Jan. 15, 2016

The case of a Chinese-American scholar falsely accused of espionage fuels concerns about racial profiling and a possible chill in international research collaboration.

What you need to know about the past seven days.

A historical novel stresses the value of standing up for social justice, even at risk of one’s life, says a college president.

As leader of Washington College, Sheila C. Bair is determined to do something about student debt.

College culture stifles debates over values.

The blog’s marquee status reflects a new level of public engagement among political scientists.

Mary Beard’s a lively scholar, but on matters of faith she cheats subtlety.

This creative-nonfiction class was no bohemian joyride.

Science’s wonders are oft built on blunders.

Affirmative consent is valuable as a guide for proper conduct, not as a standard for determining responsibility.

Nearly 250 cases are open now or have been resolved since the Education Department stepped up the pressure on colleges, in April 2011. How colleges end up under scrutiny and how long they will remain there can seem mysterious.

Tenure was under attack, sex discrimination on campus was being investigated, and distance education was envisioned.

Professional schools offer lessons for undergraduate education.

As pressures on players increase, elite conferences weigh new limits on practice hours and allowing more time off between seasons.

Campus activists are increasingly pushing their institutions to require classes that explore race, ethnicity, or cultural awareness. But giving those requirements teeth can be a challenge.

Wheaton College of Illinois referenced its statement of faith in explaining its response to a professor who wore a hijab in solidarity with Muslims who “worship the same god.” At similar colleges, such statements are common, but their forms vary. Here’s a sampling.

With an emphasis on leadership and global awareness, Agnes Scott College has tried to reinvigorate the appeal of a liberal-arts institution for women.

Australia has long operated a fully income-based repayment program, which countries like Britain have adapted. Now experts want the U.S. government to do the same.

How to transform generic prose by campus leaders into something people actually want to hear and read.

Sadly, a university’s athletic success often doesn’t reach beyond the playing field.

Data about how students learn could open new vistas in education, if only instructors can figure out how to use it.

Proprietary institutions were easy to track and regulate. The new companies are something else entirely.

Even as campus activism has intensified, popular dissent sometimes seems to go no further than the mouse pad. But it’s worth taking even those lightweight protests seriously, says a professor who studies “slacktivists.”