Category Archives: Education Policy

PhD Dissertation Lengths

Posted on July 16, 2013 by briansandberg

Marcus Beck, a PhD candidate at the University of Minnesota, has created a chart demonstrating the varying average lengths of PhD dissertations by discipline. According to io9, “Beck took the pressure of readying for his defense and channeled it toward … Continue reading →

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

Gates Foundation’s Influence on Higher Ed

Posted on July 15, 2013 by briansandberg

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has enormous influence on universities and colleges  in the United States and it is seeking to fundamentally transform higher education. According to the Chronicle of Higher Education, “the foundation wants nothing less than to … Continue reading →

Posted in Education Policy, Humanities Education | 2 Comments

The Mental Health Benefits of Reading

Posted on July 6, 2013 by briansandberg

Reading is often seen as an educational pursuit and an enjoyable habit. Now, neurological research suggests that reading has demonstrable benefits for mental health. A recent neurological study of 294 people found that “reading books, writing and engaging in other … Continue reading →

Posted in Education Policy, History of Medicine, History of Science, Humanities Education, Information Management | Leave a comment

Paid Newspaper Coverage

Posted on June 21, 2013 by briansandberg

Don’t like the news stories about your organization?  Or, think that newspapers are ignoring your organization’s work? Apparently, now you can simply pay newspapers to cover your organization and control its public image. Several California universities recently signed contracts with … Continue reading →

Posted in Digital Humanities, Education Policy, Globalization, History in the Media, Information Management, Political Culture | 1 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

The Political and Corporate Interest in MOOCs

Posted on May 23, 2013 by briansandberg

The biggest proponents of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) are not professors, but politicians and business leaders. These cheerleaders for MOOCs present university and college faculty members as conservative detractors of their forward-looking plans. The agendas of the political and … Continue reading →

Posted in Digital Humanities, Education Policy, Globalization, Humanities Education, Information Management, Undergraduate Work in History | Leave a comment

What MOOCs Can and Cannot Do

Posted on May 22, 2013 by briansandberg

The intense debate about the role of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) in higher education continues. Proponents and administrators tout the potential of MOOCs to transform universities, while skeptics question the benefits of these online courses and critics highlight the … Continue reading →

Posted in Digital Humanities, Education Policy, Humanities Education, Information Management, Undergraduate Work in History | Leave a comment

Debate Over Guns on College Campuses

Posted on May 22, 2013 by briansandberg

A growing area of the gun control debate concerns the presence of guns on college campuses. Many colleges and universities have long had bans on the possession of guns on their campuses, but pro-gun political action groups would like to … Continue reading →

Posted in Arms Control, Education Policy, History of Violence, Human Rights, Political Culture, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Teaching in English in France

Posted on May 18, 2013 by briansandberg

A newly proposed law in France would encourage English-language instruction at universities in France. NPR asks “Will teaching in English at France’s universities undermine the French language? That’s up for debate in the country now, and the arguments are heated.” … Continue reading →

Posted in Education Policy, European History, European Union, French History, Globalization, Humanities Education | 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