Academe Today

Public Colleges

A Grand Plan for Public Higher Ed Is Aging. Can It Be Reinvented?

California’s vision became a model for the nation. Six decades on, much of its promise has been hollowed out.

Research

This Professor Has Collected American Racism in a College’s Basement

Blackface Polaroids, magazine ads with Sambo figures, and other "racist garbage" reside in a university library’s museum not as a shrine but as a document of the country’s tragic past — and present.

Students

As Howard Sit-In Reaches a Week, Professors Weigh Vote of No Confidence in President

The faculty has expressed no confidence in Wayne A.I. Frederick before, but the trustees continue to back him.

Comments From Readers

Readers React to ‘What It’s Like to Be a Woman in the Academy’

Our collection of essays about gender and power in the academy struck a chord. Some readers said it was long overdue. Others said it was an exercise in stating the obvious.

The Chronicle Review

What It’s Like to Be a Woman in the Academy

We asked dozens of women about gender and power on campus. Here’s what they told us.

Lessons for College Leaders

Looking for tips on how to get faculty members on board with a new initiative? Want advice from veteran presidents? We’ve compiled articles from Idea Lab, our section on colleges solving problems, to help you be a better leader. Buy a copy here.

Advice

The Honorable but Thankless Work of Leading Sexual-Assault Investigations

Know that even before you begin a campus inquiry, you have already failed in the eyes of students.

Commentary

Why Colleges Shouldn’t Be Handling Sexual-Assault Complaints

Especially where big-time sports are involved, universities have shown themselves to be poor protectors of student safety and well-being.

Lingua Franca

Think You Know a Word’s Origin? Think Again

The etymologist Allan Metcalf looks at words whose ancestors are not what they seem.