Ideas that challenge / comfort / inspire
Stephen Goforth
When people are told something dangerous is coming, but all you need to do is wash your hands, the action doesn't seem proportionate to the threat. The novel coronavirus is engendering a sort of survivalist psychology, where we must live as much as possible at home and thus must 'stock up' on essentials, and that certainly includes toilet paper. After all, if we run out of [toilet paper], what do we replace it with?
Stephen Taylor, The Psychology of Pandemics
If everything is coming your way, you’re in the wrong lane. -Steven Wright
***THE VIRUS
What To Do If You Think You've Got Symptoms Of COVID-19
A social media display of U.S. coronavirus coverage from CrowdTangle
Your legal rights in a quarantine, explained
Is it canceled yet? This site tracks events canceled due to the coronavirus disease
***HIGHER ED & THE VIRUS
Colleges Planning for Coronavirus With Fewer Resources
Colleges leave students in a bind when they close for coronavirus
***HIGHER ED
A group of students and faculty want the GW president removed
UC San Diego accidentally overstated success of its MBA program in Financial Times rankings
California university fired 54 grad students who were striking for higher pay
Chapman University prospective students may opt out of submitting SAT, ACT scores
Why public universities are chasing rich kids from out of state
Small Colleges Are Lawyering Up. Here’s Why.
***TEACHING (DURING THE VIRUS)
Google and Microsoft are giving away enterprise conferencing tools due to coronavirus
Practical advice for instructors faced with an abrupt move to online teaching
Understanding the Challenges Facing First-Generation College Students
Best practices for Creating Accessible Microsoft Office Documents
***ACADEMIC LIFE
***CHRISTIAN SCHOOLS
Northwest Christian University in Eugene to change its name
Despite Strict Baptist Doctrine, Baylor Takes Steps Toward a Gay-Tolerant Campus
GW faculty and students want president's resignation
NNU renews President Joel Pearsall's contract for 4 more years
Corban University Announces Nursing Partnership with George Fox University
Point Loma Nazarene University tells students returning from Italy to stay away due to coronavirus
***RESEARCH
Open Peer Review in the Humanities
Academic research integrity: Exploring researchers’ perceptions of responsibilities and enablers
Scientists reveal what they learnt from their biggest mistakes How retractions can be a way forward.
Sloppy science is often not intentional, but due to lack of knowledge.”
A single ‘paper mill’ appears to have churned out 400 fake papers, sleuths find
***THE COST OF COLLEGE
College students may be paying thousands in athletic fees and not know it
Why Are Textbooks So Expensive?
What Does a Class Action Lawsuit Over College Textbooks Have to do with Designer Bags?
***STUDENT LIFE
Some students do feel political pressure from their professors, but few change their views
The Many Ways College Students May Be Tracked on Campus (sub req’d)
Some University of Minnesota students say F-you to SAFE-U alert
***SEXUAL HARASSMENT & ASSAULT
MeToo era slow to arrive at Minnesota State campuses
Texas accepts recommendation to fire faculty and staff found guilty of sexual misconduct
How the new DeVos rules on sexual assault will shock schools — and students
The hardest habit for me to break was the instinct to turn the conversation round to the positive. It took a while for me to understand that if a friend is in a dark place, the most compassionate thing we can do is to climb down into that place and sit with them for a while. “If a person trusts you enough to talk about their distress, trying to cheer them up is like shutting them up – you are dismissing and trivialising their feelings. Give them the space to say how bad they feel and stay with it. Swerving away from it, talking about a silver lining, can signal you don’t want to hear it.” Focus on your friend and their words. Thinking too much about your responses can be detrimental. “I make a constant effort to calm my mind down and tune into what is being said.”
