Academe Today

Are You in a BS Job? In Academe, You’re Hardly Alone

Much of our work has no social value, and we hate doing it.

Legal

Court Gives Guidance on Colleges’ Responsibility to Prevent Suicide

A panel of state judges ruled on Monday that the Massachusetts Institute of Technology wasn’t liable for the suicide of a student, but that doesn’t mean universities are off the hook, law professors say.

Students

U. of Florida President Apologizes for ‘Inappropriately Aggressive’ Treatment of Graduating Students

At their commencement ceremony, several students were shoved and rushed off stage by a university employee.

Special Reports

This Software Millionaire Is Building the Low-Tech College of His Dreams

Higher education helped build Kevin Runner’s fortune, he says, and now he plans to give back — by resurrecting the campus of a defunct Kentucky college as a training ground for a sustainable future.

Teaching

Professors Are Talking About Students’ Dead Grandparents Again

While some academics complained on Twitter about students’ using the alleged death of a grandparent as an excuse during finals, others said it’s time to respect students’ ever-more-complex lives.

The Daily Briefing

The Daily Briefing tells individual subscribers everything they need to know about higher ed. Here’s a sample.

The Chronicle Review

How Economists Became So Timid

The field used to be visionary. Now it’s just dull.

Advice

The Professor Is In: My New Colleagues Are Inundating Me With Advice

A Ph.D. starting her first job in the fall wonders how to respond to a flood of professional and personal suggestions.

Lingua Franca

How Not to Be an Academic in the Courtroom

In a bribery trial of two Nevada brothel commissioners, Roger Shuy taught the jury phonetics. But he didn’t use that word.