By Steven Mintz. A recent article in The Atlantic asks a provocative but unsettling question: “Has College Gotten Too Easy?” Drawing on yet unpublished research by Jeff Denning, a Brigham Young economist, the article argues that recent modest increases in college graduation rates can’t be explained by college initiatives to promote student success or by high schools producing better-prepared graduates. More...
Optimizing the Course Schedule
By Steven Mintz. Why aren’t class schedules more like airline schedules? We expect airline schedules to respond to shifts in passengers’ demand and to make the most effective use of airplanes’ seats. More...
Enthused About UVA's New Approach to Gen Ed
By John Warner. If you’re curious or foolish, and perhaps a little brave, ask your students how many of their college classes they would gladly do away with. More...
A Hippocratic Oath for Algorithmic Intervention
By John Warner. Can we agree on a framework that respects each student as an individual and invests in a “first do no harm” ethos. More...
When People Say Students Should Do "More"
By John Warner. According to a National Geographic/Morning Consult poll, 77 percent of Americans think students should be taught “more” history. More...
Guest Post: 'The Years That Matter Most'
By John Warner. Akil Bello, someone uniquely positioned to observe the landscape of higher ed admissions, weighs in on a book lots of people are talking about. More...
Deadlines in the "Real World"
By John Warner. When I was teaching a full course load of 12 hours of writing-intensive classes (ranging between 60 and 130 students per semester) deadlines for student writing assignments were unbreakable. More...
Waking Some Slumbering Writing Muscles
By John Warner. I used to do something all the time, then I stopped. Thankfully, the writing muscles are there, waiting to be reactivated. More...
Writing Is Socializing
By John Warner. I have been reading Sarah Rose Cavanagh’s terrific new book, Hivemind: The New Science of Tribalism in Our Divided World, and it’s making me see writing in ways I’ve never considered before. More...
Revolution, Really?
The master’s tools might not dismantle the master’s house -- but what does it take to build a better one. More...