Moya Sarner writing in The Guardian
Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened -Dr. Seuss
***GETTING TO KNOW THE VIRUS
Why the WHO won’t call the coronavirus a pandemic https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/2020/3/9/21163412/who-coronavirus-covid19-pandemic-world-health-organization
People ‘shed’ high levels of coronavirus, study finds, but most are likely not infectious after recovery begins https://www.statnews.com/2020/03/09/people-shed-high-levels-of-coronavirus-study-finds-but-most-are-likely-not-infectious-after-recovery-begins/
The psychology of coronavirus fear—and how to manage it https://qz.com/1812664/the-psychology-of-coronavirus-fear-and-how-to-overcome-it/
How AI Is Tracking the Coronavirus Outbreak https://www.wired.com/story/how-ai-tracking-coronavirus-outbreak/
***THE IMPACT OF THE VIRUS
How cities are fighting coronavirus on public transportation https://www.theverge.com/2020/3/9/21168516/coronavirus-covid19-city-public-transportation-subway-bus-cleaning
Why airlines are running ‘ghost flights’ amid coronavirus panic https://nypost.com/2020/03/09/why-airlines-are-running-ghost-flights-amid-coronavirus-panic/
Gyms and Coronavirus: What Are the Risks? https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/08/health/coronavirus-gyms-safety.html
As coronavirus spreads, caregivers in elder care facilities fear they can’t afford to call in sick https://www.revealnews.org/article/as-coronavirus-spreads-caregivers-in-elder-care-facilities-fear-they-cant-afford-to-call-in-sick/
Coronavirus Highlights the Pitfalls of Health Deductibles https://www.nytimes.com/section/upshot
NASA center in California issues mandatory work-from-home policy after employee tests positive for COVID-19 https://www.theverge.com/2020/3/9/21171456/nasa-ames-research-center-coronavirus-covid-19-telework-policy
***THE VIRUS & STUDIES
How does the new coronavirus spread? These new studies offer clues. https://www.vox.com/2020/2/20/21143785/coronavirus-covid-19-spread-transmission-how
People ‘shed’ high levels of coronavirus, study finds, but most are likely not infectious after recovery begins https://www.statnews.com/2020/03/09/people-shed-high-levels-of-coronavirus-study-finds-but-most-are-likely-not-infectious-after-recovery-begins/
***FAKES & FRAUDS
Coronavirus is creating a fake-news nightmarescape https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2020/03/coronavirus-is-creating-fake-news-nightmarescape-social-media
Coronavirus email scams are trying to cash in on your fear https://www.vox.com/recode/2020/3/5/21164745/coronavirus-phishing-email-scams
Facebook doubles down on removing coronavirus conspiracy theories https://www.vox.com/recode/2020/1/31/21115589/coronavirus-wuhan-china-myths-hoaxes-facebook-social-media-tiktok-twitter-wechat
Surge of Virus Misinformation Stumps Facebook and Twitter https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/08/technology/coronavirus-misinformation-social-media.html
Fake News About Coronavirus Is Spreading: 'We Need A Vaccine Against Misinformation https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2020/02/21/805287609/theres-a-flood-of-fake-news-about-coronavirus-and-a-plan-to-stop-it
***RELIGION & THE VIRUS
Oklahoma pastors quarantine selves after coronavirus scare https://nypost.com/2020/03/05/oklahoma-pastors-quarantined-after-possible-coronavirus-exposure/
Televangelist Jim Bakker Ordered By Attorney General To Stop Selling Fake Cure For Coronavirus https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/televangelist-jim-bakker-ordered-attorney-012828002.html
Coronavirus threatens one of the most sacred moments in church: Communion https://www.washingtonpost.com/religion/2020/03/04/coronavirus-is-threatening-one-most-sacred-moments-church-communion/
Hundreds asked to self-quarantine after D.C. pastor tests positive for coronavirus https://www.ajc.com/news/national-govt--politics/nation-capital-and-region-hit-coronavirus-outbreak/2ABPWkBrMCLNUbBTudILNK/
Saudi Arabia has temporarily suspended travel to its holy sites https://theconversation.com/coronavirus-fears-put-a-halt-to-the-muslim-pilgrimage-of-umrah-but-not-yet-the-hajj-132943
