Ohio Conference of AAUP Produces Higher Ed Report

The Ohio Conference AAUP has produced an “Ohio Higher Education Report” entitled The Real Problems Deserve Real Solutions. The purpose of the report is to influence public policy around higher education issues, especially in light of HB 64, the state budget bill, as well as Gov. Kasich’s Task Force on Affordability and Efficiency. It is also a response…

This Is a Joke Only in the Existential Sense

That is, this is a joke only in the sense that “this is how the world ends” might provoke laughter as the last defense against the overwhelming sense of the absurdity of existence in the face of its end. What follows is the daily column written by Joseph (Yussef) Farrah for World Net Daily, a…

Ohio Conference President Provides Senate Testimony on the Decline in State Support, Administrate Bloat, the Cost of Intercollegiate Athletics, and Faculty Workload

Testimony of John T. McNay, Ph.D., President Ohio Conference of the American Association of University Professors, Before the Ohio Senate Finance Committee, Senator Scott Oelslager, Chair, March 3, 2015   Chairman Oelslager, Ranking Member Skindell, and distinguished members of the Finance Committee: my name is John McNay and I am President of the Ohio Conference…

Why Transfer Agreements Don’t Work in Higher Education

There is something to be said for how the selection process works in American higher education. Within a decentralized system offering both public and private opportunities, there are various levels of selectivity, sticker prices, and public subsidies both to students and institutions – in principle, something for everyone. Some opportunities start with bold ideas, like…

In Delaware, Dramatically Different Conceptions of the Current State and the Future Prospects of Higher Education

Earlier this month, Dr. Patrick T. Harker, President of the University of Delaware, wrote an op-ed in the Philadelphia Inquirer expressing his views of the American university and the faculty of the University of Delaware. His op-ed is available at: http://www.philly.com/philly/opinion/inquirer/20150205_Universities_must_adapt_to_meet_student_needs.html After an open meeting of the membership of the University of Delaware chapter of AAUP,…

AAUP Statement on the Proposed Closure of the University of North Carolina Law School Poverty Center

The following statement was issued today, February 24,  by the American Association of University Professors.  A media release may be found here.  This statement from the national office of the American Association of University Professors is sent on behalf of the local AAUP chapters at University of North Carolina institutions and the statewide North Carolina…

In Praise of Scott Walker—An Annotated Response to a Wall Street Journal News Story

Colleges are usually at the forefront of radical politics [The word “radical” suggests extreme and abrupt change driven by ideological rather than practical concerns. These days there is much more political radicalism on the Far Right than anywhere on the Left], but when it comes to their own privileges they become feudal empires [Loaded language…

The Numbers Support Patricia Arquette, Not Her Critics (And They Indicate a Truth about “Right to Work” as Well)

Patricia Arquette is being slammed from both the Left and the Right for her comments during and after her acceptance speech for the Academy Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role. From the Left, the criticism has come largely from other disadvantaged groups who feel that her focus was too narrowly on women’s issues,…