Blogs

My dissertation director died recently, and thanks to my proximity to New York I was able to attend his memorial service. A series of moving tributes from family and colleagues amplified what I already knew to be true about him: he was a committed teacher, an immensely learned and generous scholar, and he was always and constantly those things, whether lecturing at the local public library on the classics or leading graduate students through the labyrinth of Finnegans Wake.

Here’s a toughie that many parents -- myself included -- face. How do you save up for college when the cost goes up anywhere from five to ten percent per year?

The rush to enroll students to the Pan-African University (PAU) is well underway. The University is racing to disseminate the information on the program; to receive, screen, and select applications; to invite applicants to interview; and to guide and enroll/place students in the designated hubs. On the other hand, the faculty are also to be solicited, recruited and hired; the programs accredited; the academic infrastructure established; the governance structure put in place. All these in three months by September 2012! The Pan-African University is far from ready to enroll students by September 2012. Considerable academic, logistical, technical, legal, management, governance, and public relation activities should be undertaken before rushing students to the system. Or else, the reputation of the program may be severely damaged at the outset.

This is it, the whole thing, selected for you with care and love after many years of Ulysses reading, teaching, and writing. Memorize only a few of these sentences from Joyce's novel, and you will be ready for this year's festivities.

I learned many things from reading Krugman's new book. 3 of which I will share:

Things are moving quickly in higher ed. Ideas that seemed impossible in January are suddenly possible -- making it exciting to think about which of today’s "impossibilities" might exist in the near future.

As the unrest in nearby Quebec continues, I continue to be amazed, although not surprised. The initial proximate cause of what are now nightly public demonstrations (albeit, greatly amplified by the provincial government's passage of a law severely curtailing civil liberties) was a decision to virtually double university tuitions over a ten-year period.

Three years ago, when I first ran for the local school board, I was one of two people running for two seats. The campaign was easy and winning was never in question. My total expenses for that campaign consisted of one first class postage stamp. Three years later, I debated long and hard whether I should run for another term. What finally convinced me to run for reelection was that we are in a critical time for public education and I felt I could make a positive difference.