Category Archives: Education Policy

Guns on Campus?

Posted on April 8, 2011 by briansandberg

State legislatures in a number of states are considering laws that would allow guns (in some cases including concealed handguns) on university and college campuses. In some states, such legislation appears to be voluntary—permitting higher education institutions to decide whether … Continue reading →

Posted in Arms Control, Education Policy, History of Violence, Northern Illinois University | Leave a comment

University of Wisconsin’s Stance on Academic Freedom

Posted on April 2, 2011 by briansandberg

The University of Wisconsin at Madison has taken a weak stance regarding the politically-motivated open records request on Professor William Cronon’s e-mails. The Chronicle of Higher Education reports that the University of Wisconsin at Madison will comply with the request, … Continue reading →

Posted in Academic Freedom, Education Policy, Humanities Education | Leave a comment

Record Low University Acceptance Rates

Posted on April 1, 2011 by briansandberg

New data early reports from universities and colleges across the country suggests that there will be record lows in acceptance rates of applicants for admission to the 2011-2012 academic year.  Elite private universities such as Harvard and Stanford admitted as … Continue reading →

Posted in Education Policy, Humanities Education | Leave a comment

Expanding Use of FOIA Requests on Faculty Members

Posted on March 30, 2011 by briansandberg

Now that the news of an open records request on University of Wisconsin Professor William Cronon has gone viral, other faculty at public universities are already being targeted by politicized FOIA requests, as a story in the New York Times … Continue reading →

Posted in Academic Freedom, Education Policy, Humanities Education | Leave a comment

Anthony Grafton Comments on the Cronon Affair

Posted on March 29, 2011 by briansandberg

Anthony Grafton, an early modern European historian and current President of the American Historical Association, has published a comment on the political attacks on William Cronon in the New Yorker. Grafton provides contextualization and commentary, referring to this growing controversy … Continue reading →

Posted in Academic Freedom, Education Policy, Humanities Education | Leave a comment

Academic Freedom Under Attack in Wisconsin

Posted on March 27, 2011 by briansandberg

Noted environmental historian William Cronon is facing retaliation by politicians in Wisconsin who are using an Open Records Act request in an attempt to view Cronon’s personal and professional e-mails.  This effort is a gross abuse of the freedom of … Continue reading →

Posted in Academic Freedom, Education Policy, Human Rights, Humanities Education | Leave a comment

Historian William Cronon on the Labor Crisis in Wisconsin

Posted on March 25, 2011 by briansandberg

William Cronon, a prominent environmental historian at the University of Wisconsin, offers a historical perspective on the ongoing labor crisis in Wisconsin. In an op-ed in the New York Times, Cronon heavily criticizes the state legislation (currently blocked by a … Continue reading →

Posted in Education Policy, History in the Media | Leave a comment

New Special Adviser at the University of Texas

Posted on March 18, 2011 by briansandberg

More news today of the growing politicization of university administrations across the United States.  While university faculty positions nationwide have remained almost stable over the past generation, administrative jobs have grown incredibly.  The Chronicle of Higher Education recently estimated the … Continue reading →

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Raising Teachers’ Status

Posted on March 18, 2011 by briansandberg

Teachers’ economic and social status in American society is widely perceived to be in decline.  Although it is very difficult and highly subjective to measure any profession’s status, a new study attempts to gauge teachers’ status in a number of … Continue reading →

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Attacks on Teachers

Posted on March 3, 2011 by briansandberg

I enjoyed working with Chicago-area high school history teachers all this morning, discussing the European Wars of Religion.  During a coffee break and lunch break, I heard about their concerns about the current attacks on teachers and the teaching profession … Continue reading →

Posted in Education Policy | Leave a comment