Academe Today

Government

Trump Wants to Drastically Alter the Education Dept. Here’s What You Need to Know.

The proposal isn’t a surprise and probably won’t go anywhere, but it’s noteworthy coming from an administration that has been largely silent on higher ed.

Politics

A Brief History of GOP Attempts to Kill the Education Dept.

Since its birth, the Department of Education has been marked for death by its critics. And those critics have been almost exclusively Republicans. But their efforts have failed.

Leadership & Governance

Salmon, Awkward Tweets, and ‘Hell No’ I Wouldn’t Fire Him: A Reporter’s Notes From Michigan State

After eight days of pressure to resign, John Engler apologized for disparaging an abuse survivor. The board remains divided, and the women still want him out. 

Faculty

A Conference’s Recipe for ‘Viewpoint Diversity’: More Free Play, More John Stuart Mill

Heterodox Academy, which argues that colleges and students alike have grown less receptive to challenging ideas, held a gathering to suggest treatments.

Legal Education

‘I Don’t Think We Were Prepared for This Level of Cruelty’

Law professors and their students step up to defend the defenseless during America’s immigration crisis.

Teaching

Not Just for Video Games: Virtual Reality Joins the Classroom

Educators and technologists gather at Yale University to share strategies for using immersive technology as a teaching tool.

Colleges Need to Prepare for the Future of Learning. Here’s How to Give All Students a Shot at Success.

Campus leaders are under pressure to modernize the educational experience, using technology and the science of learning to improve results. Our new report on the future of learning can help you innovate. Buy a copy in the Chronicle Store.

Commentary

College Presidents Must Be Loud and Clear in Support of Immigration

Higher-education leaders should not be silent about how much our campuses — and the country — rely on immigrants for a prosperous future.

Advice

The 3 Types of Peer Reviewers

Dealing with manuscript reviewers is, by far, the least rewarding and most difficult part of my job.

Lingua Franca

Teaching American Literature in Paris: An Interview With Katy Masuga

What is it like teaching in France? How is faculty life among French academics? Jeffrey Herlihy-Mera asks these and other questions of an American writer and professor.