By Joshua Kim. When do you find the time and energy to read books? By Joshua Kim. Many of us have been closely following the 2U Semester Online story. The fact that the 2U and its partners have chosen not to continue the Semester Online program should not obscure the larger story about the growth of not-for-profit / for-profit partnerships in developing online learning programs. These partnerships will continue to grow, as more schools become comfortable with the idea of bringing in a for-profit partner to develop academic programs, and as the for-profit online course development industry continues to consolidate and mature. Read more...
By Erin Bedford and Kelly Hanson. This post began as a glimmer of hope, and perhaps a little delusion. When those of us in the humanities look at the narratives about academia flooding the internet--there are no jobs, adjunctification, offers pulled, funding cut, and so on--we sometimes get thinking that those in the sciences tend to have it better. More consistent funding. Easier publishing opportunities. Jobs at the end of the tunnel. Read more...
By Laura B. McGrath. A few weeks ago, I asked complete strangers to write on me with markers. I had no idea what they would write, or if they would write anything at all. But write on me they did: on my arms, back, and shoulders, they wrote a collective poem, and then I made that poem dance, twirl, and do push-ups. It was a powerful experience, for me and for the poet-strangers. Read more...
By Barbara Fister. I’ve just been noodling around ideas about libraries drawn from my very limited knowledge of the digital humanities and find myself bumping up against the issue of “impact.” 
By Laura Tropp. Every year, around the end of the semester/ school year, my husband and I enter what we call “crisis-mode.” This is the time of the year when we have to read semester-long papers, wind down our grading, finish up advising the stragglers, and hurriedly write those administrative reports coming due. Like a perfect storm, it’s also the time when weekends are taken up by activities such as weddings, showers, school shows, and outdoor events. Read more...By Rosemarie Emanuele. One of the first topics studied in a Principles of Economics course involves the shifting of curves. Downward sloping demand curves (price and quantity values at which consumers are willing to purchase goods) and upward sloping supply curves (combinations of price and quantity at which suppliers are willing to offer goods) are united in an equilibrium where there is no pressure for the price to change. These relationships are often presented as straight lines that shift up and down or back and forth. Read more...By Susan O'Doherty. Last semester, I took a musical improv "master class," in which I felt distinctly outclassed. Most of my fellow students were very experienced improvisers and/or professional musicians, and all were more confident and quicker than I was. They were also funny and nice, and even though I worried about bringing down the quality of our scenes, I learned a lot and had a wonderful time. Read more...
By Herman Berliner. It’s that time of year. We are all getting ready for commencement and we are all trying to do whatever tweaking will make the commencement more of a special moment for our students/graduates. A few years ago, we moved all our May commencements indoors for the first time in my memory. Of course, also part of my memories are the outdoor commencements where it rained or, even worse, there was thunder and lightning, and the outdoor commencements where winter made a reprise in May, or August arrived early instead. Read more...
By Darren L. Linvill. Since its political revolution in 2011, Libya has faced ongoing internal conflicts, and the future of this new democracy continues to be filled with doubt. Libya’s current central government struggles for legitimacy and lacks real power. Heavily armed militias, bands of former rebels, regularly defy the government and threaten Libyan oil exports, the country’s primary source of revenue. Read more.../https%3A%2F%2Fprofilepics.canalblog.com%2Fprofilepics%2F1%2F0%2F1076071.jpg)
