 Chapel Hill Dynasty
The new chancellor of UNC-Chapelhill is likely to not only continue James Moeser's policies, but last a long time.
By Jay Schalin
At first glance, the selection of the new chancellor at UNC-Chapel Hill seems ideal. Indeed, it appears as though Holden Thorp was not just groomed for the job, but created for it.
Thorp has a long track record as a brilliant scientist, and as an outstanding educator who relates extremely well to students. He has also held several lesser administrative posts on the Chapel Hill campus, including the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. There is no reason to think he did not perform them admirably.
Thorp also bleeds “Tar Heel Blue”--he is a third-generation alumni. He is young, clever, and charismatic. With his photogenic wife and children by his side, it is hard to imagine a more perfect individual to represent and run the state’s flagship university.
But the fact that he has ample leadership ability tells us little about direction he will lead the university to.
Read more here »
Legal Education in North Carolina
A new report from the Pope Center recommends ways to increase the availability of low-cost legal education in North Carolina. It discusses the state’s law schools in detail, using available data about student outcomes such as student debt load and salaries upon graduation.
“Legal Education in North Carolina,” by Andrew P. Morriss and William D. Henderson, reveals that North Carolina has a “substantial unmet demand for legal education.” Signs of this unmet demand are the fact that its law schools are more selective than most law schools in other states and the state has fewer private-sector lawyers per capita than any other state (758/1).
UNC Education Schools: Helping or Hindering Potential Teachers?
This paper from the John William Pope Center for Higher Education Policy takes a critical look at what is being taught at University of North Carolina teacher education schools. It reveals the overemphasis on so-called “student-centered learning,” also known as “progressivism” and “constructivism.”
“UNC Education Schools: Helping or Hindering Potential Teachers?” by George K. Cunningham, a former professor in educational and counseling psychology at the University of Louisville, concludes that UNC's education schools have major weaknesses when it comes to teaching teachers.
Student Activity Fees: Who Gets What and Who Decides?
Only a small percentage of student activity fees at University of North Carolina campuses are distributed by students to campus organizations, says a new study. The majority of student activity fees are allocated by university administrators for purposes ranging from repairs to a student center to an undergraduate teaching award.
At N.C. State, only $8.85 out of the $363.50 collected per student for activities is distributed by students. At UNC-Chapel Hill, $39 of the $291.30 students must pay each year is given to student government to disburse to student organizations. “Contrary to the general impression, students are almost entirely excluded from the process of disbursing the student activity fee,” says Jenna Ashley Robinson, author of the study, “Student Activity Fees: Who Gets What and Who Decides?”
|
Higher Education Headlines
North Carolina
Laws Don't Matter to Feds
Federal officials say that their own laws don't matter regarding college enrollment of illegal aliens. In the Charlotte Observer. The Gang That Couldn't Talk Straight
An update on the follies and foibles of the Gang of 88--the Duke professors who condemned the school's innocent lacrosse players of raping a stripper. On Minding the Campus. New Face, No Difference
The successor to the outgoing chancellor James Moeser at UNC-Chapel Hill is an inside candidate groomed for the job. In the Raleigh News & Observer.
National
Higher Ed Congress Compromise
This year's federal higher education bill is becoming increasingly complex due to compromises. On insidehighered.com. Religious Controversy at Wheaton
A professor who divorced after many years of teaching is challenging Wheaton College's strict religious standards. In the Wall Street Journal. Youtube Nation
Colleges are turning to putting videos on Youtube to advertise. In the Washington Post.
Opinion
Goodbye to the B.A.
An insidehighered.com article asks whether the 4-year college degree makes sense many centuries after thte tradition was started. Doubts about that Sheepskin
Adding the letters B.A. after your name may not make you productive or rich, says George Leef in the Charlotte Observer. UDel Indoctrination Lives On
Tom Wood of the National Association of Scholars says that an infamous Univ. of Delaware orientation program is being quietly pushed forward by administrators. |
