This post is an essay by Bruce Kimball and Sarah Iler that was published recently in Inside Higher Ed. Here's a link to the original. Drawing on their new book -- Wealth, Cost, and Price in American Higher Education -- they argue that leaders of elite universities are engaged in an endless pursuit of financial resources, … Continue reading Bruce Kimball and Sarah Iler — College Leaders as Cookie Monsters
This post is Gary Smith's modest proposal on "How to fix college finances." His answer: "Eliminate faculty, then students." It appeared as a guest essay recently in the Washington Post. Here's a link to the original. Enjoy this ride into the wonderful world of Jonathan Swift. How to fix college finances? Eliminate faculty, then students. By Gary … Continue reading A Modest Proposal
This post is a lovely essay about that central academic institution, the endowed chair. It's written by a professor who wants one. Every professor does. Not because it brings money and power but because it offers the key form of academic compensation -- a little bit of fame. It picks up on a theme I've … Continue reading Buy Me a Chair
This post is a piece from the The Economist about the cost of attending American universities. It pushes back against the conventional wisdom about the excessive cost burden that these institutions impose on students. The spin is one I like, which is that universities have an incentive to appear more expensive than they really are. … Continue reading Sticker Shocker: US Universities Aren’t as Expensive as They Look
David Labaree on Schooling, History, and Writing 