Academe Today

In the States

West Virginia Commission Seeks Equity for Colleges. But Behind the Scenes, Gordon Gee Pulls Strings.

After higher-education policy makers suggested rethinking the allocation of state funds to public colleges, the president of the flagship university, with decades of leadership experience, used his clout to stymie the plan.

Campus Unrest

Counterprotesters Far Outnumber Supporters as Rally to Restore UNC’s Toppled Confederate Statue Fizzles

Police officers arrested seven people at Saturday’s demonstration, where public support on campus for restoring Silent Sam appeared to collapse. 

Technology

A University Took an Uncommonly Close Look at Its Student-Conduct Data. Here’s What It Found.

When Rutgers University combined previously siloed databases, it produced some surprising insights about student life.

Students

Board of U. of Iowa’s Turning Point USA Chapter Criticizes National Leaders, Then Backtracks

Members of the chapter’s executive board stepped down after leaders of the national group politicized the death of an Iowa student. 

Future of Work

An Investor Argues for ‘Faster + Cheaper’ Education. Does His Formula Add Up?

Ryan Craig, a founder of the University Ventures investment fund, bets that companies with certain education models can provide quicker and more affordable routes to employment than traditional colleges can.

New Jersey to Its Students: Please Don’t Go

New Jersey’s young people may be born to run, but their mass departure to attend college elsewhere is making leaders nervous about the state’s future.

Explore the Data on All 50 States and the District of Columbia

Sort data on more than 80 measures to see how your state is doing in comparison with others.

The Almanac of Higher Education, 2018-19

Numbers tell the story of the current state of higher education: the results of its diversity efforts, the decline in enrollment, and the growth in student debt. 

‘No Money, No Mission’: How Colleges Can Fortify Themselves for the Future

Market forces are bearing down on higher education, and internal inefficiencies can make matters worse. Our new report on the college business model can help you shore up your finances now and consider major transformations ahead. Buy a copy in our store.

The Chronicle Review

Why Taking a Stand on the Internet Can Turn a Problem Into a Catastrophe

Academics underestimate how our willingness to sign things — petitions, letters — can do real harm.

Advice

Can You Train Your Ph.D.s for Diverse Careers When You Don’t Have One?

A new seminar at Michigan helped doctoral students explore nonfaculty jobs and helped a professor learn how to teach about them.

Lingua Franca

The Perennial Difficulty of Defining What ‘Descriptive’ Means in Grammar

Geoff Pullum is locked in an intractable dispute with a colleague about whether so-called descriptive work on English grammar is in fact prescriptivism in sheep's clothing.