South Korea's coronavirus cases climb above 7,000, most cases traced to church https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-south-korea/south-koreas-coronavirus-cases-climb-above-7000-most-cases-traced-to-church-idUSKBN20U02M
No hugs, handshakes as U.S. churches take new precautions against coronavirus https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-usa-churches/no-hugs-handshakes-as-u-s-churches-take-new-precautions-against-coronavirus-idUSKBN20V0Z8
Ten cases of coronavirus contracted in 'megachurch' in France https://international.la-croix.com/news/ten-cases-of-coronavirus-contracted-in-megachurch-in-france/11936
U.S. pastor tells how Bethlehem trip turned into coronavirus quarantine ordeal https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-palestinians-us/americans-quarantined-in-bethlehem-hotel-in-coronavirus-scare-palestinian-official-idUSKBN20U0AP
How Some Churches Are Trying To Prevent Spread Of Coronavirus Among Congregants https://www.npr.org/2020/03/07/813191532/how-some-churches-are-trying-to-prevent-spread-of-coronavirus-among-congregants
***THE VIRUS & HIGHER ED
Are Any Colleges Insured Against Coronavirus Fallout? https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2020/03/09/insurance-coverage-scarce-coronavirus-threatens-college-finances
How the Coronavirus Is Affecting Admissions https://www.insidehighered.com/admissions/article/2020/03/09/how-coronavirus-changing-admissions
***MOVING CLASSES ONLINE
3 Tips for Teaching Online (when you weren’t planning to) https://medium.com/@lisawj/3-tips-for-teaching-online-when-you-werent-planning-to-f18b43979252
Resources For Teaching Online Due To School Closures https://www.theedublogger.com/teaching-online-school-closures/
As COVID-19 pushes classes online, some students are caught in the broadband gap https://www.theverge.com/2020/3/6/21168463/coronavirus-covid19-seattle-public-schools-networks-broadband
USC Classes Temporarily Move Online Effective March 11-13
https://sites.usc.edu/coronavirus/announcements/3-6-campus-wide-test-classes-temporarily-move-online-effective-march-11-13/
Stanford University, where a medical faculty member has tested positive for the virus, cancels all in-person classes for the remainder of the winter quarter https://www.mercurynews.com/2020/03/07/stanford-medicine-faculty-member-tests-positive-for-covid-19/
University of Washington is moving all classes and exams online through the end of the winter quarter after a staff member tested positive https://www.washington.edu/coronavirus/
Princeton Requires lectures to go online due to COVID-19 Concerns https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/coronavirus/princeton-restricts-gatherings-offers-remote-classes/2319590/
***JOURNALISM
News outlets criticized for using Chinatown photos in coronavirus articles https://www.nbcnews.com/news/asian-america/news-outlets-criticized-using-chinatown-photos-coronavirus-articles-n1150626
One America News Staff Told to 'Pull Back on' Coronavirus Coverage https://timesofsandiego.com/business/2020/03/06/san-diegos-one-america-news-staff
Can you show up not to fix things but just listen?
When patients ask me when they will be ready to terminate their therapy, I will reply, “When you yourself are able to be a good therapist.” This reply is often most usefully made in group therapy, where patients of course do practice psychotherapy on each other and where their failures to successfully assume the role of psychotherapists can be pointed out to them.
Many patients do not like this reply, and some will actually say, “That’s too much work. To do that means that I would have to think all the time in my relationships with people. I don’t want to think that much. I don’t want to work that hard. I just want to enjoy myself.”
Patients often respond similarly when I point out to them that all human interactions are opportunities either to learn or to teach (to give or relieve theory), and when they neither learn nor teach in an interaction they are passing up an opportunity.
