John William Pope Center Guest Editorial
The university system in the United States has accomplished a great deal of good, but we believe that higher education in the United States, including North Carolina, has strayed from its chief goals of scholarly inquiry and responsible teaching.
All too often, universities allow teaching to become shallow and trendy, failing to challenge students intellectually and disparaging traditional principles of justice, ethics, and liberal education. Students know little about the history of their country or the institutions that led to this nation’s prosperity and liberty. Students can get by without taking rigorous courses, and non-academic activities overshadow scholarship. As a result, many college graduates have poor skills in computation, communication, and logical analysis. Faculty are allowed excessive latitude in what they teach and often get away with little teaching at all, because research is emphasized. Taxpayers as well as students and their families pay hefty prices to support a system that often appears to provide little educational value.
To address these and other problems, the Pope Center conducts studies in areas such as governance, curriculum, financing, access, accountability, faculty research, and administrative policies. We explore ways to increase the accountability of trustees, administrators, faculty, and students. And we engage in the broader dialogue about how to improve higher education around the nation.
In these endeavors, we are motivated by the principles that have traditionally guided public policy in the United States: limits on government; freedom to pursue goals through voluntary means, both for-profit and nonprofit; accountability through private property rights; and the belief that competition is an excellent regulating force.
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Four presidents of North Carolina community colleges took the rest of the community college system by surprise last week. Three of them appeared before the legislature's House Study Committee on Education Innovation to ask for a legislative study about adding four-year bachelor's degrees to their...
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Four presidents of North Carolina community colleges took the rest of the community college system by surprise last week. Three of them appeared before the legislature's House Study Committee on Education Innovation to ask for a legislative study about adding four-year bachelor's degrees to their...
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I chose to return to school at the age of thirty-eight. I had been working on the floor for a large manufacturing company when lay-offs began there in late 2008 and I took a small buyout in early 2009 to avoid what was more than likely the ax next.
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I chose to return to school at the age of thirty-eight. I had been working on the floor for a large manufacturing company when lay-offs began there in late 2008 and I took a small buyout in early 2009 to avoid what was more than likely the ax next.
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Sometimes a book is useful in ways that its author did not intend. That's the case with Why Higher Education Should Have a Leftist Bias by Donald Lazere, a professor emeritus in the English Department at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.
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Sometimes a book is useful in ways that its author did not intend. That's the case with Why Higher Education Should Have a Leftist Bias by Donald Lazere, a professor emeritus in the English Department at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.
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In 2010, when tiny Peace College in downtown Raleigh hired a new president, a cascade of changes began, all designed to protect the future of the institution.
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In 2010, when tiny Peace College in downtown Raleigh hired a new president, a cascade of changes began, all designed to protect the future of the institution.
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Every time a new study comes out regarding the "payoff" from college, I wonder: Will this finally be the one that takes note of widespread underemployment among recent grads and comprehends the impact of credential inflation?
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Every time a new study comes out regarding the "payoff" from college, I wonder: Will this finally be the one that takes note of widespread underemployment among recent grads and comprehends the impact of credential inflation?
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A surprising number of college and university presidents depart unexpectedly or face turmoil that nearly ends their tenure as president. Within the past six months, leaders of Illinois State, St. Augustine's, the University of Wyoming, Tuskegee University, Howard University, and SUNY-Upstate...
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A surprising number of college and university presidents depart unexpectedly or face turmoil that nearly ends their tenure as president. Within the past six months, leaders of Illinois State, St. Augustine's, the University of Wyoming, Tuskegee University, Howard University, and SUNY-Upstate...
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There is a growing trend on American college campuses, a trend that augurs badly for free speech and robust debate. I refer to the way various groups of people use expressions of hurt feelings to trump speakers they disagree with. The most recent manifestation of this was at Brandeis University.
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There is a growing trend on American college campuses, a trend that augurs badly for free speech and robust debate. I refer to the way various groups of people use expressions of hurt feelings to trump speakers they disagree with. The most recent manifestation of this was at Brandeis University.
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I recently spoke with a philosophy professor at an Ivy League university. We discussed some issues in higher education, including such depressing topics as the increasing rejection of long-accepted standards of objectivity and a growing contempt for traditional perspectives.
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I recently spoke with a philosophy professor at an Ivy League university. We discussed some issues in higher education, including such depressing topics as the increasing rejection of long-accepted standards of objectivity and a growing contempt for traditional perspectives.
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From its title, the casual reader might expect The Value of the Humanities to be a love letter to art, music, and literature. However, this book is not for the casual reader. It is written by a specialist, Oxford professor of English Helen Small, for other specialists who are trying to stay...
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From its title, the casual reader might expect The Value of the Humanities to be a love letter to art, music, and literature. However, this book is not for the casual reader. It is written by a specialist, Oxford professor of English Helen Small, for other specialists who are trying to stay...
