Students are bombarded with an array of competing opportunities during college, all with the promise that each will lead to a better job or higher earnings upon entering the “real world.” One such option is the double major, in which a student earns two bachelor degrees at once, sometimes in entirely different disciplines. But will […] … learn more→
Blog Archives
Does it pay to get a double major in college?
Claremont College: New program excludes whites
It’s so funny how often official policy is ignored; in particular, every campus I’ve been on has had policy regarding equality, that everything is open to everyone without concern for ethnicity, gender, orientation, or anything else. Despite such policy, I’ve seen faculty and administration chosen based on race and gender, and I’ve seen faculty […] … learn more→
We’re suing the federal government to be free to do our research
Many apps and algorithms that feature prominently in our lives are, essentially, black boxes: We have no idea how they accomplish what they do; we just know they work. Or at least we think we do. Most recently this became apparent when The New York Times revealed that Uber used a system it called “greyballing” […] … learn more→
Teaching-only roles could mark the end of your academic career
Teaching academic (TA) roles in Australian universities have risen three fold over the past decade, making up around 5% of the academic workforce – and further roll outs are expected. But new research suggests that these roles can be a negative career move for academics. TA roles feature university teaching as the primary or only […] … learn more→
Poo Bah’s home for sale
It really is interesting how the other half lives, particularly when it comes to the Poo Bahs who rule over our institutions. Their lives are just so…different. I worry about losing my job, because that would be a major problem for me. I want to move closer to my university, but it’s a major risk: […] … learn more→
Surviving (and maybe even thriving) as a career contract researcher
I’m what you might call a career contract researcher. This wasn’t what I always envisaged from my academic career, but at the same time, it is the product of active choices on my part, where, at least some of the time, alternative options did and do still exist. I’ve been a jobbing researcher since I […] … learn more→
25% of College students on (legal) drugs
“Are you on drugs?” –common response to an individual exhibiting strange behavior. It seems a fair question to ask most students on campus today. Every day we get to see another example of insanity on campus, and while I usually blame it on the student loan scam, another explanation comes to mind: More than 25 […] … learn more→
Higher Education could benefit from Its own climate change
Higher education is misunderstood and struggling financially, but the majority of college and university presidents are increasingly confident that their institutions are financially stable. These seemingly contradictions were found in Inside Higher Education’s annual survey of 706 campus leaders. Let’s set aside the obvious political concerns among presidents about the Trump Administration or the selection […] … learn more→
Grammar schools debate: four key questions answered
Few subjects generate as much controversy in England as grammar schools do. Advocates uphold them as “a driver of social mobility” with the belief they can provide a ladder of opportunity for poor but able children. Critics on the other hand, see them as socially divisive; the remnants of an outdated system that disproportionately benefits […] … learn more→
Making poetry their own: The evolution of poetry education
The American poet William Stafford was often asked by friends, readers, students and colleagues: When did you become a poet? The response he regularly offered was: “The question isn’t when I became a poet; the question is when other people stopped.” Stafford was articulating what many poets believe: that the roots of poetry (rhythm, form, […] … learn more→