Most people are quite correct when they say they do not want to achieve such a lofty goal or work so hard in life. The majority of patients, even in the hands of the most skilled and loving therapists will terminate their therapy at some point far short of complete fulfilling their potential. They may have traveled a short or even a goodly distance along the journey of spiritual growth, but the whole journey is not for them. It is or seems to be too difficult. They are content to be ordinary men and women and do not strive to be God.
M. Scott Peck, The Road Less Traveled
Where busy is a badge of honor, frantic is a sign of worth.
Habits take a long time to create, but they form faster when we do them more often, so start with something reasonable that is really easy to do. You are more likely to stick with an exercise habit if you do some small exercise — jumping jacks, a yoga pose, a brisk walk — every day, rather than trying to get to the gym three days a week. Once the daily exercise becomes a habit, you can explore new, more intense forms of exercise.
Tara Parker-Pope writing in the New York Times
***RELIGION
Word Of Faith's Pattern Of Abuse 'Got Worse Over Time,' Says 'Broken Faith' Author https://www.npr.org/2020/02/17/806052660/word-of-faiths-pattern-of-abuse-got-worse-over-time-says-broken-faith-author
Stresses multiply for many US clergy: 'We need help too' https://www.oakridger.com/news/20200218/stresses-multiply-for-many-us-clergy-we-need-help-too
Barna: 5 trends driving Americans' perception of church relevance, influence https://www.christianpost.com/news/barna-5-trends-driving-americans-perception-of-church-relevance-influence.html
***RELIGION & COROAVIRUS
A mysterious ‘cult’ is at the center of a surge of coronavirus cases in South Korea https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2020-02-21/a-mysterious-cult-is-at-the-center-of-a-surge-of-coronavirus-cases-in-south-korea
Coronavirus fears prompt Christian universities to relocate students from Italy https://christianchronicle.org/coronavirus-fears-prompt-christian-universities-to-relocate-students-from-italy/
Bible school quarantines students returning from Italy amid coronavirus fears https://www.christianpost.com/news/bible-school-quarantines-students-returning-from-italy-amid-coronavirus-fears.html
Religious Groups in China Step Into the Coronavirus Crisis https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/23/world/asia/china-religion-coronavirus-donations.html
Thousands of Muslims may not be able to visit holy sites in Saudi Arabia because of coronavirus
***RELIGION AND POLITICS
Most Americans don’t see Democratic candidates as very religious https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2020/02/27/most-americans-dont-see-democratic-candidates-as-very-religious/
Top Evangelical Christian Website Says Pete Buttgieg's Homosexuality Makes Him 'Deserving of Death' https://www.newsweek.com/pete-buttigieg-christian-death-bert-farias-charisma-1487477
***RELIGION & THE LAW
Supreme Court looks at whether Philadelphia had the right to cancel a contract with an adoption agency that refused to place foster children with same-sex couples https://www.axios.com/supreme-court-philadelphia-same-sex-foster-parents-6bd3901d-7bee-4d90-8298-f2f80a95fe41.html
Christian sues US Postal Service over Sunday work shifts https://www.whsv.com/content/news/568006072.html
Caught between gender equality and religious liberty (opinion) https://religionnews.com/2020/01/13/caught-between-gender-equality-and-religious-liberty/
Settlement reached in Ernest Angley megachurch sexual abuse lawsuit https://www.wkbn.com/news/ohio/ohio-televangelist-ex-pastor-settle-lawsuit-alleging-sex-abuse/
Christian sues US Postal Service over Sunday work shifts https://wtop.com/national/2020/02/christian-sues-us-postal-service-over-sunday-work-shifts/
***RELIGIOUS SCHOOLS
CAL Lutheran Softball team accused of Blackface: All sides say admin response misses the mark https://vcreporter.com/2020/02/clu-softball-team-accused-of-blackface-all-sides-say-admin-response-misses-the-mark/
