Cover Story
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April 22, 2021
The Crushing Contradictions of the American University
Our blind faith in the transformative power of higher ed is slipping. What now?
Highlights
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Faculty
The Damage Campaign
Caught up in a storm of false accusations, professors found themselves fighting to clear their names. -
Faculty
‘Everybody Is a Target Right Now’: A University’s Sacking of a Tenured Critic Sends Shock Waves
How a war of words between a Linfield University professor and the president culminated in a firing — and elicited nationwide outrage. -
Leadership in a Time of Crisis
Ronald Crutcher’s Racial Reckoning
How the University of Richmond’s first Black president found himself at odds with student activists.
Also in the issue
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Free College
Biden’s Plan Would Make Community College Free. It Could Also Have Unintended Downsides.
The proposal has been called “a momentous step forward,” but some experts say it could waylay the students it most wants to help. -
Higher Ed Under Fire
Idaho Lawmakers Think Critical Race Theory Can ‘Exacerbate and Inflame Divisions.’ So They Passed a Law Against It.
The legislation comes at a time when colleges have been under pressure from Idaho conservatives. -
College Governance
This Trustee Was Censured by His Board. Now the Supreme Court Will Weigh In.
A ruling in favor of David B. Wilson could undermine a common understanding among governing boards — that members should act as one and avoid personal crusades. -
Students
Undergraduate Enrollments This Spring See Steepest Drop Since Pandemic Began
While there are fewer undergrads — particularly at community colleges — graduate-student enrollment continued to grow, according to the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center. -
The Review
The ‘Flagship’ Folly
The nautical metaphor is a shoddy classifier of colleges — but a clear signal of higher ed’s obsession with status. -
The Review
How Students Are Furthering Academe’s Corporatization
By insisting on bureaucratic solutions to diversity problems, they are empowering administrations at the expense of the faculty. -
Campus Hubs
Academic Libraries Led Universities Into the Socially Distant Era. Now They’re Planning for What’s Next.
Librarians figured out how to offer services online long before the pandemic. What parts of their latest digital-first shift will be permanent? -
Advice
Should We Stop Grading Class Participation?
Why a professor no longer grades students on how much they speak up in class. -
Advice
Is It Time to Eliminate Recommendation Letters? (Hint: Yes)
This hiring requirement is impeding campus progress on diversity and wasting your time.