How UT-Austin Administrators Destroyed an Intellectual Diversity Initiative
"Universities no longer even maintain the pretense of dispassionate rational and free inquiry, focusing instead on a particularly toxic and frankly absurd form of 'social-justice' activism, increasingly even in the hard sciences. Why does this situation persist? Here, I can contribute to our understanding, having had a front-row seat to perhaps the most spectacular failure of a higher-education reform effort in recent memory: the 'Liberty Institute' at the University of Texas at Austin." - The James G. Martin Center for Academic Renewal, 7/1/22
GW defends Thomas appointment amid calls for removal from law school
"George Washington University rejected calls to remove Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas from its law school faculty by students and others frustratedover the judge’s vote to overturn Roe v. Wade and his urging to reconsider other landmark civil rights cases. In a message to the campus this week, officials defended Thomas, who has lectured at the law school since 2011." - Washington Post, 7/1/22
Va. Community College System Board Pressured by Governor
"The board of the Virginia Community College System agreed Wednesday to add a representative of Governor Glenn Youngkin’s administration to the search committee for a new chancellor. The move came after Youngkin told board members to include his administration in the search process or resign, The Richmond Times-Dispatch reported. Youngkin has been pushing to be involved in the search for several months." - Inside Higher Ed, 7/1/22
Mills Becomes a Part of Northeastern
"Mills College officially becomes part of Northeastern University today. The merger was first announced last June, and it was opposed by some students and faculty at Mills. Current Mills students can graduate from Mills or transfer to Northeastern at no expense. Mills, historically a women’s college, will become 'gender inclusive.'" - Inside Higher Ed, 7/1/22
Repairing the Road for Returning Students
"To stabilize enrollment and ensure their long-term viability going forward, institutions of higher education must look beyond the declining pool of first-time, full-time learners and place their focus on the estimated 36 million students in the U.S. with some college credit but no degree. This is also a social and economic justice imperative at a time when an increasing number of new jobs require education or training beyond high school—yet individuals from racial and ethnic minority groups are disproportionately represented in low-wage career paths." - Inside Higher Ed, 7/1/22
Abortion Is a Higher-Ed Issue
"Let’s be clear: Abortion is a higher-ed issue. Most abortions in the U.S. are provided to women in their 20s, according to the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Women aged 20 to 24 accounted for 28 percent of abortions, while those aged 25 to 29 accounted for 29 percent. ... Abortion makes it possible for students to pursue, and complete, higher education. Research has shown that the 'most common reason' young people drop out of college is unplanned pregnancy." - Chronicle of Higher Education, 6/30/22
Montgomery Co. schools revise history curriculum in 4th, 5th grades
"Montgomery County Public Schools’ new social studies framework will expose fourth- and fifth-graders to more American history — particularly Black history — at a younger age. The new curriculum will incorporate anti-bias and anti-racist content and local history about Montgomery County, according to Tracy Oliver-Gary, the district’s social studies supervisor. It was presented to the county school board this week and received unanimous approval." - Washington Post, 6/30/22
Learning From Asian-American Success
"Americans can learn from Asian-American success. Parents should expect more, not less, from their children. Of course, such expectations can go too far. But they need not be overdone to improve academic achievement. Canceling honors classes, moving unprepared students ahead, and implying that Indian-American students should 'play small' is certainly not the answer. Life is not a zero-sum game. The successes of some should inspire others to do better, not fuel bitterness and envy." - City Journal, 6/30/22
Columbia U. Won’t Submit Data to ‘U.S. News’ Rankings After Professor Alleged False Information
"Columbia University will not submit data to U.S. News & World Report for the next edition of its college rankings, the provost announced on Thursday, citing an active institutional review prompted by allegations that the university had provided false data to the magazine. ... Michael Thaddeus, a professor of mathematics at Columbia, this year accused the university of submitting inaccurate information to U.S. News." - Chronicle of Higher Education, 6/30/22
Culture wars cover up economic realities on campus
"'Culture' is often the reason given for campus conflicts over issues such as free speech. But they aren’t really cultural issues; they’re economic ones. As the bad economic news keeps rolling in for U.S. colleges and universities (from the Big Quit and inflationary pressures to the demographic cliff), it’s important to keep in mind that economic realities, not cultural ones, largely underpin volatile campus political dynamics." - The Hill, 6/30/22