Racial posts by Cal Lutheran students denounced by school officials
https://www.vcstar.com/story/news/local/communities/conejo-valley/2020/02/06/racial-posts-cal-lutheran-students-denounced-school-officials/4683135002/
Vanguard University turns 100, celebrates opening $12.9 million student center https://www.ocregister.com/2020/03/02/vanguard-university-turns-100-celebrates-opening-12-9-million-student-center/
Christian Colleges Should Interact With World, Not Oppose It (opinion) https://sojo.net/articles/christian-colleges-should-interact-world-not-oppose-it
Wheaton College rescinds title from Gilbert Bilezikian amid new allegations https://religionnews.com/2020/02/28/wheaton-college-rescinds-title-from-longtime-professor-amid-new-misconduct-allegations/
Christian College recruiter fired after lining students by skin color & hair texture at metro high school https://kfor.com/news/local/college-recruiter-fired-after-lining-students-by-skin-color-hair-texture-at-metro-high-school/
SEC charges the son of John MacArthur (head of Master’s College where his son attended school) with defrauding investment firm clients https://www.christianpost.com/news/sec-charges-john-macarthurs-son-with-defrauding-investment-firm-clients.html
***SOUTHERN BAPTISTS
Southern Baptist church with sex offender pastor first to be ousted from SBC under abuse reforms https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/texas-sex-offender-pastor-SBC-abuse-church-baptist-15065213.php
The stunning Southern Baptist controversy over Donald Trump and Russell Moore, explained (opinion) https://theweek.com/articles/897195/stunning-southern-baptist-controversy-over-donald-trump-russell-moore-explained
***CATHOLICS
Catholic charity founder sexually abused women, says report https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/feb/22/larche-founder-jean-vanier-sexually-abused-women-says-report
Can Catholics eat the Impossible Burger during Lent? Sure — but it’s kind of missing the point, experts say https://www.washingtonpost.com/religion/2020/02/28/catholics-eat-impossible-burger-lent/
***MEGACHURCHES
Former megachurch youth pastor prosecuted for impregnating teen now accused of planning to murder the pastor and judge https://www.dailylocal.com/news/youth-pastor-wanted-colleague-judge-killed-police-say/article_ad07d740-58ee-11ea-9312-2be5768975d6.html
Cult’ megachurch suspected of spreading coronavirus in South Korea https://nypost.com/2020/02/21/cult-megachurch-suspected-of-spreading-coronavirus-in-south-korea/
Oprah television series highlights the mess in megachurches https://www.wvgazettemail.com/life/religion/oprah-television-series-highlights-the-mess-in-megachurches/article_98b1b666-a148-5583-a322-9c3f1e86cfa2.html
***RELIGION MUSIC
Learning to Like Contemporary Christian Music (the music I hate) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hACUz4WVWwk
Belief in a conspiracy is the almost inevitable consequence of the optimistic belief that truth, and therefore goodness, must prevail if only truth is given a fair chance. The simple truth is that truth is hard to come by, and that once found it may easily be lost again. -Karl Popper
Adolescents, just like adults, may find the best relief from simply articulating their worries and concerns. Indeed, it’s an aphorism among psychologists that most problems feel better when they’re on the outside rather than on the inside, and this holds true whether the difficulties are big or small.
Adults can help create the space teenagers need to do this, so long as we remember to listen without interrupting and hold back from adding our own thoughts to the pile.
Much of what bothers teenagers cannot be solved. We can’t fix their broken hearts, prevent their social dramas, or do anything about the fact that they have three huge tests scheduled for the same day. But having a problem is not nearly so bad as feeling utterly alone with it.
