By Philip Altbach and Liz Reisberg. Recent student demands to rename and retract names of courses, academic programs and research centers, to include “triggers” in course syllabi, as well as to cancel speakers deemed offensive to specific university campus constituents have already received much attention in the media. Read more...
By Tijan Ramahi. At the beginning of the “Arab Spring“ many were optimistic that this might bring about the long awaited meritocracy to Arab societies and position the young and (especially women) so that they could exert influence. With the exception of Tunisia that, despite continuing assaults on civilians, is celebrated as a somewhat successful example of the so-called revolution, most Arab countries not only retain their rigid structures of oppression but the grip has tightened. Read more...
By Hans de Wit. Nearly one million (974,926 to be exact) international students are now studying in the US, an increase of 10% over last year, and 304.467 American students are going abroad for academic credit, an increase of 5.2%. Remarkable figures were presented by the Institute of International Education in its annual Open Doors survey over 2014-2015. Read more...
By Yves Salomon-Fernandez. Six years ago when I came to our college, the relationship between the three unions on campus and the administration was fractured, to say the least. Members of the union often took to the press to air their concerns and grievances. There was little trust among the faculty, staff, and the executive team. More...
By University of Venus. Reasons to be thankful (read while humming Reasons to be Cheerful, Part 3):
Gwendolyn Beetham (New Brunswick, NJ, USA): I am thankful for the relative safety and security of my current circumstances. More...
By UD. Revelation of gender segregation at public events in British universities should make Americans that much more vigilant about threats to equality in their own universities. We are not yet where the British are - we do not yet have official university bodies counseling gender apartheid - but we could certainly get there. Read more...
By Oronte. Jodee Stanley is Editor of Ninth Letter at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, and Director of the Creative Writing Program. She has worked in literary publishing for more than twenty years and has been a speaker and panelist at various conferences and festivals, including Bread Loaf, AWP, MLA, and the Kenyon Review Literary Festival. Read more...
By Oronte. There are many soft little things in Louisiana, for such a hard place. Snails, anoles, geckoes, skinks, salamanders, leopard frogs, those other frogs that might be toads -- all risk being stepped on, cut apart by the very shells meant to protect them, smashed in door jambs, run over by car tires. Within hours they’re beautifully jerkied on the concrete under the sun, colors vivid, eyes calm, looking only as if they feel a little flat. Read more...
By Eric Stoller. Sometimes there are just too many stories to critique, share, and embed... Here's what I've been reading/watching:
Free Tuition Is Not the Answer
In an opinion piece for the New York Times that's surely meant to ensure the survival of a really expensive higher education institution, Vassar College's president makes the case against free tuition for all. Read more...
By Eric Stoller. Seven years ago, I used a hashtag on Twitter for the first time. One year later, I would participate in a synchronous hashtag conversation. Fast forward to 2015 and hashtags on Twitter are ubiquitous...useful for linked conversations and social curation/sharing. Read more...
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