BY RACHEL IDA BUFF Politically progressive faculty at Kingsborough Community College, CUNY, have begun organizing more actively at their workplace. Most recently, a number of them have come together to run a slate in the upcoming campus union chapter elections, setting forth a vision of building a vibrant chapter grounded in rank-and-file activism. As these…
BY DAVE NALBONE Recently, Purdue University Global (PUG) announced that it would abide by federal laws prohibiting the use of forced arbitration to resolve disputes by its students, which until then had been a requirement of its students in order to enroll. This predatory practice dated to PUG’s former iteration, the for-profit and predatory Kaplan…
BY BRIAN C. MITCHELL Last month, the Council of Graduate Schools (CGS) reported that international graduate enrollment and applications at U.S. institutions have declined for the second year in a row. As Lily Jackson reported in the Chronicle of Higher Education, “In the fall of 2018, the final application count for prospective international graduate students…
BY JANE HARTY There is evidence that teaching in higher education can lead to long-term health issues brought on by stress, especially for non-tenure-track (NTT) faculty. Although the achievement of tenure can mitigate long-term stress, it certainly is not eliminated for those tenured faculty who are targeted for dismissal for one reason or another. An…
POSTED BY JOHN K. WILSON Last week University of Chicago president Robert Zimmer wrote a letter, later posted online, to the University of Chicago community about President Trump’s proposed executive action addressing free speech issues on college and university campuses. To: Members of the University Community From: Robert J. Zimmer Subject: Federal Action Regarding Free…
BY BRIAN C. MITCHELL If you live in New England, you’ve likely heard a great deal about the imminent demise of small private colleges. Just this week, Southern Vermont College announced it would close. Boston Magazine led with a cover story headline last month: “The End? Boston’s Small Colleges are Expensive, In Debt, and on…
BY HANK REICHMAN On February 27, the Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Gazette, published an article, “Iowa universities face rising mental health needs.” In that article, which reports a significant increase in the number of students seeking mental health assistance at the University of Iowa, Iowa State University and the University of Northern Iowa, we read the…
BY IRENE MULVEY An AAUP investigation released today finds that the governing board of the Maricopa Community Colleges was motivated by a desire to bust the faculty union when it decided in February 2018 to repeal the entire faculty manual, restrict the faculty’s participation in institutional decision making, and terminate a “meet-and-confer” process. That process…
BY MARIAH QUINN The AAUP and eleven other groups issued a statement after President Trump announced in a March 2 speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference that he would soon issue an executive order denying federal research funds to colleges and universities that do not “support free speech.” Read the full statement. President Trump’s…
BY AARON BARLOW The traditional classroom is an admittedly questionable structure. It limits learning by confining bodies of knowledge within four walls, scuffed floor and ceiling generally too low. It also keeps things out, particularly a world that should have an impact on every type of learning. It reinforces hierarchy: no matter that teachers try…