Penn State's Culture of Reverence Led to 'Total Disregard' for Children's Safety

The Freeh report paints an ugly picture of leaders' turning a blind eye to abuse on their campus.

How the Penn State Report Implicates Top Officials

The report paints a damning portrait of how they handled sex-abuse charges. We break down which administrators knew what—and why they failed to act.

A Powerful President Sought First to Protect His University's Reputation

Thus far Graham B. Spanier has not faced criminal liability for his role. That may soon change.

Freeh Report Calls for Overhaul of 'the Penn State Way'

In more than 100 recommendations, the document lays out how Penn State should change its culture, governance, and compliance policies.

Job-Placement Statistics Are Hardly the Whole Story

As colleges and lawmakers seek better data about the employment success of graduates, a lack of standardized tracking makes much of the information unreliable.

Denied Tenure, a Professor Burns His BridgesKicker

One professor's campaign to reverse his tenure decision has probably ended his academic career. But he isn't sorry.

At Libraries, Quiet Makes a Comeback

Academic libraries aren't the quiet temples to scholarship they used to be. And students miss that atmosphere.

Colleges Wary of Global Economy's Effect on Foreign Enrollments

A falloff from India and China is worrisome, especially after increases in the number of overseas students offered the only bright spot amid budget woes.

The Economically Troubled College Town

It's no fun to be an institution stuck in, say, Stockton, Calif. But some colleges are stepping up to help their towns.

Armando Montaño, Former Chronicle Intern, Dies at 22

The recent graduate of Grinnell College was found dead in Mexico City, where he was working for the Associated Press.

Colleges Feel the Heat in Gas Boom

Higher education can hardly ignore the money and jobs that shale-gas drilling brings. But colleges also have a role in protecting their communities.

Risk-Taking Retired Army Officer to Train New Leaders at Yale

Thomas A. Kolditz, who compares leading a business to leading soldiers in combat, will direct a program to teach future executives how to be in charge.

Why I Moved: Computer Scientist Leaves UCLA for the Fledgling CornellNYC Tech

Deborah Estrin, a computer scientist who is doing research on how phone apps can help provide personalized health care, is the first outside hire for the new tech campus.

Transitions: Florida A&M U. President to Step Down; New Leader at U. of Southern Maine

James H. Ammons announced he would resign his post at the university, which was roiled by a fatal hazing incident. Read about that and other job-related news.

A Virtual Voice on Chinese Campuses

Facebook-like sites such as Renren.com are rallying students toward a new kind of activism, to improve conditions at universities.

Why We Need the Physical Campus

Michael Haggans, a visiting scholar at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, talks about how people describe their favorite places on campuses. What's yours?

Zombies on the Brain

Their tongue-in-cheek talks on the undead have made them minor celebrities. But public outreach, even when it promotes science, can hurt academics' careers.

Online Service Works With Colleges to Get Students Registered to Vote

TurboVote hopes to make the process so convenient that turnout will grow substantially.

JoPa, Turf of a Different Color, and Human Wickets

Glimpses of life in academe from around the world.

The Strange Neuroscience of Immortality

Kenneth Hayworth wants to plastinate his brain and have it uploaded to a computer to achieve an immortal consciousness. Is he brilliant? Is he crazy? Is he both?

Against Reading Lists

No two classes are the same. Ideally, their readings shouldn’t be either.

Dreaming of a World Without Intellectuals

Confronted by social upheaval, conservative scholars tend to blame other scholars. That's a dangerous game.

Marilyn's Bewitched Biographers

But new theoretical readings, including third-wave feminists' embrace, may shed more light on our era than they do on the actress herself.

The Vagaries of Sin

A scholar of early Christianity argues that perdition has evolved.

Under the Scholar's Tree

You can have your smart classroom. The best lessons take place between roots and branches.

Learning From Ted Kaczynski

Vengeful Tiger, Glowing Rabbit

People treat animals in bizarre and beastly ways.

Human Rights in the Humanities

It sounds like a simple, powerful curricular motif. But the closer you look, the more complicated and paradoxical it gets.

The Global University Press

The growth of transnational scholarship and the expansion of digital communications networks are converging in ways that have transformed academic publishing.

The Corporate Education of a Union Organizer

Management principles weren't principled enough.

Weekly Book List, July 23, 2012

Descriptions of the latest books, divided by category.

Why the Morrill Act Still Matters

The law reminds us that American higher education is publicly supported, even at private institutions, and that most colleges and students could not survive without that...

For Penn State's Leaders, an Indictment of Malfeasance

Sometimes good people make bad decisions. But that truism doesn't measure up here. Not one top official in the know chose to step forward and do the right thing.

A Better Way to Protect College Athletes

Sickle-cell trait can cause students to die unexpectedly after intense exercise. But mandatory testing isn't a quick fix.

Berkeley Stadium Overhaul Relies on Tested Model

"The value of seats sold to date exceeds $144-million, and even though the stadium is still under construction, my department is already assured of sufficient revenue to meet...

Of Eleazar's Martyrdom and Court Precedents

"The courts have held that it is not sufficient to assert only religious reasons. The issues must be resolved on secular grounds."

An 'Unprecedented Assault on Religious Liberty'

"One of the great strengths of Catholic organizations such as hospitals, colleges, and social-service agencies is that they do not discriminate on the basis of religion."

The Precarious Profession of University President

Caught between boards demanding change and faculties resisting it, college chiefs seem to have few options. It's no wonder their tenures are shrinking.

How Leaders Can Bring Sustainability to Campuses

Here's what they can do to champion environmental strategies. It's good business.

The Adviser and the Committee

We rightly worry about dissertation writing becoming too solitary, but what about dissertation advising?

'No DH, No Interview'

What does the future hold for graduate students who are riding the digital-humanities bandwagon?