By Russell Jacoby. Did you know that since 1985 errant golf balls have killed eight people? "Sometimes death was sudden; sometimes it came after several days." Most deaths come from strikes on the head, usually the temporal area of the skull. "In at least one case the ball caromed off a tree before striking the victim." Of course, few errant golf balls hit, much less kill, anyone. In fact, some 300 million golf balls go astray each year in the United States. No one knows the ecological consequences. More...27 avril 2015
The Object as Subject
By Russell Jacoby. Did you know that since 1985 errant golf balls have killed eight people? "Sometimes death was sudden; sometimes it came after several days." Most deaths come from strikes on the head, usually the temporal area of the skull. "In at least one case the ball caromed off a tree before striking the victim." Of course, few errant golf balls hit, much less kill, anyone. In fact, some 300 million golf balls go astray each year in the United States. No one knows the ecological consequences. More...Study Abroad Could Be So Much Better
By Stacie Nevadomski Berdan. The number of American students studying abroad is on the rise, and that is a very good thing. But more than just increasing the numbers, colleges would be well advised to take a hard look at their study-abroad programs to ensure that they are providing students with a quality international-study experience at an affordable price. Too many programs are unnecessarily expensive, and many of them don’t help students acquire the cross-cultural skills necessary for long-term career success across a broad spectrum of fields. More...The Celebrity Illusion - Why does America invest so much in the idea of fame?
By Timothy Caulfield. "Damn, I shouldn’t have slept so long" is my first thought when I see the size of the line, which is already the width of a boxcar and the length of an aircraft carrier. It is early in the morning and cold. Many of my line mates have blankets and a diminishing food supply. It is clear they have been here for a very long time. More...Helping Minority Ph.D.'s in STEM: Something's Working
By Lee Gardner. Earning a Ph.D. in a STEM field is meant to be challenging, but data has shown it can be especially so for minority students. While universities have had some success in diversifying their STEM graduate ranks in recent years, completion rates for Ph.D. candidates who are African-American, Latino, Native American, or Alaska Native have lagged behind those of their white, Asian-American, and foreign counterparts. More...The Catch in Arizona State’s Low-Cost Freshman Year Online: No Aid
By Jeffrey R. Young. When leaders of Arizona State University announced their unusual effort to let students complete their entire freshman year online at a sharply discounted rate, they took pains to distance the project from previous MOOCs, or massive open online courses. More...Even With Unions, Adjuncts Are Rarely Protected From Last-Minute Job Losses
By Peter Schmidt. The movement to unionize adjunct instructors has yet to protect most of them from taking big financial hits from last-minute class cancellations, according to new study based on an analysis of contract provisions. More...Faculty Salaries Are Up Slightly but Still Recovering From the Recession's Effects
By Peter Schmidt. Faculty salaries rose faster than inflation last year but failed to regain all of the ground lost after the most recent recession, according to an annual report on faculty pay released this week by the American Association of University Professors. More...A Rare Look at What Makes Student Trustees Effective
By Peter Schmidt. Most colleges’ boards of trustees reserve at least one seat for a student representative, but the young people who hold such positions vary widely in terms of how they weigh in on board decisions. Some student trustees speak out eloquently and often on board matters, freely expressing dissent if they think their fellow trustees are poised to trample students’ interests. More...Carnegie Corporation Makes a $6-Million Statement of Faith in the Humanities
By Casey Fabris. A new fellowship program dedicated to supporting the humanities and social sciences will give scholars in those disciplines a major financial boost and time to explore some of the most complex issues in society today. More...