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Should prisoners have access to higher education while incarcerated? If so, should that access be funded by taxpayers? Those questions were raised after New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced in February that he wanted to create a state-run college program for prison inmates.
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Should prisoners have access to higher education while incarcerated? If so, should that access be funded by taxpayers? Those questions were raised after New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced in February that he wanted to create a state-run college program for prison inmates.
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There is an impossibly tough question that all universities must answer, from a legal if not moral perspective. How much of our limited resources should we spend to ensure that the next victim of a sex crime is given the treatment he or she deserves? The University of North Carolina at...
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There is an impossibly tough question that all universities must answer, from a legal if not moral perspective. How much of our limited resources should we spend to ensure that the next victim of a sex crime is given the treatment he or she deserves? The University of North Carolina at...
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North Carolina Central University's College of Behavioral and Social Sciences held its second annual "Great Debate" last week in front of a packed audience of students, professors, and administrators. "HBCUs: Can They Survive?" was the topic of this year's debate, which featured student teams...
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North Carolina Central University's College of Behavioral and Social Sciences held its second annual "Great Debate" last week in front of a packed audience of students, professors, and administrators. "HBCUs: Can They Survive?" was the topic of this year's debate, which featured student teams...
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The philosophy department at the University of Colorado at Boulder is in hot water. CU-Boulder's administration replaced the department chair, suspended graduate admissions for a year, and sent everyone to sensitivity training. What caused such draconian punishment?
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The philosophy department at the University of Colorado at Boulder is in hot water. CU-Boulder's administration replaced the department chair, suspended graduate admissions for a year, and sent everyone to sensitivity training. What caused such draconian punishment?
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Paul Gottfried's recent Pope Center essay The Academy Now and Then raises important issues regarding whether today's campus permits the expression of unpopular ideas. He argues that campus life was far more open when he began his academic career in the 1960s than it is in today's PC-dominated world.
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Paul Gottfried's recent Pope Center essay The Academy Now and Then raises important issues regarding whether today's campus permits the expression of unpopular ideas. He argues that campus life was far more open when he began his academic career in the 1960s than it is in today's PC-dominated world.
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The U.S. Department of Education released its latest draft of new gainful employment regulations on March 14. Gainful employment is the term used for the department's standards for vocational programs at for-profit institutions and community colleges. Under the new rules, schools at which a large...
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The U.S. Department of Education released its latest draft of new gainful employment regulations on March 14. Gainful employment is the term used for the department's standards for vocational programs at for-profit institutions and community colleges. Under the new rules, schools at which a large...
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A new faculty promotion system at one of North Carolina's largest community colleges could increase the school's focus on education. On the other hand, it could be a sign of "mission creep," as the college joins a recent trend of community colleges striving to look and act like universities.
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A new faculty promotion system at one of North Carolina's largest community colleges could increase the school's focus on education. On the other hand, it could be a sign of "mission creep," as the college joins a recent trend of community colleges striving to look and act like universities.
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One year ago, the UNC system's general administration and Board of Governors published an ambitious set of plans for the state's 17 public universities called Our Time, Our Future: The UNC Compact with North Carolina. One of those plans aims to revamp general education curricula. It seeks to...
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One year ago, the UNC system's general administration and Board of Governors published an ambitious set of plans for the state's 17 public universities called Our Time, Our Future: The UNC Compact with North Carolina. One of those plans aims to revamp general education curricula. It seeks to...
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In his 1955 paper "The Role of Government in Education," Milton Friedman suggested the idea of equity contracts to finance college education. Friedman thought that loans were not the appropriate means of financing education. He argued that the better way was to advance the needed funds for...
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In his 1955 paper "The Role of Government in Education," Milton Friedman suggested the idea of equity contracts to finance college education. Friedman thought that loans were not the appropriate means of financing education. He argued that the better way was to advance the needed funds for...
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Next month, the UNC Board of Governors Committee on Budget and Finance will vote on UNC-Chapel Hill's health services fee. The committee has already approved health fees for the other campuses but stopped short at Carolina's $436-per-year fee after learning that UNC-Chapel Hill is spending some...
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Next month, the UNC Board of Governors Committee on Budget and Finance will vote on UNC-Chapel Hill's health services fee. The committee has already approved health fees for the other campuses but stopped short at Carolina's $436-per-year fee after learning that UNC-Chapel Hill is spending some...
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A widely held view in the national press and certainly among academics is that we've come a long way in overcoming prejudice. Presumably we're now more open to a wider variety of opinions than ever before.
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A widely held view in the national press and certainly among academics is that we've come a long way in overcoming prejudice. Presumably we're now more open to a wider variety of opinions than ever before.
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In the Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne describes one of the characters at the Custom House who is well suited to government work. He is the Inspector, an epicurean so devoid of imagination, feeling, and soul that he is likened to "the beasts of the field." His mental capacities are limited to...
