Disrupting Scholarly Publishing

In a recent article for the Australian journal The Conversation, Dana Ruggiero explains why the “Black Market In Academic Papers Is Spooking Publishers.” The title is actually somewhat misleading because scholarly papers are being shared without cost in ways that circumvent the corporations that have come to dominate the “market” in academic publishing. Ruggiero reports…

College of St. Rose Students and Faculty Unite (VIDEO)

On May 4, the AAUP released an investigating committee’s report on unilateral actions taken by the administration and board of the College of Saint Rose in New York to reduce or eliminate twenty-seven academic programs and thereby to terminate twenty-three tenured and tenure-track appointments. The report, available here, concludes that the cuts and layoffs, “the result…

Put out the word, across and down

BY CAPRICE LAWLESS Administration’s doublespeak and double-dealing can leave you with cross words so numerous you can hardly speak. At times the angst is overwhelming. When you reach a low ebb, dwell on that a few moments, and pay attention to how you feel. When your mind is so crowded with contradictions you can’t put…

Honoring (and Welcoming) Juan Gonzalez

BY HANK REICHMAN Last week two-time Polk award-winner Juan Gonzalez wrote his final column for the New York Daily News, where he worked for 29 years. A former national President and one of the founders of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists, Juan will continue as co-host of the popular independent global news show Democracy…

Asking Ellen to Stop Promoting U of Phoenix

Here is the text of a petition posted on MoveOn.org: “We’re big fans of Ellen DeGeneres and her fights for progressive values, which is why we couldn’t believe she’s partnering with the Apollo Group’s The University of Phoenix- one of the most notorious of the predatory “for-profit” colleges. “She announced her partnership in the “Rise…

Trump Bonds with “the Hispanics”

BY MARTIN KICH Preliminary notes for an explication: Trump apparently thinks that he can begin to mitigate, if not erase, the political damage caused by his characterizing Mexicans and rapists and murderers by simply posing for a photo while eating a taco bowl. Although food is a major element of all cultures, equivocating one’s enjoyment…

UnKoch George Mason?

BY HANK REICHMAN This blog has in the past posted several items concerning the efforts by the notorious conservative Charles Koch Foundation to influence curriculum and even hiring at institutions of higher education.  Early last month I had the privilege of participating in a panel discussion of the issue at the annual higher education conference…