As students return to universities across Canada and the United States this month, the safety of female students is a major concern. Sexual violence occurs on all campuses and can no longer be ignored. It’s now widely recognized that universities and governments need to invest deeply in prevention. The province of Quebec, for example, recently […] … learn more→
Blog Archives
Rape at universities: One program is proven to reduce it
How to be an academic?
I have a new book out! If you follow me on any of my social media channels, you probably know this already, but I thought I would tell you again anyway because I’m excited about it The book is called “How to be an Academic” is essentially a compilation of writing I have done over […] … learn more→
Choosing a conference
I’ve recently been asked how new PhDers ought to go about choosing academic conferences. Here goes… Because conferences are discipline specific, you really do need to talk with your supervisor and your peers about which are the best conferences to go to. Cop out? OK. Got me. I’ll try to do better. I actually have […] … learn more→
Universities must act now on sustainability goals
In an unpredictable and insecure global political scene, the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are intended to tackle pressing global challenges. Agreed on by all participating countries, including Australia, the SDGs set 17 goals and 169 targets to promote economic prosperity, social inclusion and environmental sustainability. The goals cover a wide range of complex […] … learn more→
College graduate IQ in freefall
One of the weird things about higher education is how the smart people are fleeing it. Now, that’s at the grad school level, and I noticed it seemed to start just about the time I was done with graduate school: my most talented friends were getting their Ph.D.s, seeing what higher education had to offer, […] … learn more→
Education isn’t a commodity for labor
When it comes to current debates in politics and policy, even a strident defense of the liberal arts – such as George Anders’s “You Can Do Anything: The Surprising Power of a ‘Useless’ Liberal Arts Education” or Randall Stross’s “A Practical Education: Why Liberal Arts Majors Make Great Employees” – tends to accept that gainful […] … learn more→
Claremont College suspends rioters!
Across the country, our students have been trained to believe that it’s fine to use violence to prevent someone from speaking. While years ago, a riot to prevent a speaker was major news, now they’re so common that even local newspapers hardly consider it worth covering. The reason we have these riots is our schools […] … learn more→
Working with literatures? take a hands on hips stance
Hand on hips. That’s the stance to take with literatures work. Hands on hips is a metaphor. Think about times when you have put your hands on your hips, stood back and looked at something. Your gaze is not neutral and neither is your thinking. You are summing up. What does this thing in front […] … learn more→
Bland peer review needs a pinch of salt
Research funding agencies face a daunting task when deciding which proposed research project to fund. It takes a great deal of expertise to distinguish between what investor Warren Buffett once called the “three I’s”: innovators, imitators and idiots. The anonymous peer review system that has emerged as the universal and unquestioned tool for assessing research […] … learn more→
How well do students perform when retaking courses?
Ah, September is almost here. A new school year beckons, with new courses, new books and new students. Except … some of the students are not new. They are retaking courses they had previously failed, or barely passed. They may be doing that to boost their marks, qualify for advanced courses, maintain scholarships or just […] … learn more→
