Academe Today

Leadership & Governance

How Did Michigan State’s Interim Chief Squander a Chance to Heal?

John Engler’s blundering three months in office have inexplicably positioned the former governor as an adversary of the women who survived Larry Nassar’s sexual abuse.

Students

A White Student Called the Police on a Black Student Who Was Napping. Yale Says It’s ‘Deeply Troubled.’

The black student said she had nodded off while writing a paper in the common area of their dorm. Videos of what happened went viral.

Faculty

What a Twitter Tussle Exposed About Intergenerational Friction Among Faculty

The stark job-market downturn since the 2008 recession has fueled long-simmering tensions.

From the Archives

The Long Odds of the Tenure-Track Job Search

The Chronicle looks at the applications submitted for two positions in the humanities, where the competition is stiff and candidates are often in the dark.

Teaching

How Your Office Could Inspire Student Collaboration

To foster faculty-student interactions, some campuses are designing better spaces for them to meet.

Campus Life

Duke’s President Apologizes for Barista Firings That Followed Administrator’s Complaint

Vincent E. Price said the employees, who were dismissed after the vice president for student affairs complained about a rap song they were playing, had faced “unfair treatment.”

Global

NYU’s Abu Dhabi Campus May Still Be Exploiting Workers, Report Says

Policy failings and lack of public responsibility persist at NYU, according to the report. The university disputed the report’s accuracy and released its own, showing progress.

The Adult Student: The Population Colleges — and the Nation — Can’t Afford to Ignore

America’s adult students have long been an afterthought in higher education. But demographic changes and economic pressures will soon require institutions to expand their horizons. This Chronicle report explores the growing imperative for colleges to support the adult-student movement.

Commentary

Here’s Why Politically Motivated Philanthropy Is Dangerous

The Charles Koch Foundation’s influence at George Mason University is disturbing, but the future may be even more alarming as a continuing reduction in public funding leaves colleges vulnerable.

Commentary

All College Giving Should Be Held to the Same Standard

A representative of the Charles Koch Foundation says its philanthropy to colleges is being unfairly maligned.

Lingua Franca

Why Do Journalists Call What They Produce ‘Pieces’?

Ben Yagoda looks at the long history of words that those in the business have used to indicate what’s under the byline.