The University Elite, Reconsidered
The definition of an elite education has been undergoing revision of late, as top universities from Harvard to Columbia to Northwestern have too often betrayed their commitment to free inquiry on campus. A new ranking system aims to better capture excellence in key tenets of a college education. The Manhattan Institute’s City Journal looked at […]
Viewpoint Diversity Could Soon Be One-Sided
Viewpoint Diversity Could Soon Be One-Sided Higher ed critics say colleges lack viewpoint diversity. And to some extent that’s true. For decades faculty have skewed left politically. But there’s a problem with how we are—or are not—defining viewpoint diversity that could lead to less, not more, plurality on campuses. Much like God, money or Taylor […]
The ‘Best’ Colleges Aren’t the Best Forever
For decades, higher education seemed immune to market forces, as families stretched to pay almost any price for a top-ranked college. Prestige was seen as synonymous with enduring value: Harvard would always be Harvard, Yale would always be Yale, followed by the Northwesterns and the Cornells, with aspirants such as the University of Southern California […]
My Alma Mater is Quashing Conservative Speech … So We Filed a Civil Rights Complaint
“On Sept. 5, we filed a civil rights complaint with the Department of Education and the Department of Justice against our alma mater, Davidson College. We did not make this decision out of anger towards Davidson but from our hope that Davidson can become an institution of free expression that encourages students to pursue truth. […]
Trump’s Higher-Ed Compact Is Fine
If contrariness were an academic discipline, American colleges would lead the world in its study. Such is the lesson of the Trump administration’s higher-ed “compact,” a 10-point bargain offered to nine elite universities earlier this month. Citing American colleges’ “extraordinary relationship with the U.S. government,” the document asks universities to practice admissions fairness, encourage civil […]
Furman’s Future: A Response to the Recent Downgrade in Furman’s Fitch Rating
I graduated from Furman University in 1968 and completed a master’s degree in chemistry there in 1970. I have loved Furman for the 61 years since I arrived on campus for the first time — alone, in a taxi, after a 28-hour bus ride from Miami to Greenville. Furman was a life-changing experience for me, […]
Vanderbilt University’s Chancellor Sees the Problem—Can He Find a Solution?
Universities have let progressive dogma degrade their academic missions, eviscerating public faith in higher education. College leaders willing to admit this truth are rare. Vanderbilt University chancellor Daniel Diermeier is one. He has long been a champion of political neutrality and has called out the politicization of scholarly associations—approaches other university leaders are only now […]
“$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 […]
