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Opinion
Friday Fragments
Quote from program accreditation visiting team leader yesterday: “Surprisingly, the faculty seem to respect the administration.” I think that’s what they call a left-handed compliment.
Opinion
Write it Down, Go to Sleep
It can be quite exhilarating when you’ve been sitting on a problem a long time and, after allowing your mind to wander, the solution comes when you least expect it. Research has even shown that there is an upside to zoning out. But what happens when this great idea comes to you at 2 AM?
Opinion
Overcoming a Day Full of #Fail
As I walked to work, doing that risky thing of reading on my phone while crossing streets, I discovered Friendfeed was down. Friendfeed is where I get all my information, inspiration, and hot news. It’s where I go to vent when I’m frustrated. It also has a nice widget that I’ve embedded in many of my websites, from my CV to my obsessive catalog of Scandinavian crime fiction translations. When Friendfeed goes down, my pages get messed up, and I can’t go to my usual watering hole to complain, because . . . well it’s down. Instead, I went to Twitter to see if anyone knew what was going on. Nope, just lots of consternation.
Opinion
Math Geek Mom: Bagpipes on Tuesday
I was just finishing a proof we would be discussing in my Calculus III class this past Tuesday when I heard the bagpipes.
Opinion
Fewer letters, shorter time frame
Lots of what sustainability administrators do is administrative/operational. Most of the rest is strategic (as noted previously). But what I've noticed is that what I'm working on -- or at least the level of abstraction that I'm working on -- affects how I communicate with folks. It's not absolutely determinative, but it's a major influence. My alleged mind requires time and effort to shift between the pragmatic and the abstract.
Opinion
Talkin' 'Bout My Generation
Berkeley and Mario Savio are typically held up as the higher ed symbols of the '60s. John Thelin argues that Mitt Romney and Harvard's M.B.A./J.D. program complete the portrait.
Opinion
Why FERPA Is Unconstitutional
The Supreme Court's reasoning in its ruling on President Obama's health care law should undermine a student privacy law that colleges often abuse to hide information that should be public, writes Frank LoMonte.
Opinion
You Make the Call!
Colleges have an alarming number of moving parts. This week I discovered that some advisors on campus have been encouraging students to sign up for online sections of certain classes with the understanding that if they decide they don’t like the online format, they can switch to onsite versions during the add/drop period. It’s a way to stick a toe in the water.