Free Republic

Bloated universities should reform or perish. One can only hope British conservatives can show the same resolve as their American counterparts in blocking any bailouts Emily Cousens, a gender studies teacher at the University of Oxford and London School of Economics, is in despair that Oxford University will start a vaccine trial. In an article for Huffington Post titled “I Teach At Oxford, But I Don’t Want It To Win The Coronavirus Vaccine Race,” she writes that she is worried this scientific research would justify stereotypes, such as that “China, once again, has unleashed a threat to civilisation. But the...

Millions of college students will be closing out the semester from home, with online courses replacing in-person offerings. Due to the abrupt change, many schools are acknowledging the disruption, and associated changes in students’ circumstances, may lead to a decrease in academic performance unrelated to effort or intelligence, and are therefore instituting grading policies that provide appropriate understanding for the bizarre situation. Many universities, including Georgetown, Duke, University of Pennsylvania, have extended the deadline for taking a class pass/fail until either the last day of classes or even a week after report cards are released. However, many student groups are...

College professors who are now pivoting to online teaching amid the coronavirus pandemic are concerned that students might give right-wing publications a glimpse into their lessons. The story: College and university professors are expressing concerns on social media that their material could be misused. Some have shared the measures they’re taking to ensure that only their students get access to recorded lessons, though noting that their methods have flaws.

The University of Northern Colorado announced to its campus just after 6:15 p.m. Wednesday that, with growing concerns about COVID-19 in Colorado and elsewhere, the school will go fully online following Spring Break until April 5, and all in-person classes March 23 and 24 will be canceled. Campus will not close, per the letter. Travel has also been restricted both internationally and domestically. According to the letter, which was sent to the Greeley Tribune shortly after it arrived in campus inboxes Wednesday evening, all university-sponsored or affiliated international travel is suspended through June 30, and personal international travel is “strongly...

In an effort to stop the spread of the coronavirus, Ohio State is suspending all in-person classes through at least March 30, instead moving to virtual instruction, according to a university-wide email from Ohio State President Michael Drake. Ohio State also announced a hiatus on the scheduling of "new, non-essential events" through April 20, and is encouraging event organizers for scheduled non-essential events between now and then "to immediately evaluate whether these events should continue in person." The Buckeyes' spring game is currently slated for April 11. Students, currently on spring break, will be permitted to work from their current...

On Wednesday morning on “Morning Joe,” Joe Scarborough dismissed a Princeton University professor’s explanation of Bernie Sanders’s electoral appeal despite Sanders’s open, lifelong admiration for socialist dictators.“Who is telling him to continue to defend Castro, to continue to defend the Sandinistas, to continue to defend the Soviets? I think he can check the [polling] crosstabs, it’s doesn’t play well in Charleston,” Scarborough said.“I think two things,” responded panelist Eddie Glaude Jr., chair of the Department of African American Studies at Princeton University. “One, I think it’s Bernie Sanders being true to his brand, that he’s consistent, he’s authentic, that...

Students at the University of Oklahoma held a sit-in after history professor Kathleen Brosnan uttered the n-word while reading a historic document in class. The protest was kicked off by members of the Black Emergency Response Team at the university, some of whom, in addition to the sit-in, have started a hunger strike. the Norman Transcript reports. Students from other groups and some faculty members have joined the demonstration as well. They said they’ll stop protesting when the university agrees to meet their demands.

The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania named its next dean and it's a historic choice. Erika H. James will be the first woman and first person of color to lead the prestigious business school. "This is an exciting time to be in business education," James said. "The scope and platform of the Wharton School provides an opportunity to create far reaching impact for students, scholars, and the business community." The announcement was made Wednesday by Penn President Amy Gutmann and Provost Wendell Pritchett.

The Western Michigan University School of Music is facing accusations of cultural appropriation after its mostly-white choir sang African-American spirituals during a Black History Month concert. The show was part of the Western Michigan University School of Music’s Live and Interactive concert series. It took place on Wednesday last week, at the Dalton Center Recital Hall. The performance called “Spirituals: From Ship to Shore” featured John Wesley Wright, an associate professor at Salisbury University, who is black.

It’s not a good sign when different departments at a school start suggesting cutting each other.

