Blogs

A guest post with some good news; there is hope.

Sometimes the best way to tell what’s occupying me is to see the open tabs in my browser. I just closed eight that had to do with the recent Atlantic piece by Anne-Marie Slaughter, “Why Women Still Can’t Have it All.” The responses I’ve been interested in focus mostly on what it might mean to “have it all” rather than taking up the well-trodden “mommy wars” positions that have become so predictable as to be boring. Perhaps the furthest from Slaughter’s original piece is Tim Kreider’s “The Busy Trap,” a lovely paean to what he calls laziness, but may simply be sustainable living.

I asked an old friend of mine who happens to be an expert in finance why we maybe shouldn't just go ahead and tax the rich, even though they're doing disproportionately well.

A new correspondent writes: Vitals > Ph.D., English/literature; associate professor at community college; eight months from tenure; 45 years-old Past...

This past Friday was the 5th anniversary of the launch of the iPhone. Over at the NYTimes Bits blog Brian Chen, author of Always On: How the iPhone Unlocked the Anything-Anytime-Anywhere Future -- and Locked Us In, has some observations about how the iPhone changed phone and software industries.

The rush of the end-of-semester, then the let-down, then the onset of the summer months can often inspire reflection in academics on our classroom practices, our research, and our other responsibilities. Have I achieved a manageable work-life balance this year? (Haha, surely you jest.) How can I make this class work better next semester? What can I hope to accomplish this summer in terms of my research? How am I going to pay the bills (those off the tenure track and/or have 9-month contracts paid over 9-months understand)?

Microsoft wants Google's market share in higher education applications. They want it badly enough that they are prepared to deal with us. They come to the table with an understanding of our needs. They answer the phone when you call. They get FERPA, and what it takes to meet requirements for HIPAA, including a Business Associates Agreement. They use a real contract, not one by URL. They are even willing to provide financial assistance (as was reported to be the case for the University of Nebraska) for implementation.

Last week we invited you to vote on the most important topics in higher education. We are seeing some consistent areas of interest.