Good questions can take a long time to answer. Earlier this month in a special election Houston voters decisively rejected a city ordinance protecting citizens from discrimination. The issue, framed as liberal versus conservative conflict, attracted national attention. Sports figures, religious leaders, actors, and even the White House weighed in. Supporters argued that the law would protect people…
Author: David Potash
Missoula: Crime Upon Crime
John Krakauer’s Missoula: Rape and the Justice System in a College Town is hard-hitting journalism, a powerful work that stays with you and makes you think. When problems occur that involve the most visible in college life – varsity athletics – media attention is immediate. When those problems are crimes that involve college football players, media…
Access ≠ Access, and Other Lessons from the Digital Divide
My college, like many other institutions of higher education, is working to increase the number of students who complete degrees and certificates in IT fields. We partner with high schools, external organizations, other colleges and universities, and industry. There is genuine enthusiasm for the goal and widespread agreement that information technology knowledge and skills are essential…
What’s In Your Bundle? A Pared-Down Future for Higher Education
When I used to think of bundling, two thoughts come to mind. The first is colonial America’s enthusiasm for torturing love-struck adolescents. Parents would place young couples in a bed with a wooden “bundling” board between them. The covers would be tied down and the aspiring couple would be able to converse and sleep, but…
Facts Before Changes
Fall term is well underway at my college. The hallways are full, with lingering, chatting, and many hugs and handshakes. Students do more than rush to the next class. Sometimes it feels like an ongoing shared endeavor, a community working together. If you are seeking reassurance about the state of higher education, a few days in…
Community College Agenda – Shared Presidential Perspectives
I recently had an opportunity to talk shop with a dozen community college presidents from around the country. The similarities – personal and professional – were fascinating. We are all focused, somewhat intense people, and we all have a passion for all things academic. We are, in a sense, higher education nerds. Being in the…
Disappointment and Higher Expectations Writ Large
We know them from class: they are smart, often male, and they tend to sit in the front of the room, close to the lectern. They are well read, well-informed, and they raise their hands before speaking. They come before class and stay after. They always have something to say – but they do not ask real…