Baylor, a private Christian university located in Waco, Texas, is known as the largest Baptist university in the world with approximately 17,200 students on its 1,000-acre campus and is affiliated with the Texas Baptist Convention, which is subsequently connected to the Southern Baptist Convention. Reformation Charlotte previously reported that Cru (formerly Campus Crusade for Christ) had attempted to invite Native American new age occultist, Kaitlin Curtice to preach to the students. Fortunately, she was unable to make the appearance at the time. However, Cru leader, Matt Mikalatos had defended his invitation to her seemingly ecstatic that he was almost able...

VALDOSTA, Ga. (WCTV) -- Georgia authorities have arrested 14 Lowndes County men who are accused of communicating with children online and then traveling to meet them for sex. Among those charged is Keith Walters, dean of the College of Science & Mathematics at Valdosta State University. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation says the arrests are the result of a four-day undercover investigation planned for months and coordinated between nearly 20 agencies. GBI says all of the suspects, ranging from 24 to 57 years old, traveled from areas around South Georgia with the intent to meet children for sex. While the...

The University of Michigan has placed its provost on leave after allegations of sexual misconduct were made against him, the school has announced. Martin A. Philbert, who earns $570,340 a year, was placed on administrative leave on Tuesday, according to a letter from the university.

Democratic professors outnumber Republicans by an almost 9 to 1 ratio, a new study has found. The study, published Friday by associate business management professor Mitchell Langbert of Brooklyn College, and Sean Stevens, director of research at Heterodox Academy, reviewed the political registrations of 12,372 college professors and found that 48.4% were registered Democrats and just 5.7 % were Republicans, a ratio of 8.5 to 1.

“You have to go to college” was an article of faith when we were growing up in poor families. Now we wonder if our ticket out of poverty still has the same value. Far too many of this generation are leaving college with substantial debt and few meaningful job opportunities. Put a little differently, what is the value of a bachelor’s degree in women’s studies or sociology or any other fields that are not science, technology, engineering, mathematics, or business? Ask some of the young people working at your local coffee shop or favorite restaurant. They will probably tell you,...

Officials at Philadelphia’s Temple University are reviewing a video which features a white student and references to the campus neighborhood as a “ghetto.” According to The Philadelphia Inquirer, the video shows the student “in front of images of rowhouses, some with boarded-up windows” along with the caption “going to a city school and walking two blocks off campus for a party.”

NEW YORK, December 10, 2019 (LifeSiteNews) – A proposed law in the state of New York will make it compulsory for all public universities to provide abortion pills to students at the taxpayers’ expense. State assemblyman Harvey Epstein of the East Side of Manhattan introduced the bill to the New York State Assembly on November 25. The bill states: "Each public college student health center shall make available to all students abortion by medication techniques onsite. This service shall be provided by medical professionals on staff at such student health centers or by a third party who has contracted with...

The Falkirk Center will “play offense” against efforts by liberals to water down Judeo-Christian values in the Bible and Constitution..........Growing concerns in conservative circles that liberals are trying to convert young Christians into 'socialists' by 'distorting' the Bible and U.S. Constitution prompted Liberty University to form a new center 'to push back on the media, academics, and Democratic politicians'.... The new think tank, was co-founded by two key leaders in the Christian youth movement, Liberty President Jerry Falwell Jr. and Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk......Said Kirk, “We’re in a culture battle right now where you have to fight and...

... Student loans are a growing fact of American life, topping $1.6 trillion in outstanding balances this year. Loans can be valuable — if students are able to pay them back. But every year, one million people default on their student loans for the first time. Often, it’s because they didn’t graduate, and so lacked the diploma needed to get a well-paying job. Last year, 231 four-year colleges graduated less than 25 percent of their first-time-in-college, full-time students within eight years of enrollment. An additional 615 colleges reported rates below 50 percent. ... The proposed new version of the Higher...

Two days. Two reports citing the same data. Two different conclusions.” That is how Rick Seltzer described the near-simultaneous release of two studies looking at state funding in Inside Higher Ed. The first study was written by myself for the Texas Public Policy Foundation and found that state disinvestment is a myth. The second study, by Michael Mitchell, Michael Leachman, and Matt Saenz for the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, found that on average, the states have been disinvesting in higher education. Both studies relied on the same data set (SHEF), put out by the State Higher Education Executive...