Lisa Damour writing in the New York Times
***WRITING & READING
Only a third of American students are proficient readers sparking a growing debate between proponents of a phonics-heavy approach and educators who prefer to instill a love of literature https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/15/us/reading-phonics.html
Local Bookstores Have A New Weapon In The Fight With Amazon https://www.forbes.com/sites/joanverdon/2020/02/14/advocate-for-local-bookstores-takes-aim-against-amazon-with-new-website/
China Sentences Hong Kong Bookseller To 10 Years In Jail https://www.npr.org/2020/02/25/809161935/china-sentences-hong-kong-bookseller-to-10-years-in-jail
***PLAGIARISM
The most common reason for plagiarizing was lack of time https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11948-020-00198-1
Plagiarism detection systems “clearly do not find all plagiarism and at times also identify non-plagiarized material as problematic” https://arxiv.org/abs/2002.04279
***GRAMMAR
Programs that check grammar and spelling are letting students down. Here’s why. https://www.courant.com/opinion/op-ed/hc-op-mcfadden-grammar-0301-20200301-7gpjzvgbgza4hgztcpwcbh3zom-story.html
The One Letter in the Alphabet That Can't Be Silent https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/616664/one-letter-alphabet-cant-be-silent
***JOURNALISM
Applied XLabs is a new startup building tools that can automate data-gathering for journalists https://techcrunch.com/2020/02/27/newlab-boston-globe-applied-xlabs/
News literacy lessons: Have you stopped talking to people because of their political views? https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2020/02/14/news-literacy-lessons-have-you-stopped-talking-people-because-their-political-views/
The 10 Best News Aggregators of 2020 https://www.lifewire.com/best-news-aggregators-4584410
UK’s most opinionated man has penned angry letters to his local paper every single day for 42 years https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/uk-news/uks-most-opinionated-man-penned-17831704
About two-thirds of Americans feel worn out by the amount of news https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2020/02/26/almost-seven-in-ten-americans-have-news-fatigue-more-among-republicans/
A website that tracks changes on other websites (including PDFs) https://toolsforreporters.com/2020/02/25/keep-your-eye-on-em/
***THE BUSINESS OF JOURNALISM
Fast facts about the newspaper industry’s financial struggles as McClatchy files for bankruptcy https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2020/02/14/fast-facts-about-the-newspaper-industrys-financial-struggles/
Why the Success of The New York Times May Be Bad News for Journalism https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/01/business/media/ben-smith-journalism-news-publishers-local.html
***STUDENT MEDIA
Student Newspaper Editor on the paper’s coverage of a faculty member accused of murder and kidnapping https://dynamicsofwriting.com/2020/02/26/your-work-is-important-for-the-community-simpsonian-editor-discusses-the-papers-coverage-of-a-faculty-member-accused-of-murder-and-kidnapping/
***FAKES & FRAUDS
How Some Are Trying To Teach Senior Citizens To Spot Fake News https://www.npr.org/2020/02/24/808995242/how-some-are-trying-to-teach-senior-citizens-to-spot-fake-news
When a Teenager Reportedly Invented a Fake Congressional Candidate, Twitter Verified the Made Up Politician's Account https://time.com/5793021/twitter-verified-fake-candidate/
***SOCIAL MEDIA
What happens to our online lives after we die? https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2020/02/what-happens-our-online-lives-after-we-die
Behind that teenage TikTok star, there's probably a very confused parent https://www.cnn.com/2020/02/18/tech/tiktok-parents/index.html
***LANGUAGE
A Fascinating Diagram Breaking Down The 100 Most-Spoken Languages In The World https://digg.com/2020/most-spoken-languages-world
How babies learn language https://www.knowablemagazine.org/article/mind/2020/how-babies-learn-language
People who criticize African American Vernacular English don’t see that it shares grammatical structures with more “prestigious” languages. https://daily.jstor.org/black-english-matters/
***LITERATURE & POETRY
Top 10 random encounters in literaturehttps://www.theguardian.com/books/2020/feb/19/top-10-random-encounters-in-literature
Tracy K. Smith changed how I read poetry (poetry) https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/vox/the-ezra-klein-show
