Blog Archives

McCarthyism’s shadow looms over controversial firing of Texas professor who taught about gender identity

McCarthyism’s shadow looms over controversial firing of Texas professor who taught about gender identity

Texas A&M University announced the resignation of its president, Mark A. Welsh III, on Sept. 18, 2025, following a controversial decision earlier in the month to fire a professor over a classroom exchange with a student about gender identity. The university – a public school in College Station, Texas – fired Melissa McCoul, a children’s literature professor, […] … learn more→

Are business schools priming students for a world that no longer exists?

Are business schools priming students for a world that no longer exists?

Endless economic expansion isn’t sustainable. Scientists are telling us our planet is already beyond its limits, with the risks to communities and the economy made clear in the federal government’s recent climate risk assessment. Sustainability is a hot topic in Australian business schools. However, teaching about the possible need to limit economic growth – whether directly or […] … learn more→

Fewer foreign students in the United States  : a decline that is costing universities dearly

Fewer foreign students in the United States : a decline that is costing universities dearly

The number of international students on U.S. campuses is estimated to have declined by 150,000 this fall due to policies implemented by the Trump administration. This reversal of fortune will weigh heavily on campuses and their local economies. It’s the time when students are returning to college, and like every year, campuses across the United […] … learn more→

Trump isn’t cutting Pell Grants, after all − but other changes could complicate financial aid for some students

Trump isn’t cutting Pell Grants, after all − but other changes could complicate financial aid for some students

As an education researcher who has studied the economic returns of higher education, I know that college degrees remain cost-effective investments for most students. But college tuition has risen at roughly twice the rate of inflation during the past two decades, and federal student debt climbed 500% to US$1.6 trillion during that same period. The Biden administration sought to address this problem with plans that accelerated […] … learn more→

Title IX’s effectiveness in addressing campus sexual assault is at risk − a law professor explains why

Title IX’s effectiveness in addressing campus sexual assault is at risk − a law professor explains why

Most Americans assume that schools are legally required to protect students from sexual harassment and assault under Title IX – the federal law enacted in 1972 that bans sexual discrimination in education. I am a law professor and researcher who has spent more than a decade examining the disconnect between what Title IX promises on paper and what students […] … learn more→

Baccalaureate grading: why is it so difficult to find the right exam formula?

Baccalaureate grading: why is it so difficult to find the right exam formula?

Will the 2026 baccalaureate resemble the 2025 baccalaureate? The Ministry of National Education announced at the start of the school year its intention to adjust the current methods of continuous assessment, sparking new debates surrounding an exam that has been revised several times since 2018. But why is it so difficult in France to determine […] … learn more→

Our new study found AI is wreaking havoc on uni assessments. Here’s how we should respond

Our new study found AI is wreaking havoc on uni assessments. Here’s how we should respond

Artificial intelligence (AI) is wrecking havoc on university assessments and exams. Thanks to generative AI tools, such as ChatGPT, students can now generate essays and assessment answers in seconds. As we have noted in a study earlier this year, this has left universities scrambling to redesign tasks, update policies, and adopt new cheating detection systems. But the technology keeps […] … learn more→

Fewer international students are coming to the US, costing universities and communities that benefit from these visitors

Fewer international students are coming to the US, costing universities and communities that benefit from these visitors

American college campuses from Tucson to Tallahassee are buzzing with the familiar routine of students getting settled in classes and dorms. One new trend, though, is emerging. An estimated 30% to 40% fewer international students are expected on American college campuses in the fall of 2025, compared with trends in the 2024-2025 academic year, according to according […] … learn more→

What is criticality?

What is criticality?

This is a post for all the people just starting their doctoral programmes. And for those supporting them. Criticality in scholarship is the practice of approaching all knowledge claims, including your own, sceptically. It’s about developing “productive scepticism”. Productive scepticism isn’t cynicism that dismisses everything, but thoughtful inquiry that seeks to understand how knowledge is […] … learn more→

How universities can become neuro-inclusive — and what can help autistic students thrive

How universities can become neuro-inclusive — and what can help autistic students thrive

With the prevalence of autism increasing in recent years, more autistic people are attending college and university. (There are different ways to identify in the autistic community, with some people prefering to call themselves “autistic” rather than “a person with autism;” we’re taking the former approach). Recent data suggest one in 50 Canadian children and adolescents are diagnosed with autism. Autistic […] … learn more→