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In the Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne describes one of the characters at the Custom House who is well suited to government work. He is the Inspector, an epicurean so devoid of imagination, feeling, and soul that he is likened to "the beasts of the field." His mental capacities are limited to...
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Finally! After a long, brutal winter, North Carolina is seeing a sure sign of spring - the annual tussle over the UNC system budget.
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Finally! After a long, brutal winter, North Carolina is seeing a sure sign of spring - the annual tussle over the UNC system budget.
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Public universities have stability that private colleges do not. Cushioned by state appropriations, they don't rely on tuition the way private colleges do and their lower tuition makes them competitive.
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Public universities have stability that private colleges do not. Cushioned by state appropriations, they don't rely on tuition the way private colleges do and their lower tuition makes them competitive.
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A hearing at Winston-Salem State University to investigate a professor's alleged misconduct raised more questions about the administration than it answered about the professor.
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A hearing at Winston-Salem State University to investigate a professor's alleged misconduct raised more questions about the administration than it answered about the professor.
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Almost as much awaited as the yearly U.S. News & World Report college rankings is the annual Princeton Review ranking of the top "party schools." By Princeton Review's analysis, the top party school this year is (drumroll)...the University of Iowa. Congratulations, Hawkeyes. You beat out the Univers
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Almost as much awaited as the yearly U.S. News & World Report college rankings is the annual Princeton Review ranking of the top "party schools." By Princeton Review's analysis, the top party school this year is (drumroll)...the University of Iowa. Congratulations, Hawkeyes. You beat out the Univers
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Late last year, UNC-Chapel Hill learning specialist Mary Willingham alleged that many Carolina athletes weren't academically prepared for college-level work. That research has been stopped by the administration of UNC-Chapel Hill.
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Late last year, UNC-Chapel Hill learning specialist Mary Willingham alleged that many Carolina athletes weren't academically prepared for college-level work. That research has been stopped by the administration of UNC-Chapel Hill.
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When it comes to higher education, most politicians are cheerleaders. They're content to speak the usual pieties about the importance of college and never do anything that could upset the status quo.
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When it comes to higher education, most politicians are cheerleaders. They're content to speak the usual pieties about the importance of college and never do anything that could upset the status quo.
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A staple of the higher education establishment's advocacy campaign to keep college enrollments growing is that students are making an excellent "investment" if they go and missing out on a lot of earnings if they don't. Those arguments have been losing their edge for years, as Americans wise up...
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A staple of the higher education establishment's advocacy campaign to keep college enrollments growing is that students are making an excellent "investment" if they go and missing out on a lot of earnings if they don't. Those arguments have been losing their edge for years, as Americans wise up...
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Public universities in North Carolina recognize a wide diversity of student groups, including those that have religious or other belief-based missions. This recognition enables student organizations to access university facilities and (sometimes) apply for funding.
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Public universities in North Carolina recognize a wide diversity of student groups, including those that have religious or other belief-based missions. This recognition enables student organizations to access university facilities and (sometimes) apply for funding.
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In a recent piece published by American Enterprise Institute, "Let's Not Underestimate Undermatch," author Awilda Rodriguez outlines what she views as a serious problem, undermatching. She describes it as "the phenomenon where students do not attend a college or university that they could have gaine
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In a recent piece published by American Enterprise Institute, "Let's Not Underestimate Undermatch," author Awilda Rodriguez outlines what she views as a serious problem, undermatching. She describes it as "the phenomenon where students do not attend a college or university that they could have gaine
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In many respects, the last few months have been dazzling ones for North Carolina State University. On January 15, President Obama traveled to Raleigh to announce that the university will be the headquarters for a $140 million public-private partnership that develops the "next generation" of...
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In many respects, the last few months have been dazzling ones for North Carolina State University. On January 15, President Obama traveled to Raleigh to announce that the university will be the headquarters for a $140 million public-private partnership that develops the "next generation" of...
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Like many of you, I am concerned about the state of our beloved university. Among its many prominent problems are the alleged fraud by a former academic department chairman concerning "no-show" classes that gave academic credits to athletes and the report by an academic adviser, disputed by universi
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Like many of you, I am concerned about the state of our beloved university. Among its many prominent problems are the alleged fraud by a former academic department chairman concerning "no-show" classes that gave academic credits to athletes and the report by an academic adviser, disputed by universi
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In his first address to Congress President Obama argued that the United States needs to put far more people through college so that our economy will remain competitive with those of other nations. He set forth a goal of again having "the highest proportion of college graduates in the world."
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In his first address to Congress President Obama argued that the United States needs to put far more people through college so that our economy will remain competitive with those of other nations. He set forth a goal of again having "the highest proportion of college graduates in the world."
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If it is really a kind of aggression to correct student grammar, composition teachers are unnecessary.
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If it is really a kind of aggression to correct student grammar, composition teachers are unnecessary.