***PRIVACY & SECURITY
Hackers could crack a voting app already used in US elections https://www.technologyreview.com/f/615195/hackers-can-change-votes-in-an-online-election-app/
How to protect your privacy on Instagram https://www.theverge.com/2020/2/27/21154221/instagram-privacy-how-to-stories-posts-settings-tags-ads-blocking
Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. – Steve Jobs
***HIGHER ED
A growing list of US colleges are canceling study abroad programs because of the coronavirus https://www.cnn.com/2020/02/26/us/colleges-canceling-study-abroad-coronavirus-trnd/
Accusations Abound at a Community College https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2020/02/24/trustee-censured-inaccurate-email-johnson-county-community-college
UCLA drops plan to use facial recognition security surveillance, but other colleges may be using technology https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2020/02/21/ucla-drops-plan-use-facial-recognition-security-surveillance-other-colleges-may-be
Middle class heavily underrepresented at top private colleges, report finds https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2020/02/21/middle-class-heavily-underrepresented-top-private-colleges-report-finds
Could micro-credentials compete with traditional degrees?https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20200212-could-micro-credentials-compete-with-traditional-degrees
Editorial: SMU Puts its Reputation Before the Good of the Student Body https://www.smudailycampus.com/opinion/editorial-smu-puts-its-reputation-before-the-good-of-the-student-body
Education Accountability: When The Accreditation Agency Is Problematic https://www.npr.org/2020/02/22/808404844/education-accountability-when-the-accreditation-agency-is-problematic
Bellevue College apologizes after administrator alters display on Japanese American incarceration https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/eastside/bellevue-college-apologizes-after-administrator-alters-mural-depicting-japanese-american-internment/
Western accrediting agency will review colleges outside its region -- the first regional accreditor to make such a move https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2020/02/25/western-accreditor-will-consider-approving-colleges-outside-its-region
***HIGHER ED & FINANCE
Democrats strongly favor tuition-free college, GOP divided by age and education https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2020/02/21/democrats-overwhelmingly-favor-free-college-tuition-while-republicans-are-divided-by-age-education/
***HIGHER ED IN COURT
California students sued because they were such poor readers. They just won $53 million to help them.https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-02-20/california-literacy-lawsuit-settlement-53-million
Google sued by New Mexico attorney general for collecting student data through Chromebooks https://www.theverge.com/2020/2/20/21145698/google-student-privacy-lawsuit-education-schools-chromebooks-new-mexico-balderas
***CRIME ON CAMPUS
Education Dept. Penalizes University of Southern California https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2020/02/28/education-department-investigation-finds-university-southern-california-violated
Student says Long Island professor sexually assaulted her in front of class, sues college https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/student-says-long-island-professor-sexually-assaulted-her-front-class-n1144281
Student murders prompt University of Utah to overhaul campus safety https://abcnews.go.com/US/student-murders-prompt-university-utah-overhaul-campus-safety/story?id=69060410
***THE COST OF COLLEGE
USC is waiving tuition for students whose families make less than $80,000 https://www.cnn.com/2020/02/20/us/university-of-southern-california-tuition-low-income-trnd/index.html
***HUMANITIES
Long Island University freezes enrollments in many liberal arts programs https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2020/02/25/long-island-university-freezes-enrollments-many-liberal-arts-programs
***TEACHING
Online lectures mean fewer students are turning up – does it matter? https://theconversation.com/online-lectures-mean-fewer-students-are-turning-up-does-it-matter-131988
Why Finland's Schools Perform So Much Better Than The Rest Of The Developed World https://digg.com/video/why-does-finland-have-the-best-schools-in-the-developed-world
