Academe Today

Trustees

Most Trustees Believe That Public Approves of Higher Ed

Polling shows deep public skepticism about the purpose and value of higher education. But a majority of the people on colleges’ governing boards don’t acknowledge that attitude, a survey finds.

Faculty

Texas Makes Public Colleges Forbid Contractors to Boycott Israel. A Lawsuit Says That Violates the First Amendment.

The case is the latest development in higher education to call into question restrictions on anti-Israel speech.

Re:Learning

General Education Can Wait, Says an Online-Learning Leader. Here’s Why.

For at-risk students, earning a worthwhile credential right out of the gate can feel like a big win. The president of BYU-Idaho’s online arm says more colleges should keep that in mind.

Leadership

U. of Minnesota Names Joan T.A. Gabel as Its Next President

Gabel, provost of the University of South Carolina at Columbia, was declared Minnesota’s sole finalist last week. But the awkward process reopened old questions about the transparency of presidential searches.

In the Hot Seat

Can These College Presidents Sing Their Fight Song?

Three college presidents try to answer the hard questions about higher education, like whether the faculty really understands the president’s job, and who is the most underrated employee on campus.

Idea Lab: Faculty Diversity

Colleges face growing demands to hire more minority faculty members. But doing so requires revamping how search committees usually operate, confronting unconscious bias, and improving the Ph.D. pipeline. This collection examines how colleges are changing to bolster their faculty ranks with more people from underrepresented minority groups. Get your copy in the Chronicle Store.

The Chronicle Review

The New Science Wars

Radical differences in the humanities and sciences haven’t gone away — they’ve intensified.

Lingua Franca

How Writing to Deadlines Can Hold Your Life Together

Geoff Pullum reflects on the surprising benefits of having to write a Lingua Franca post every week for seven years.