“$80,000 for Zoom Classes”
Novelist and cultural critic Walter Kirn recently joined The Megyn Kelly Show to offer a refreshingly honest look at what higher education feels like—from the student’s side of the equation. “I have a lot of empathy for the sensible young people of America,” he said, “especially those who have put themselves into huge debt.” Kirn […]
The Numbers Say It All: Pennsylvania’s Higher Ed Collapse
Chancellor Christopher Fiorentino didn’t sugarcoat it: Pennsylvania’s public higher ed system is shrinking fast—and trust is vanishing with it. In a recent conversation, Fiorentino acknowledged that Penn State is preparing to shut down seven campuses. He called it “gut-wrenching,” but unavoidable. Over the last decade, the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) lost one-third […]
A College President Worth Emulating
In a moment when many university leaders have lost the public’s trust, Dartmouth President Sian Leah Beilock stands out. She offers a rare voice of reason—one that values both institutional independence and internal reform. “Two things can be true at the same time,” she says, urging campuses to hold “competing and difficult ideas.” “When governments […]
The ChatGPT Degree Track
A student walks across campus wearing a novelty shirt. It shows a gentleman tipping his hat to ChatGPT. The caption? Prompt. Submit. Repeat. Graduate. At first glance, it’s funny. Then it’s sad. It hits you; this isn’t a joke. It’s reality. This is what passes for “rigorous academics” in 2025—at elite universities. Students aren’t hiding […]
Truth Demands Freedom
“We can know we have gotten nearer to the truth, but we can never know that we have reached the truth.” — Karl Popper Popper didn’t question the existence of truth—he questioned our certainty in grasping it. That distinction is everything. The pursuit of truth requires humility. It requires debate. And it requires institutions—like universities—that […]
Why the Great Books Still Matter
Philosophy professor Jennifer Frey of the University of Tulsa knows the Great Books tradition is under fire—and she doesn’t flinch. “Yes, it’s under siege,” she says. “It’s been under siege my whole adult life. But that doesn’t mean it’s not good and worth fighting for.” Frey doesn’t defend the Great Books because they’re old. She […]
Bill Maher Says the Quiet Part Loud About Academia
Bill Maher didn’t hold back. On a recent Real Time panel, he delivered one of the bluntest critiques of higher education you’ll hear on TV. “Academia needed a hot poker up the ass… Our universities have been out of control for a long time. They became indoctrination factories. There’s absolutely no diversity of thought.” He […]
Universities Say They Want Pluralism—But Who’s Being Protected?
Neetu Arnold, Paulson Policy Analyst at the Manhattan Institute, is sounding the alarm on the false promises of campus reform. “A lot of these universities still have much deeper work to do… I don’t think it’s about intellectual diversity. I think it’s about protecting certain activist departments from further scrutiny.” At a time when many […]
Are Federal Research Dollars Being Spent Wisely? A Look at Pennsylvania’s University Grants
The Center Square team has taken a close look at how federal grant money is distributed among Pennsylvania’s leading universities—and the findings raise important questions about spending priorities. Among the grants reviewed: $673,000 awarded to Penn State to study unintended consequences of immigration enforcement. $480,000 to the University of Pittsburgh for countering COVID-19 misinformation. $300,000 […]
Conviction and Curiosity: How One Christian University Embraces Viewpoint Diversity
At Pepperdine University, Dr. Robert George explains why viewpoint diversity is essential, even at a private Christian institution. “We believe we know a few truths… but we are fallible, and we don’t know them perfectly and fully. We have more to learn…” For George, learning requires openness to challenge: “We can learn by challenging each […]
