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From the issue dated April 11, 2008 |
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Short SubjectsANATOMY OF A CAMPUS LEGENDTales about college life pass from campus to campus. Some even have a grain of truth. MASCOT WATCHThe chancellor of Arkansas State brings lessons on American Indian mascots from North Dakota, Texas A&M mulls a mutt, and more. PRESIDENTIAL SPIN: The new leader of the University of Richmond will play DJ at his inaugural celebration. ANNALS OF FLACKERY: Cornell University Law School saw the Eliot Spitzer spectacle as a Shakespearean drama and an irresistible public-relations opportunity. Research & BooksTHE POET AS SAVIORIn his day, Walt Whitman was regarded not just as a literary light, but as a spiritual one, writes Michael Robertson. BOLEYN FOR DOLLARSHollywood finds rich possibilities in portraying the Tudor queen as vixen or victim. But Henry VIII's second wife was a far more complex and captivating figure, writes Susan Bordo. FIGHTING WORDSThe soldiers writing poetry about Iraq focus eloquently on the particular and the personal. The political can't be far behind, writes James A. Winn. ANATOMY OF A CAMPUS LEGENDTales about college life pass from campus to campus. Some even have a grain of truth. HOT TYPE: In a spat with a publisher, a scholarly foundation won the legal right to control its journal's content. CRITICAL MASS: Reactions to William Deresiewicz on the implosion of literary studies. NOTA BENE: BOOTS ON THE GROUND: The Army Reservists' role in Iraq; the soldier as depicted in American culture; and a film about troops facing yet another tour of duty. The FacultyWAITING FOR THE WORDThis month in Washington, Pope Benedict will address more than 200 presidents of Catholic colleges. Despite decades of tension between American institutions and the Vatican, many Catholic educators expect a positive message. DIVVYING UP THE RAISE POOLIn assigning pay raises, a department head can't avoid making judgments about each professor's productivity. GUEST SPEAKERSA professor who invited a visiting writer to his class envisioned a stimulating dialogue, not awkward silences. What went wrong? BREAD-AND-BUTTER ISSUES: At a joint conference of two faculty-member unions, practical matters predominated, including the promotion of diversity among faculty members. PEER REVIEW: A Harvard sociologist joins the flow of American academics to the University of British Columbia ... The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign hires its first director of American Indian studies ... A former president of the Association of American Law Schools is back in its director's seat. Information TechnologyLISTEN UPColleges are embracing low-tech, low-cost outdoor sirens as part of their emergency-response plans. INFO JUNKIESThe Web just concentrates the print narcotic to which society has long been addicted, writes John Summers. LINKED IN WITH: Howard Rheingold, a scholar who argues that professors have a responsibility to teach students about blogging and wikis. Money & ManagementSUSTAINABLE, BUT AT WHAT COST?A certification program developed by the U.S. Green Building Council is a popular way for colleges to "go green," but some officials say they can build environmentally sound facilities more cheaply. CALIFORNIA SCHEMIN'A pair of East Coast types hitch up the wagons and head west to do a little prospecting. AND THE WINNER IS...: An associate professor of biomedical communications at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center beat out 120 other contestants to win The Chronicle's Back-of-the-Envelope Bush Library design contest. THINKING BIG: Mark G. Yudof, newly appointed president of the University of California, talks with The Chronicle about how he plans to promote the California system and draw top talent to its faculty. HOW MUCH WAS THAT? Colleges are cutting costs without keeping careful track of the amount they have saved, according to a new report. ACCREDITATION UPDATE: Recent actions by regional bodies. INEXPERIENCED FUND RAISERS: A new report sheds light on a growing concern for many small colleges: trustees falling down on the job. TOWARD CARBON NEUTRALITY: At the Smart and Sustainable campus conference, a vice chancellor at the University of California at Irvine touted the virtues of not driving. TURNING THE TABLES: A former dean at Kaplan University who has accused the for-profit institution of defrauding taxpayers has been indicted on charges that he hacked into Kaplan's computer network. PRESIDENTIAL SPIN: The new leader of the University of Richmond will play DJ at his inaugural celebration. Government & PoliticsGOOD SHEPHERDS AREN'T SHEEPISHThe Rev. