“What Have They Done to My Song, Ma”: Bob Dylan, the Nobel Prize and the Meaning of Literature
BY AARON BARLOW
Global Survey of Academic Freedom Issues in 2015 [Post 12 of Series]
POSTED BY MARTIN KICH I have somewhat lost track of this series and two other series of posts and will try to complete them before the end of this year and the beginning of the new year makes them less relevant. The United Kingdom: Scotland Legislation that would overhaul higher education provoked immediate and enduring…
At Some Point, Irony and Hypocrisy Become Indistinguishable
POSTED BY MARTIN KICH The following is from the Daily Kos’s daily newsletter Elections Digest for Saturday, December 10; this edition of the newsletter is subtitled “Voting Rights Roundup”: “Michigan: Without warning last week, Michigan Republicans began talking about introducing a strict voter ID law, and now the state House has passed the measure over Democratic opposition. Odds…
A Christmas Standard Reworked on the Eve of Trump
POSTED BY MARTIN KICH In a recent post, Hank Reichman provided a post-election playlist that did a great deal to mitigate my post-election despondency. That playlist could not have included this just released video of Fiona Apple singing a Christmas standard reworked for this particular holiday season: Whether you enjoy the song or not, Fiona…
"Campus" Is Not Quite What Nicholas Kristof Thinks It Is
BY AARON BARLOW When I read Nicholas Kristof’s “The Dangers of Echo Chambers on Campus” last night, I knew I would have to write in response. Drive-by commentary of this sort can’t be ignored by those of us who really are members of college communities. Fortunately for me, John K. Wilson posted even before I…
Safe Spaces for Conservatives: Why Being Called a Racist Is Not a Bias Incident
BY JOHN K. WILSON Nicholas Kristof in the New York Times today jumps up on his high horse to inform us all that the real problem in America today is not that a bigoted, lying, idiotic right-wing conspiracy nut will soon be president; no, the real problem is that liberals are outraged about it…
Nice Work If You Can Get It
POSTED BY HANK REICHMAN The following is excerpted from a story in Pensions and Investments online and reposted on the blog of the UCLA Faculty Association under the above title. University of California gives CIO $841,000 bonus despite year of negative returns By Randy Diamond | December 9, 2016 The University of California Regents approved…
Charles Reed, Assessment, and "The Great Mistake"
BY HANK REICHMAN Charles Reed, former head of the now-dismantled Florida state university system and for sixteen years (1996-2012) Chancellor of the twenty-three-campus California State University (CSU), died this week at the age of 75. Known to friend and foe alike as just “Charlie,” Reed was a highly controversial leader whose brusque, even bullying style…
Californians See College Affordability, Not Quality as Big Problem
BY HANK REICHMAN Most Californians believe the overall affordability of the state’s public colleges and universities is a big problem, while few say the same about the quality of education. These are among the key findings of a survey of public opinion on the state’s public higher education system released December 8 by the Public…
Growing gap between flagship state universities & public colleges
BY BRIAN C. MITCHELL Writing in the New York Times last month, Laura Pappano offered a thoughtful analysis of the efforts by public colleges – principally public flagship universities – to find new sources of revenue, diversify their student bodies, and expand their national reputations. It’s an interesting trend that should be watched closely. America’s…