Money

On Administrative Spending, Which Colleges Get the Most Bang for the Buck?

Small liberal-arts colleges pay out much more for administrative costs relative to teaching than do large research universities, the American Council of Trustees and Alumni says in a new report.

The Chronicle Interview

Why We Ask ‘Why?’: A Scientist Tries to Pin Down an Elusive Human Trait

In a new book, the astrophysicist Mario Livio explores the nature of curiosity and its “irresistible appeal.”

The Ticker

Steven Salaita, Whose Revoked Job Offer Inflamed Higher Ed, Says He’s Leaving Academe

The faculty member, known for a position he almost had at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, recently taught at the American University of Beirut.

Leadership & Governance

An Educational ‘Booster Shot’ for America’s Labor Force

Van Ton-Quinlivan, vice chancellor for work-force and economic development for the California Community Colleges, says colleges need to form partnerships with employers to help “stranded workers” get back into the job market.

Students

The Future of Work

In the eyes of many students and their parents, higher education is tied to a job. And yet the world of work is poised to undergo a number of sharp changes over the next 10 years. This report explores the future job market, reinventing colleges’ career services, and higher education’s role in the work force.

Your Daily Briefing

We’ve started a new email, for individual subscribers only, that briefs readers on everything they need to know in higher ed to start the day. Here’s a sample.

Commentary

We Need More, Not Fewer, Collaborations With Tech Companies

Access to data sets and financing would be a lifeline for university-centered research and a public service to an increasingly digitized society.

Lingua Franca

Heat of Life

What do we mean when we talk about trade books? Amitava Kumar explains.

Advice

Have You Stayed Too Long?

An extended tenure as chair can be counterproductive for your department and your career.

Vitae

Fixing Our Job-Market Problem

Career diversity must become the new norm, not an exceptional trend, if graduate education is to thrive in the future.