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr., as seen by his congregant, friend, and former professor, is not the hater that news clips portray, writes Martin E. Marty. NEW ALLIES: For-profit colleges are reaching out to freshmen in the U.S. House of Representatives, especially the Democrats. IN CASE OF EMERGENCY: The Education Department has issued guidelines to loan-guarantee agencies on how a "lender of last resort" program would work. MORE BAD NEWS: Colleges facing state-budget cuts may be further harmed by reported drops in state revenues. StudentsGETTING STUDENTS WHERE THEY LIVEUndergraduates complained about the outdated dormitories at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. So down they come, and $270-million in new housing is going up. AthleticsMASCOT WATCHThe chancellor of Arkansas State brings lessons on American Indian mascots from North Dakota, Texas A&M mulls a mutt, and more. InternationalAMERICAN JUSTICEStudents at a California law school engage in projects both silly and serious in an attempt to aid legal reform in Chile. A NEW GLOBAL MIND-SETRhetoric about internationalizing education is not enough, writes Clara M. Lovett. Students must learn to understand how others perceive and interpret the world. REPRESSION IN IRANAuthorities have shut down the reformist monthly women's magazine Zanan. But they can't halt the enlightened impulses it represents, writes Haleh Esfandiari. CommentaryWHAT INFORMATION AGE?Today's college students have tuned out the world, writes Ted Gup, and it's partly educators' faults. A NEW GLOBAL MIND-SETRhetoric about internationalizing education is not enough, writes Clara M. Lovett. Students must learn to understand how others perceive and interpret the world. VOLUNTARY RISKS: Volunteers are a helpful, vital presence on any college campus, writes Nancy Tribbensee. But proper screening, training, and oversight are essential. GREEN BOOKS: Cynthia N. Malone on what professors can do to reduce the environmental costs of publishing. The Chronicle ReviewTHE POET AS SAVIORIn his day, Walt Whitman was regarded not just as a literary light, but as a spiritual one, writes Michael Robertson. INFO JUNKIESThe Web just concentrates the print narcotic to which society has long been addicted, writes John Summers. AN EXHAUSTED GROWTH PARADIGMThe 1980s brought a new kind of American business cycle — one that's no longer sustainable, writes Thomas I. Palley. REPRESSION IN IRANAuthorities have shut down the reformist monthly women's magazine Zanan. But they can't halt the enlightened impulses it represents, writes Haleh Esfandiari. BOLEYN FOR DOLLARSHollywood finds rich possibilities in portraying the Tudor queen as vixen or victim. But Henry VIII's second wife was a far more complex and captivating figure, writes Susan Bordo. FIGHTING WORDSThe soldiers writing poetry about Iraq focus eloquently on the particular and the personal. The political can't be far behind, writes James A. Winn. GOOD SHEPHERDS AREN'T SHEEPISHThe Rev. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr., as seen by his congregant, friend, and former professor, is not the hater that news clips portray, writes Martin E. Marty. CRITICAL MASS: Reactions to William Deresiewicz on the implosion of literary studies. NOTA BENE: BOOTS ON THE GROUND: The Army Reservists' role in Iraq; the soldier as depicted in American culture; and a film about troops facing yet another tour of duty. Letters to the EditorChronicle CareersDIVVYING UP THE RAISE POOLIn assigning pay raises, a department head can't avoid making judgments about each professor's productivity. GUEST SPEAKERSA professor who invited a visiting writer to his class envisioned a stimulating dialogue, not awkward silences. What went wrong? CALIFORNIA SCHEMIN'A pair of East Coast types hitch up the wagons and head west to do a little prospecting. DETAILS OF AVAILABLE POSTS, including teaching and research positions in higher education, administrative and executive jobs, and openings outside academe |