Category Archives: Education Policy

E-Book Revolution Transforms Publishing Course

Posted on July 19, 2011 by briansandberg

An e-book revolution has been gathering steam and transforming the world of books for at least a decade now.  Academic researchers and writers have been following the changes closely, and participating in many of the new initiatives.  Historians have participated … Continue reading →

Posted in Academic Publishing, Digital Humanities, Education Policy, History of the Book | 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

For-Profit Education Industry Lobby Wins

Posted on June 3, 2011 by briansandberg

The for-profit education industry has successfully lobbied the U.S. Congress, winning major concessions to avoid regulation.  Critics have exposed corrupt recruitment practices, unsound pedagogy, and outright fraud at many for-profit “colleges”.  Proposed reforms would have curbed abuses by for-profit institutions, … Continue reading →

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For-Profit “Education” Waste

Posted on May 26, 2011 by briansandberg

A new report by the U.S. Department of Education on The Condition of Education 2011, assesses the current state of higher education in the United States. The report documents the dangerous growth of for-profit “education” over the past decade, growth … Continue reading →

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Economic Value of a Bachelor’s Degree

Posted on May 25, 2011 by briansandberg

Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce has released a new study, “What’s It Worth?: The Economic Value of College Majors,” assessing employment and earnings statistics for recipients of Bachelor’s Degrees. So what is a Bachelor’s degree worth?  A … Continue reading →

Posted in Education Policy, Humanities Education, The Past Alive: Teaching History | Leave a comment

University Gifts with Strings Attached

Posted on May 13, 2011 by briansandberg

Political groups and corporations have long used donations to fund targeted academic positions and research centers that will presumably support their agendas.  These practices frequently present ethical dilemmas and potential conflicts of interest within departments and universities. Endowments and other … Continue reading →

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For-Profit Education Fraud

Posted on May 10, 2011 by briansandberg

More reports about outright fraud in for-profit educational companies, such as Kaplan and Phoenix, have surfaced. An article in the Chronicle of Higher Education focuses on instructors’ testimony about fraudulent practices by for-profit educational institutions.  “We were supposed to keep … Continue reading →

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How Not to do Engaged Learning

Posted on May 9, 2011 by briansandberg

Professors in universities across the country hear lots of talk these days about “engaged learning.”  The concept can be useful in promoting alternative educational experiences and formats both inside and outside classrooms.  But, “engaged learning” is often been misused and … Continue reading →

Posted in Education Policy, Humanities Education, Northern Illinois University | 2 Comments

Threats to Liberal Arts

Posted on May 9, 2011 by briansandberg

Jim Leach, chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities, spoke on “Defending the Liberal Arts” at the American Council of Learned Societies annual meeting in Washington recently. Leach argued that “we need an infrastructure of ideas,” comparing humanities research … Continue reading →

Posted in Digital Humanities, Education Policy, Humanities Education | Leave a comment

Faculty Union formed at UIC

Posted on May 8, 2011 by briansandberg

The faculty at the University of Illinois at Chicago voted recently to form a faculty union, which will be affiliated with the American Federation of Teachers (AFT). The American Association of University Professors (AAUP), which supported the UIC faculty unionization … Continue reading →

Posted in Education Policy, Human Rights, Humanities Education, Northern Illinois University | Leave a comment