Latest Articles

UCSD’s $10,000 Scholarship Only for the ‘Right’ Race

Editor’s Note: The following is an article originally published on the California Globe on August 4, 2025. With edits to match Minding the Campus’s style guidelines, it is crossposted here with permission. In 1871, over five years after the establishment of the Ku Klux Klan (KKK), Ohio Republican Congressman Samuel Shellabarger introduced the KKK Act as “An Act to […]

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A Year of Hostility—and Harvard Still Refuses to See It

The latest Harvard Crimson Faculty of Arts and Sciences survey should be read not as a snapshot of opinion, but as a damning portrait of moral failure. For the second year in a row, most respondents to the survey said they did not observe “systemic antisemitism” at Harvard. In the wake of a year of […]

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France’s Public Universities Face Funding Gap Despite Educating Majority of Students

Editor’s Note: The following article was originally published by the Observatory of University Ethics on June 30, 2025. The Observatory translated it into English from French. I have edited it, to the best of my ability, to align with Minding the Campus’s style guidelines. It is crossposted here with permission. France has nearly three million students enrolled […]

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Is Cracking Down on Political Protest at Graduation a Violation or a Necessity?

How far is too far at a university graduation? At my graduation from the University of Chicago Divinity School in May 2024, amidst a downpour of punishing proportions, pro-Palestinian students booed President Paul Alivisatos, engaged in call and response chants in the middle of speeches, and then, to my relief, walked out en masse. These […]

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Catholic Scholar Schools Universities on Faith, Facts, and Falsehoods

Editor’s Note: The following is an article originally published on the College Fix on August 6, 2025. With edits to match Minding the Campus’s style guidelines, it is crossposted here with permission. “Truth is accessible.” Though George Weigel said this at a Ukrainian university in 2013, it holds true today for universities across the United States. In “Pomp, […]

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Gen Z Workers Regret College—Lack of Career Prospects Has Them Turning to Side Hustles

According to a 2025 Gen Z Career Prospects Report, which surveyed 1,000 full-time Gen Z workers across the U.S., nearly 23 percent say they regret going to college, and another 19 percent say their degree hasn’t helped them in their career. A separate article published last month affirms the trend, noting that “for a growing […]

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Is the Campus Mental Health Crisis Rooted in Socialism?

The mental health crisis on college campuses is deepening—and increasingly, it tracks with students’ political affiliation. Multiple studies confirm that liberal students are far more likely than their conservative peers to report anxiety, depression, and psychological distress, and increasingly, to rely on prescription medication to cope. At the heart of this divide is a worldview […]

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Unpacking ROI—and the Myth of the ‘Unemployable’ Major

Are majors in the liberal arts unprofitable? Are degrees in the fine and performing arts a waste of time and resources? Is going to college for computer science now impractical due to rising unemployment rates? Should we all just become plumbers? Current and near-future college students face a great deal of stress. The gravity of […]

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Trump Talks Bigly on Common Core—But Still Hasn’t Killed It

They number among President Trump’s most dedicated supporters. For decades, they have fought the good fight—on their own time and on their own dime—against politicians and pundits enriched by billions of dollars from the federal government and some of the world’s wealthiest foundations. They endured steady streams of abuse and ridicule from some pundits, journalists, […]

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Baylor Said No to a $600,000 LGBTQ+ Grant—But Don’t Take It as a Sign That Christian Colleges Are Finally Acting Christian

Earlier this month, Baylor University announced that it had refused a grant worth over $600,000 to study the “inclusion” of the LGBTQ+ community in the church.  The Texas Baptist college had previously agreed to collaborate with the Baugh Foundation, a progressive Christian organization, on the “Courage from the Margins” project, which would conduct “research to […]

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Leftists Target Conservative Students at TPUSA Summit with Doxing and Bomb Threats

I recently traveled to Tampa, Florida, for Turning Point USA’s (TPUSA) 2025 Chapter Leadership Summit and Student Action Summit, representing Texas State University as the president of its TPUSA chapter. I went to grow in confidence, learn from seasoned conservative activists, and gain the tools to be a stronger advocate for conservative values on campus, […]

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If You Want to Be a Creative, Don’t Go to College 

Is college worth it for those who want to pursue creative careers? Not exactly. With rising tuition costs, the argument for such an investment is at best weak. Creative paths do not necessarily require institution-backed credentials or certifications. Those wanting to pursue creative careers might think of getting a degree in Art or Dance, for […]

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Helen Lewis’s Dumb Attack on Smart People

Atlantic writer Helen Lewis was recently interviewed by respected journalist Bari Weiss about her provocatively titled new book, The Genius Myth: A Curious History of a Dangerous Idea. The title is provocative because it contains two fallacies. First, she says, there is no such thing as exceptional talent. Second, argues that the very idea of […]

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California State University, Northridge Doubles Down on Racial Discrimination

In March 2025, the United Nations commemorated the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, with its Secretary-General António Guterres lambasting racism as a “poison” that “continues to infect our world.” Such grandstanding, aside from having the irony of showing the inefficacy of international racism-fighting work for the last six decades, serves as a […]

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Manhattan Institute Releases Statement Urging Defunding of ‘Woke’ Universities

Editor’s Note: The following is an article originally published on the College Fix on August 1, 2025. With edits to match Minding the Campus’s style guidelines, it is crossposted here with permission. A proposal by a high-profile conservative organization to fix higher education by enacting reforms at the federal level—basically withholding funding from misbehaving schools—is making the rounds […]

