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 […]
Noam Chomsky’s Searing Critique of Postmodernism and Academia
Noam Chomsky delivers one of the most scathing critiques of college professors and the postmodern intellectual trend. “There’s a lot of material reward that comes from it. If you’re part of that system, you can run around conferences, land prestigious professorships, and all that.” “As a general phenomenon, it has served to insulate sectors of […]
Defending the Open Mind: Heterodox Academy’s Fight for Free Inquiry
What’s happening on college campuses today is a symptom of a broader national crisis involving tribalism and threats to free speech. Heterodox Academy—an advocacy group comprised largely of academics dedicated to promoting viewpoint diversity and open inquiry in higher education—calls attention to a vocal minority that uses online platforms to magnify divisive opinions and create […]
Reason Over Reaction: Rhetoric as a Tool for Resilience
Dr. Erec Smith, professor of rhetoric and composition at York College of Pennsylvania, co-founder of Free Black Thought, and research fellow at the Cato Institute, doesn’t tell his students to just “buck up.” Instead, he arms them with emotional intelligence, stoic philosophy, and the tools of rhetoric to face adversity with clarity and strength. “The […]
