrated in a study by Elsevier last year on gender in research across […] … learn more→
