Commentary

The Perils of Trashing the Value of College

A former U.S. secretary of education says a new book doesn’t appreciate that yesterday’s useless knowledge becomes tomorrow’s practical necessity.

Gender Gap

2 Lawsuits Highlight Pay Gap for Female Administrators

Women in jobs like dean or assistant vice provost get paid 80 cents for every dollar that men in similar positions are paid, a disparity that has lingered for at least 15 years.

Government

How Russian Trolls Used Higher Ed to Sow Discord Online

At least 129 Twitter accounts associated with a Kremlin-aligned propaganda outfit, the Internet Research Agency, tweeted and retweeted about issues pertinent to higher education from 2015 to 2017, according to a Chronicle analysis.

The Chronicle Review

The Professor of Horrible Deeds

Fred Berlin has done decades of pioneering research on pedophilia — and outraged a lot of people along the way.

Athletics

Several Universities May Be Implicated in Basketball Probe, New Report Suggests

A report by Yahoo Sports suggests that a federal investigation of bribery in college basketball could involve at least 20 big-time programs.

Lessons for College Leaders

Looking for tips on how to get faculty members on board with a new initiative? Want advice from veteran presidents? We’ve compiled articles from Idea Lab, our section on colleges solving problems, to help you be a better leader. Buy a copy here.

The Graduate Adviser

The Grief of the Ex-Academic

And what the decision to leave the professoriate behind says about graduate education.

Advice

Scholars Talk Writing: Lillian Faderman

The mother of lesbian history says, “For me, my writing has been my activism.”

Lingua Franca

When ‘But’ Means ‘That ... Not’

English syntax does change, says Geoff Pullum, but hardly at all over short time spans like 100 years. Failing to realize that is one of the mistakes made by doom-mongers who believe English itself is under threat.