Blogs

Almost two hundred people watch my poetry lectures now. It's a very global group.

What can we learn about innovation in higher ed from the electric car?

We had the honor of hosting an A-list panel of education entrepreneurs as part of our Strategy and Competition in Higher Education class last week to discuss new entrants to the higher education industry. We had a lively discussion, bookended by two questions, one present and one future: what have been the biggest industry changes? And what ought traditional institutions be wary of in the future?

What if we only worked 40 hours a week in higher education?

Professional service is one of the many elements of becoming a professional that many graduate students don't consider to be an important component of graduate school. It often slides under the radar, somewhere well below writing, research, and teaching. While almost all students understand the importance of joining professional organizations, attending conferences, and presenting at those conferences, few take their involvement beyond that step. However, there are many different ways to be involved in your professional organization, and a number of important reasons to do so. Many graduate students don't know how to become involved, or what options for student involvement exist. And, like anything else, taking on service responsibilities has its drawbacks.

The Big Bang Theory and the Republican Primary have more in common than one might think. The comedy follows a Caltech particle physicist’s pathetic attempts to deal with the irrational world around him. The fictional physicist, Sheldon Cooper, is pure. He wishes only to understand the physical order of the universe without the messy passions that pollute other people’s lives.

In thinking about teaching persuasion, I revisited a 1965 debate between Buckley and Baldwin and maybe discover a thing or two for myself.

I read with interest the recent article in Inside Higher Education regarding the retiring President of Westminster College preparing for retirement by compiling an eportfolio. President Bassis prepared the eportfolio both “to reflect on his 41 years in higher education…but also as a way to communicate to students and faculty members his steadfast belief in electronic portfolios as a method of cataloging and assessing student work.”