Category Archives: Academic Freedom

Debate on Dissertation Embargos

Posted on August 2, 2013 by briansandberg

Debate continues on dissertation ’embargos’ following the recent statement by the American Historical Association (AHA). A previous post on this website discussed the AHA statement and criticisms of its policy recommendations. The Chronicle of Higher Education explores the issue through … Continue reading →

Posted in Academic Freedom, Academic Publishing, Digital Humanities, Education Policy, Graduate Work in History, Humanities Education, Information Management | Leave a comment

Corporate Deals in Online Education

Posted on May 28, 2013 by briansandberg

Udacity has concluded a deal with Georgia Institute of Technology for an online master’s program. “Georgia Tech this month announced its plans to offer a $6,630 online master’s degree to 10,000 new students over the next three years without hiring much … Continue reading →

Posted in Academic Freedom, Digital Humanities, Globalization, Humanities Education, Information Management | Leave a comment

Gender Studies Under Fire in France

Posted on May 25, 2013 by briansandberg

The academic field of gender studies is under attack in France. The debate over gay marriage has prompted many French conservative politicians and Catholics to severely criticize gender studies for undermining family relations and traditional society. Conservative political and religious … Continue reading →

Posted in Academic Freedom, Education Policy, European History, European Union, French History, Humanities Education, Political Culture, Religious Politics, Women and Gender History | Leave a comment

Thinking Deeply about MOOCs

Posted on May 14, 2013 by briansandberg

Once again, technology is being hailed as the solution to all our problems. Entrepreneurs of internet companies—like the advocates of radio and television before them—are touting the transformative potential of technology to educate the masses. Many politicians and pundits are … Continue reading →

Posted in Academic Freedom, Digital Humanities, Education Policy, History in the Media, Humanities Education, Information Management, The Past Alive: Teaching History, Undergraduate Work in History | Leave a comment

The Cost of MOOCs

Posted on April 29, 2013 by briansandberg

Lost in all the excitement about Massive Open Online Courses [MOOCs] is the cost of development, maintenance, and teaching the online courses. A number of universities and colleges have already partnered with edX, Coursera, and other MOOC provider companies. Many … Continue reading →

Posted in Academic Freedom, Digital Humanities, Education Policy, Humanities Education, Information Management, Undergraduate Work in History | 3 Comments

Pseudo-Academia

Posted on April 12, 2013 by briansandberg

An alternate universe of Pseudo-Academia has appeared and it is rapidly growing. Many researchers and authors, including myself, are excited about the possibilities of open access publishing. Open access models have the potential to increase accessibility to new research, to … Continue reading →

Posted in Academic Freedom, Academic Publishing, Current Research, Digital Humanities, Education Policy, Humanities Education, Information Management | Leave a comment

Restrictions on Academic Speech

Posted on April 6, 2012 by briansandberg

Universities normally tout their star professors, celebrating each newspaper op-ed or magazine article that showcases new scholarship and highlights the value of their institutions.  The marketing arms of universities effectively use faculty members’ media publications and appearances to advertise their … Continue reading →

Posted in Academic Freedom, Academic Publishing, Education Policy, Humanities Education | 1 Comment

Fall of the Faculty

Posted on December 16, 2011 by briansandberg

I am currently reading Benjamin Ginsberg’s The Fall of the Faculty: The Rise of the All-Administrative University and Why it Matters (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2011). Ginsberg, a professor of political science at Johns Hopkins University, provides a damning exposé … Continue reading →

Posted in Academic Freedom, Current Research, Humanities Education | Leave a comment

Historical Research and Human Subjects

Posted on August 27, 2011 by briansandberg

Academic researchers who work on human subjects are required to request authorization from boards that review research methods for potential ethical violations. The goal is to ensure that human subjects in research studies (especially medical experiments, drug trials, and psychological … Continue reading →

Posted in Academic Freedom, Archival Research, Graduate Work in History, Humanities Education | Leave a comment

The Fall of the Faculty

Posted on July 15, 2011 by briansandberg

What is the biggest problem in American universities? According to Benjamin Ginsberg, a Professor of Political Science at Johns Hopkins University, it is the growth of university administration. Ginsberg describes this growth as “administrative blight,” which has come at the … Continue reading →

Posted in Academic Freedom, Education Policy, Humanities Education | 1 Comment