The disposable academic

Some of Ind.'s best-paid employees do several jobs
Some of the Highest Paid State Employees in Indiana are earning those top wages after having combined several jobs into one, a newspaper analysis shows. The Journal Gazette reported that Peggy Stephens is the Highest Paid non-university employee, collecting $243,000 as both the superintendent and medical director at Madison State Hospital. The former Harvard University faculty member is responsible for the care of more than 150 patients and supervises a dozen doctors. She was among several physi...

The Ivy League Makes Peace with ROTC
The Repeal of the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" law barring gays and Lesbians from serving openly in the Armed Forces won't be implemented for a few months yet, but it will immediately lead elite colleges to begin to reconcile with the Military training program kicked off college campuses more than four decades ago. Harvard University President Drew Gilpin Faust promised in a November joint appearance with Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Adm. Mike Mullen at the school's Institute of Politics that the ...

U.S. students crossing the pond for college
When Adelaide Waldrop learned that she had been consigned to the wait list at each of the four universities she wanted most to attend, it was as if all the excitement had drained from her collegiate quest. Then she remembered her wild-card school: the University of St. Andrews, the medieval cobblestone campus in Scotland. Now Waldrop, of Silver Spring, is a St. Andrews sophomore, one of a growing number of American Students who enroll at top-ranked British universities, which offer the prest...

Where would be the best place to live in 2035? 2060?
I often get asked the question where should people live, so that’s the question of this week’s open thread. Trying to understand that question is one of the reasons why I ultimately decided to read Matthew Kahn’s Climatopolis:  How Our Cities Will Thrive in the Hotter Future, even though I knew its main Thesis was deeply flawed.  I don’t think you’ll find any answers in that book, as I’ve written. You have to start with the science: A stunning year in clim...

Thatcher, Reagan, and Those Revolting British Students
The images of violent Protests in London coming in from across the pond are disturbing to most Americans. But if some are tempted to find comfort in the idea that what is going on over there could never happen here, they should think again. At issue in the United Kingdom is the announced policy change, more than a year under discussion and review, to subsidize less of the College Tuition of Students. In the recent past, the top amount (calculated here in dollars) a student would pay for a year'...

Senate Blocks the DREAM Act
Do it for the kids, their communities and the country’s long-term economic health. That’s the message Secretary of Education Arne Duncan was sending both Democrats and Republicans in the Senate regarding the DREAM Act vote that happened today. Unfortunately, they didn't listen. Although the senate voted 55-41 in favor of the DREAM act, they failed to get the 60 votes necessary to prevent a Republican Filibuster and bring the bill to the floor. Calling it a “personal battle̶...

Thatcher, Reagan, and Those Revolting British Students
The images of violent Protests in London coming in from across the pond are disturbing to most Americans. But if some are tempted to find comfort in the idea that what is going on over there could never happen here, they should think again. At issue in the United Kingdom is the announced policy change, more than a year under discussion and review, to subsidize less of the College Tuition of Students. In the recent past, the top amount (calculated here in dollars) a student would pay for a year'...

Malavika Jain Bambawale: Access to power would spark an economic revolution for many
There are close to 1.5 billion people globally without access to electricity. Unfortunately, in today's world it is almost impossible to find viable income-generating activities without access to electricity. Renewable Energy technologies (RETs) are invaluable to those who live outside the boundaries of Power Grids. The Renewable Energy Policy Network for the 21st Century estimates that there are tens of millions of rural households served by renewable en ADVERTISEMENT ergy globally - a mere d...

Paid to Leave: Generous Teacher Buyouts at East Lansing Public Schools
An early-retirement incentive may actually have some East Lansing Public School Teachers putting off Retirement in hopes of getting a lucrative seniority Bonus, says Michael Van Beek, the director of education policy at the Mackinac Center for Public Policy. East Lansing gives its top three teachers in seniority up to 50 percent of their Salary when they retire, according to the teacher’s union contract. Teachers with 15 years or more get 30 percent of their annual salary; those with 20 y...

Paterson on Paterson, the Governor and the Man
In a wide-ranging, at times emotional interview last week, the departing New York Governor, David A. Paterson, talked about a variety of topics, including his fears of getting along without the help of his staff, the focus of a front page article on Monday. But that was hardly all. He also discussed how unhappy his son has been over the last four years, how being governor affected his marriage and how difficult it will be to adjust to life as an ordinary citizen. Mr. Paterson, who will leave o...

Eric Cantor, other Republicans: Major hypocrites when it comes to spending
Cantor and other GOP leaders are now pledging to cut their Budgets by 5 percent when they take over the House in January — a symbolic gesture aimed at showing a commitment to slowing Washington spending. But the lawmakers suddenly calling for wage cuts often haven’t practiced what they’re preaching. Overall, congressional Payroll expenses have climbed much faster than the civilian federal work force costs that lawmakers are now clamoring to freeze. Many of the most vocal federa...

Why are Americans so fat? Thanks to the government, of course!
For years we've been fed the line that eating fat would make us fat and lead to chronic illnesses. "Dietary fat used to be Public Enemy No. 1," says Dr. Edward Saltzman, Associate Professor of nutrition and medicine at Tufts University. "Now a growing and convincing body of science is pointing the finger at carbs, especially those containing refined flour and sugar." [...] Americans, on average, eat 250 to 300 grams of carbs a day, Accounting for about 55% of their caloric intake. The most conse...