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While We Argued About Who Belongs in the Bathroom, We Forgot to Fix the Bathroom

Author’s Note: This article is from my weekly “Top of Mind” email, sent to subscribers every Thursday. For more content like this and to receive the full newsletter each week, enter your name and email under “SIGN UP FOR OUR WEEKLY NEWSLETTER, ‘TOP OF MIND,’” located on the right-hand side of the site. Liam Rappleye didn’t […]

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Everything I Was Told About Teaching Was BS

I flatter myself that I’m a pretty good teacher. I’ve been doing it for 40 years, so it stands to reason I’ve developed some skill. Ratings and comments from students tend to bear this out. They occasionally complain that I talk too much—probably true—or that I’m a “tough grader”—doubtful—but for the most part, my student […]

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The Conservative Hiring Fix Will Backfire—and Miss the Point Entirely

Is affirmative action based on political identity the solution to liberal bias in higher education? Most liberals tend not to think so, nor do those who identify themselves as center-right. What has prompted this rare moment of political alignment in higher education? The Trump administration has engaged in legal battles with a number of top […]

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NIH’s New Rules Try to Curb Tech Abuses but Miss the Structural Rot in Research Funding

The Trump War on Science™ delivered a new body blow. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) put out new guidance for researchers applying for grant funding. From September, proposals for new and ongoing research projects would be scrutinized for inordinate use of AI tools like ChatGPT in writing the proposals. Even worse, the NIH would […]

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De-Computing Is Not the Answer to Our AI Problem

Students using artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots to cheat is a real concern. Consider the new Cluely AI tool: With the help of Cluely AI, students can now Cheat on Everything—even live exams—without ever lifting a finger. A tiny Bluetooth earpiece stays hidden, while the student’s phone remains tucked away in a pocket or bag, quietly running […]

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‘Reading and Analyzing Are Not Essential,’ Says the College Board

American education has one job: to educate. And it’s flunking. Probably no one would dispute that.  From collapsing K–12 literacy rates to bloated, ideologically driven university curricula, the U.S. is producing a generation of poorly educated—often outright uneducated—citizens. Plenty of blame has rightly landed on K–12 schools and universities. But there’s another player quietly contributing […]

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A Shooting, a Hula Hoop, and the City We Live In

One of my staff members in Southern California emailed me last night to check whether our New York–based National Association of Scholars staff were safe after the horrific Midtown Manhattan shooting. Yes, I told him, we’re fine. Millions of us New Yorkers were physically unscathed by Shane D. Tamura’s rampage with a rifle, in which […]

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Japan’s Push for More International Students Faces Growing Scrutiny

The Japanese government aims to enhance the international competitiveness of its higher education system. Universities, junior colleges, and other professional schools are expected to be able to accept more international students starting next fiscal year. However, the topic of international students is becoming an increasingly contentious issue in Japan. Some of Japan’s non-competitive, for-profit universities […]

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FAMU Students and Alumni Revolt Over Their New President. Why? She’s a Republican.

On June 18, Marva Johnson, J.D., was confirmed by the Florida Board of Governors as Florida Agricultural & Mechanical University’s (FAMU) 13th president. Chosen to lead one of the nation’s premier Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Johnson has become the center of a heated debate following concerns about her qualifications, leadership, and connections to […]

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Letter to the Editor: The Real Threat to Grads Isn’t AI—It’s College

Editor’s Note: The following is a response to Jared Gould’s recent piece, “Welcome to the Unemployment Line, Graduate.” The author—a retired scientist and former recruiter for engineering and research roles in the U.S., Europe, and China—offers a critical perspective on the current higher education model and shares a more optimistic view of how young people […]

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What Should We Look for in a College President?

Editor’s Note: The following is an article originally published by RealClear Education on July 25, 2025. It is crossposted here with permission. College presidencies turn over quickly. The American Council on Education (ACE) says the average tenure is now less than six years, a decline from 2006, when the rascals hung around for nine years on average. I’m […]

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Declining Patriotism Signals a Civic Education Crisis—But Reform Is Possible

A striking new Gallup poll reveals a sobering truth: just 58 percent of Americans describe themselves as “extremely” or “very” proud to be American—the lowest level since the question was first posed in 2001. The decline is sharpest among two groups long seen as pillars of our civic and cultural institutions: young Americans and Democrats. […]

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A New ‘Anti-Semitism Scale’ Reveals the Perils of Politicized Social Science

Should we measure and scale anti-Semitism? Do we really need to know whether Harvard is the most anti-Semitic college in the United States or whether Egypt ranks number one in the Middle East—or is it Jordan? ­Anyone can see that those places are steeped in Jew-hatred, regardless of who “wins” the competition. The Netherlands records […]

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In Memoriam: Marilyn Penn

Editor’s Note: The following is an article originally published by the National Association of Scholars on July 25, 2025. It is crossposted here with permission. Marilyn Penn, wife of attorney, art collector, and eclectic investor Arthur Penn, passed away on July 20, at age 84. Marilyn was an important figure in the history of the National Association of Scholars […]

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A Settlement Won’t Fix Columbia’s Anti-Semitism Problem

Columbia University’s recent civil rights settlement with the federal government is a watershed moment—but not for the reasons its defenders suggest. It marks the first time in recent memory that an Ivy League institution has been held accountable for allowing open hostility toward Jewish students and faculty. The fact that it took federal intervention—not moral […]

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