Academics are always worried about having their ideas ‘stolen’. This deep cultural anxiety affects PhD students more than almost any other member of the community. There’s a good reason why PhD students should be anxious about protecting their ideas – examination. A PhD is meant to be a signal that you’re fit to be a […] … learn more→
Blog Archives
How to stop your ideas from being ‘stolen’
Academic freedom can’t be separated from responsibility
Academic freedom has become a polarizing topic. Recent issues at the University of Ottawa expose ongoing challenges of balancing academic freedom with university community members’ rights to respectful and safe classroom and campus spaces. In October 2021, the university’s Committee on Academic Freedom issued a report that examined academic freedom, freedom of expression, equity, diversity and inclusion — […] … learn more→
What’s a post PhD research plan, or research agenda?
You’ve passed the PhD. You’re past the PhD. Congratulations. And I hope that you’ve taken some time to celebrate and that you’ve got over– or are dealing with – the post PhD slump. You’re now applying for jobs and post-doctoral positions. And you notice that these teaching or a post-doc positions (inside and outside of […] … learn more→
Grading students may be as easy as ABC, but evidence shows better ways to improve learning
Swinburne University recently announced it will remove grades from core aspects of its design degree. Instead it will focus on learning design processes and feedback throughout the semester. The “ungrading” movement, led by author Jesse Stommel, is gaining momentum internationally. A growing number of teachers are abolishing grading scales and negotiating more meaningful ways of judging individual pieces […] … learn more→
Student loans: would a graduate tax be a better option?
The UK government has announced plans to change the system of student loans in England, which will increase the amount of repayments collected from future graduates. In 2017, the Institute for Fiscal Studies expected only 55% of the government’s up-front spending on fees and maintenance loans to be repaid, with the rest to be contributed by taxpayers. […] … learn more→
The press in high school: the story of a practical education in the news
The week of the press at school organized each year makes it possible to make pupils aware of reading newspapers, to hear journalists talk about their profession and to understand the interest of a pluralist press. It is also an opportunity to discover the productions of the pupils and the media that they develop in […] … learn more→
Tackling writer’s block
It’s pretty common for writers to get stuck with their writing. Most people of course find a solution of some kind. Eventually. Sometimes the stuckness goes away, apparently by itself. But sometimes the writer finds something else to work on. Sometimes they go for a walk. Sometimes they switch activity. I try to follow the […] … learn more→
Sexual assault and harassment on campus: universities haven’t made reporting easy. They need effective regulation
A report commissioned by Universities Australia released on Wednesday found one in 20 (4.5%) students had been sexually assaulted since starting at university. The National Student Safety Survey report also found one in two students (48%) had experienced sexual harassment at least once in their lifetime. One in six (16%) had been sexually harassed since starting their […] … learn more→
1 in 3 uni students have been sexually assaulted in their lifetime. They demand action on their vision of a safer society
One in three university students (30.6%) have experienced sexual assault at least once in their lifetime. This is one finding from the 2021 National Student Safety Survey (NSSS) report, released today. The survey responses from 43,819 students enrolled in 38 Australian universities, as well as written responses from 1,835 current and former students, demonstrate the extent […] … learn more→
Colleges routinely fail to ask about new hires’ history of sexual harassment
When three graduate students sued Harvard University in early 2022 for sexual harassment by a tenured professor, they claimed the school hired the professor despite knowing that he allegedly harassed students at the last school where he worked. The students also claim Harvard ignored the professor’s sexual harassment of students at Harvard, including one of the individuals who sued. […] … learn more→
