By Ursula Lindsey. The week after President Obama announced a stepped-up military campaign against jihadists in Iraq and Syria, the online magazine Jadaliyya responded. An essay by the Lebanese historian Fawwaz Traboulsi argued that the so-called Islamic State was born of the United States’ 2003 war on Iraq, local despotism and the thwarted hopes of the 2011 Arab uprisings. Jadaliyya’s editors were also busy in September publishing regular updates and letters of support for Steven G. Salaita, whose job offer from the University of Illinois had been rescinded over his tweets criticizing Israel. More...

By Karin Fischer. A year ago, Wellesley College found itself embroiled in a debate about academic freedom in China.
Led by Thomas Cushman, a sociology professor at the college, a group of faculty members rallied support for a Peking University professor who said he was under fire for his political views. Mr. Cushman and others argued that the case raised questions about Wellesley’s work in China and challenged the administration to reconsider a nascent partnership with the university. More...

By Alice Gomstyn. When professionals in suits and ties descend on college campuses, it's often for career fairs or other recruiting events. For the nattily dressed John DiGiovanni, the idea of sizing up fresh talent wasn't far from his mind — but the Wayne native, a salesman for the global clothier Tom James, had a more immediate reason for coming to William Paterson University on a recent sunny autumn day. See more...

By Matt Rocheleau. A group of leading education officials and organizations in Massachusetts will unveil a new push Wednesday to improve local college graduation rates.
The College Success Campaign boasts nearly three dozen collaborators — a mix of executives, administrators, and teachers from public, private, and charter K-12 schools, colleges, businesses, nonprofits, and community organizations from across the state — and is seeking to recruit others. More...

Despite a rise in high school graduation rates, college enrollment is dropping from its 2011 peak, leaving many small colleges scrambling.  Here in Virginia, enrollment has largely been steady, but two small colleges closed in the last two years, and others have sounded the alarm on declining enrollment or missed targeted growth.  Every struggling college certainly has its own history and unique problems.  But larger trends always pick off stragglers.  In Warren Buffet’s words, “when the tide goes out, you find out who’s been swimming naked.”  And the tide appears to be going out.  A rash of articles has addressed the subject, with some of the leading culprits being the improved economy and job prospects for those without degrees. More...

By Brandon Busteed. A few months after Gallup released findings from the largest representative study of U.S. college graduates, there is much to ponder. The Gallup-Purdue Index surveyed more than 30,000 graduates to find out whether they are engaged in their work and thriving in their overall well-being. In simple terms, did they end up with great jobs and great lives?
We learned some stunning things. But one of the most important is that where you went to college matters less to your work life and well-being after graduation than how you went to college. More...

By Christopher Denhart. Following Wednesday’s decision to overturn tuition and fees in Lower Saxony, Germany, all universities will now be tuition free.  According to The Times, Europe, Germany will now be 100% free of charge to students, national and international, as political figures call tuition fees “socially unjust.” More...