The following excerpts from an Associated Press news story on the website of the ABC channel WLS-TV in Chicago provides on update on the longer term impact of the ongoing state budget battle in Illinois: “High school seniors’ unease over the lack of state funding for Illinois universities is contributing to a drop in applications…
Testimony of Stephen Mockabee, Ph.D. Ohio Conference of the American Association of University Professors before the House Finance Higher Education Subcommittee Representative Mike Duffey, Chair May 19, 2016 Chairman Duffey, Ranking Member Ramos, and distinguished members of the House Finance Higher Education Subcommittee: My name is Steve Mockabee, and I am an Associate…
What follows is the text of a letter sent by Margaret Spellings, president of the University of North Carolina, to the Justice Department, making the case that the university–and, by extension all public colleges and universities in the state–have been placed in a very difficult situation by the Department of Justice’s suit on transgender rights and the…
Like others who post to this blog, I am generally not in favor of academic boycotts. But I don’t have the same reservations about economic boycotts. But, ultimately, my different attitudes toward the two types of boycotts may amount to a distinction without a real difference because I would not try to eliminate anyone else’s…
On the editorial page of the May 15 edition the Toledo Blade, the editor criticizes the plans to reform higher education in Ohio, asserting in the headline: “This Is No Reform: Gov. John Kasich Is Only Making a Less Valuable Degree Accessible. What Kind Of Bargain Is That?” Here are the opening paragraphs that establish the context:…
Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch Delivers Remarks at Press Conference Announcing Complaint against the State of North Carolina to Stop Discrimination against Transgender Individuals Monday, May 9, 2016 Good afternoon and thank you all for being here. Today, I’m joined by [Vanita] Gupta, head of the Civil Rights Division at the Department of…
These are the opening paragraphs of an article that has been published by The Trace. The article, written by Olivia Li, is titled “Thomas Jefferson and James Madison Didn’t Want Guns on Their College Campuses”: “Governor Nathan Deal rejected a bill on Tuesday that would have allowed eligible students in Georgia to carry concealed weapons…
Today is National Teacher Appreciation Day and this week is National Teacher Appreciation Week. In my previous post, I provided the statement made by John King, Secretary of Education, to mark the day and week. But, in a demonstration of not just persistent tone deafness but political obstinacy that is one of the most baffling…
These are the opening paragraphs from a report by WLS—ABC, Channel 7, in Chicago: “Chicago State University laid off more than 300 people due to lack of funding during the ongoing state budget impasse. The layoffs were announced Friday [April 29] and effective immediately. “The school has been struggling with budget issues for months. Just…
On Monday, April 25, Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner signed legislation providing $600 million for the state’s public universities and community colleges, funding that may help to keep the campuses open through the summer while the budget battle between the Republican governor and Democratic legislature continues. Rauner released a statement suggesting that the bill “doesn’t solve…