Volume 59, Issue 16: December 14, 2012

News

Pay and Perks Creep Up for Private-College Presidents

Some of the highest paid get cash to cover taxes, too.
At Ohio State, Sports Plays It Straight

The Buckeyes are spending more than $1-million a year to supersize their rules-enforcement staff.
In a Secret Classroom in Georgia, Immigrants Learn to Hope

Freedom University offers them a path to college in a state where they are banned from several top universities.
School's Curriculum Director Wins Build-Your-Own-College Contest

College of the Global Village, envisioned by Peter Schmidt, would emphasize experiential learning in eight-week blocks of study.
From Freedom U. to Syracuse U.: One Student's Story

Keish Kim had a lifetime of being told to be guarded, in both actions and ambitions. Then she heard about a classroom in Athens, Ga.
Doctoral Degrees Rose in 2011, but Career Options Weren't So Rosy

A National Science Foundation survey shows a gain in degrees awarded and a decline in the share of degree recipients with job or postdoc commitments.
NSF's Premier Graduate Grant Program Gets an Overseas Expansion

Some research fellows will now be offered a fourth year working at a university lab abroad.
After Century of Dispute, Peru and Yale Join Together to Give Incan Artifacts a Home

Even during the public fight, academics from both countries were collaborating on the best way to preserve the legacy of Machu Picchu.
Educators, Employers, and Jobless Graduates Point Fingers at Roots of Unemployment

Lack of communication and understanding among the three groups help explain the millions of young graduates without jobs, a report says.
Providers of Free MOOC's Now Charge Employers for Access to Student Data

Several high-profile tech companies have already signed up for Coursera's new employee-matching service. Udacity offers a similar service.
AAUP Outlines Concerns About Yale's Collaboration With Singapore

In an open letter, the association asks Yale to release information about how it is dealing with issues related to Singapore's record on political and civil liberties.
'Metro' Unionizing Strategy Is Viewed as a Means to Empower Adjunct Faculty

Speakers at a forum praised a strategy being tried in Washington, D.C., that seeks to rally local support for adjuncts and turn market forces to their advantage.
Michigan Union's Report Challenges Assumptions About Adjuncts' Pay

The report, which comes as contract talks begin, seeks to compare and value the services provided by major segments of the academic work force.
Ph.D.'s From Top Political-Science Programs Dominate Hiring, Research Finds

Departments at 11 elite universities provide half of the field's tenured and tenure-track professors, according to an analysis of more than 3,000 professors.
Carnegie, the Founder of the Credit-Hour, Seeks Its Makeover

Ideas for what should replace the century-old metric include some measure of competency instead of time spent in class.
Players: Report Describes Disturbing Racial Inequities in 6 Powerful Sports Conferences

At institutions that won the four most recent BCS national championships, just 42 percent of black athletes graduate within six years, a new study has found.
U. of Louisiana's New President Will Look at How Faculty Measure Up

Sandra K. Woodley, who struggled to finish college herself, is a champion of using data analysis to cut costs and predict student success.
Policy Leader to Shift From Gates Foundation to College Board

Stefanie Sanford, who favors making educational standards more consistent across the country, will join the College Board, which oversees the SAT.
Transitions: Louisiana Tech Gets New President; Controversy Over Former Mexican President's Appointment at Harvard

An online petition asks Harvard not to let Felipe Calderón become a fellow there. Read about that and other job-related news.

The Chronicle Review

The Constitution: Who Needs It?

Louis Michael Seidman wants to scrap America's foundational document, and he has anticipated your objections.
Book-Review Angst

Bracing for readers' reactions to one's book is agony, but something would be terribly wrong if you didn't care.
Long Walks, Deep Thoughts

When the legs are in motion, intellectual history suggests, the mind often follows.
The Saint Who Would Be Santa

No, Virginia, there is not a Santa Claus. But there was a St. Nicholas.
Size Isn't Everything

Learning mash-ups have more potential than MOOC-centered, profit-squeezing, online economies of scale.
Poetry Makes You Weird

More important, it helps you understand the weirdness around you.
What We'll Settle For

While a choice may not be optimal, making it anyway, and accepting the inherent trade-offs, might be the best move you can make.

Commentary

Athletes Need Education for Life, Not Eligibility at Any Cost

Academic advisers who work with college sports programs need to push back against stereotypes by putting students first.
How China's Elite Universities Will Have to Change

As Chinese universities move up in world rankings, their systems for peer review must meet world-class standards.
Become Need-Blind? For Colleges, It's the Wrong Question

Look beyond the label to get to the heart of the matter. Is the college committing resources to a socioeconomically diverse student body? Or just talking about it?
Phony Majors for Athletes Signal Our Surrender

“Crafting yet another phony major signals that we have given up in the important goal of providing athletes with the same quality college education that all students...