Redistricting the right way
Across Virginia, roving bands of Young People are on a rampage for Democracy. No pikes or pickaxes here. Just computer mice and maps. Christopher Newport University is sponsoring a competition to see which college can draw the best state legislative and Congressional Districts, ones that are "compact; contiguous; equal in population; in compliance with the federal Voting Rights Act; encompassing communities of interest; and respectful of existing political subdivisions." The response h...

Video Games Boost Brain Power, Multitasking Skills
Parents, the next time you fret that your child is wasting too much time playing Video Games, consider new research suggesting that video gaming may have real-world benefits for your child's developing brain. Daphne Bavelier is Professor of brain and cognitive sciences at the University of Rochester. She studies Young People playing action video games. Having now conducted more than 20 studies on the topic, Bavelier says, "It turns out that action video games are far from mindless." Her studies ...

Panic, anger as Cuba plans to lay off 1 of every 10 workers
Miami — Cuba’s draconian plan to lay off 10 percent of its Workforce is running into a slew of problems — not the least of which are the growing fights over who will wind up on the street. Cuban and foreign Economists say it’s too much, too fast. Radical leftists are branding Raúl Castro as a capitalist exploiter of workers and – in an odd alignment with Cuban Dissidents – are urging workers to fight the Job Cuts. One well-known historian and Communist Par...

Reforming Our Universities
Posted by Peter Wood on Dec 20th, 2010 and filed under FrontPage. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed. The “Academic Bill of Rights” itself is a 400-word eight-point list that is so blandly wholesome it could also be printed on the side of a grass-fed Organic Milk carton.  Who would really object to universities hiring faculty members “on the basis of their competence...

ROTC Making a Comeback on Liberal Campuses
A number of universities that initially distanced themselves from the Military during the Vietnam Era found that full-scale participation in Military recruiting activities violated their non-discrimination policies in an era of consciousness of the claims of gay and Lesbian Students to equality under the law. With the US Congress moving to Repeal Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell those barriers should fade away. Bill Kristol somehow sees political gold for the right in this: Though ROTC was ki...

Universities and the military
The vote this weekend to end "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" was greeted with notable eagerness by the presidents of Harvard and Columbia Universities, because it clears away a last barrier to healing what is, for the colleges, an enduring wound of the 1960s. Columbia President Lee Bollinger's immediate statement was particularly forceful, saying the vote "effectively ends what has been a vexing problem for Higher Education, including at Columbia -- given our desire to be open to our mi...

Columbia News
Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, kicked off a year-long series of “Conversations with the Country” at Columbia’s World Leaders Forum on April 18. In his address, he emphasized both the proper strategic role of Military power in U.S. Foreign Policy and the importance of investing in the nation’s Military Veterans through Higher Education, career opportunities and support services. “This is the beginning of an effort to connect with communi...

Harvard Biz School to Wall Street: Rejection!
In what may be a marked appeal to diversify its ranks and soften its image, Harvard Business School sent out several surprising rejections and wait list notifications to Candidates from some of the most prestigious financial firms in the world. (poetsandquants.com) -- Several high-performing Private Equity and financial stars were dumbfounded, outraged, or just perplexed to be rejected or waitlisted when Harvard Business School released its round one decisions on Dec. 14. Earlier this week, whe...

Iran to Begin Cutting Subsidies - War On Terror News
The Groundtruth from a combat Veteran, backed up by independent research and historical study. Information beneficial to the Troops. And a touch of objective politics, as it relates to the subjects at hand. This site is unabashedly Pro-American and Pro-Military however none of the views expressed here are to be considered as endorsed, proposed, or supported by the Department of Defense or any other Agency, government, public, or private. https://waronterrornews.typepad.com/ To have the Daily ...

Mandela son-in-law granted bail, may be extradited
An Interpol spokeswoman says that bail has been granted for the son-in-law of former South African president Nelson Mandela. Isaac Amuah, a former Professor at Manchester Community Technical College, turned himself in to South African police Monday, and was granted bail of $73,000. Amuah had left Connecticut 12 years ago while facing Sexual Assault charges. He strongly denies all charges. Amuah is accused of sexually assaulting a 34-year-old Student inside Amuah's Manchester apartment in 1993. H...

Stanford faculty still taking drug firms' money
As medical schools wrestle with how to keep drug companies from corrupting their faculties, Stanford University is often lauded for its tough stance. The school was one of the first to stop sales representatives from roaming its halls in 2006. It cut off the flow of free lunches and trinkets emblazoned with drug names. And last year, Stanford banned its physicians from giving paid promotional talks for pharmaceutical companies. One thing it didn't do was make sure its faculty followed that ru...

Stanford faculty still taking drug firms' money
As medical schools wrestle with how to keep drug companies from corrupting their faculties, Stanford University is often lauded for its tough stance. The school was one of the first to stop sales representatives from roaming its halls in 2006. It cut off the flow of free lunches and trinkets emblazoned with drug names. And last year, Stanford banned its physicians from giving paid promotional talks for pharmaceutical companies. One thing it didn't do was make sure its faculty followed that ru...

Another e-reader revolution?
File this one in the category of too amazing to be believed. But before you dismiss it consider that this latest marvel comes from a bona fide researcher at a reputable university, and, on closer examination, one realizes his work reflects broader research underway at other places. In the past month, news has filtered out about possible breakthroughs in the design of E-readers - changes that could make the dapper iPad look and drive like a ’57 Studebaker. At the University of Cincin...