What Public Universities Must do to Regain Public Support
Universities have lost public support in recent years. In order to get it back, college presidents should worry less about how their institutions fare in college rankings and focus more on affordability, great teaching and doing research…
New Study: The Rise of the Temporary Workforce in Science Research
The time over which half of the cohort has left the field has shortened from 35 years in the 1960s to only 5 years in the 2010s. In addition, researchers found a rapid rise (from 25 to 60% since the 1960s) of a group of scientists who spend…
Anonymous Allegations? A “Membership Integrity” Committee?
Within a few weeks, Kapila and two other union members, Michele Hoffman and Carey Friedman, received Integrity Committee notices informing them that they'd been charged with causing harm to the union and summoning them to hearings. The…
Educators Must Challenge the Politics of Evil
We need to add more complexity to our reasoning and discussion that leaves room for critical thought and action. When we see evildoers (like Hitler or Bowers) as extraordinary, we cannot see ourselves in those roles. On the opposite end of…
In the College Classroom, Why Print is Better Than Digital
As researchers in learning and text comprehension, our recent work has focused on the differences between reading print and digital media. While new forms of classroom technology like digital textbooks are more accessible and portable, it…
7 Ways to Teach Civil Discourse to Students
I’ve discovered that there are ways teachers and others who work with young people can show them how to deal effectively and respectfully with controversial topics – as well as what controversial topics to take up. Though the list of seven…
If You Move Office Hours Online, Will Students Drop In?
What happens in the office hour is the same virtually as it is for students who show up in person: Students ask questions about particular problems or topics, and the professor works through them as if he were in front of the class.…
I Acted Like a Complete Jerk to my Students Just to Prove a Point
I belittled one student by criticizing him in front of others. I favored another student by telling other students they should be more like her. I responded impatiently to questions. I told one student his contribution to class was…
The Responsibility of Adjunct Intellectuals
Academics write for the public more than ever before but are hampered by precariousness of their profession.
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There Is No Such Thing As An Adjunct Professor
The reason I’m sharing this is not because I want sympathy – far from it. I’m sharing this because I know that there are at least 1.3 million professors across the United States working on contingent contracts, many who may well be…