China's students will now study online because coronavirus has shut schools https://www.technologyreview.com/f/615240/chinas-students-will-now-study-online-because-coronavirus-has-shut-schools/
Why Americans are bad at math https://qz.com/1798617/why-americans-are-bad-at-math/
***ACADEMIC LIFE
Teacher of the year suspended for showing students a picture of her fiancée wins $100,000 settlement https://www.cnn.com/2020/02/27/us/teacher-wins-lgbtq-school-settlement-trnd/
UCF Professor Reinstated After Ph.D. Fraud Allegations https://www.wmfe.org/ucf-professor-reinstated-after-ph-d-fraud-allegations/145241
An assistant professor from Simpson College is in jail, accused of murdering her husband https://www.weareiowa.com/article/news/local/woman-accused-of-killing-husband-in-west-des-moines/524-d3d9ff38-b777-4f43-8ab1-c941c8567d2f
MIT puts professor on leave over new revelations about his ties to Jeffrey Epstein as it issues anticipated report https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2020/01/13/mit-puts-professor-leave-over-new-revelations-about-his-ties-jeffrey-epstein
MLA members discuss professors' ethical responsibilities for training graduate students, as some propose shifts in admissions practices. https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2020/01/13/mla-discusses-professors-ethical-responsibilities-training-graduate-students
Humboldt State University investigates allegations a faculty member solicited paid sex with students https://www.mercurynews.com/2020/02/18/screenshots-of-suspected-hsu-faculty-soliciting-sex-for-money-prompted-investigation/
OU professor's use of racial slur may not be protected, First Amendment expert says www.oudaily.com/news/ou-professor-s-use-of-racial-slur-may-not-be/article_7f8f41d4-4f72-11ea-9037-6b21718bf7e5.html
***RELIGIOUS SCHOOLS
Will Your (Christian) College Close? https://www.patheos.com/blogs/anxiousbench/2020/02/christian-college-closures/
Christian Colleges Should Interact With World, Not Oppose It (opinion) https://sojo.net/articles/christian-colleges-should-interact-world-not-oppose-it
Mormon-owned BYU eases rules on 'homosexual behavior' https://apnews.com/4a8d93a5fd3efabc2b2440e5a549c614
Bible school Olivet University pleads guilty in money-laundering case https://nypost.com/2020/02/20/bible-school-olivet-university-pleads-guilty-in-money-laundering-case/
Lubbock Christian University to announce 7th University President https://www.kcbd.com/2020/02/26/lubbock-christian-university-announce-th-university-president/
Liberty University launches conservative think tank called the Falkirk Center https://www.whsv.com/content/news/568216071.html
***RESEARCH
Working Scientist podcast: How to bounce back from a bruising peer-review or paper rejection https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-00381-1
Wikipedia Is the Last Best Place on the Internet https://www.wired.com/story/wikipedia-online-encyclopedia-best-place-internet/
Vaping study retracted: Scientists want probe of UCSF tobacco research https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/health/2020/02/20/nyu-scientists-others-call-taxpayer-funded-ucsf-vaping-study-probe/4805323002/
How Universities Cover Up Scientific Fraud https://areomagazine.com/2020/02/20/how-universities-cover-up-scientific-fraud/
How can journals and peer reviewers detect manuscripts and publications from paper mills? https://febs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/1873-3468.13747
STEM Gender Equality Paradox Study Gets Correction https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/stephaniemlee/women-stem-gender-equality-paradox-correction
***STUDENT LIFE
Concordia Students say bias reports were met with silence https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2020/02/26/concordia-students-say-bias-reports-were-met-silence
Why Sitting For Long Periods Can Effect Teens' Mental Health https://www.npr.org/2020/02/17/806599794/why-sitting-for-long-periods-can-effect-teens-mental-health
Socratic is Google's new AI studying tool for students https://9to5google.com/2020/02/17/socratic-by-google/
Why We Should Be Talking About Reproducibility but not forget about fraud https://www.slideshare.net/ivanoransky/why-we-should-be-talking-about-reproducibility-but-not-forget-about-fraud
Bowie State University to open free healthy food pantry for students https://wtop.com/prince-georges-county/2020/02/bowie-state-university-to-open-free-healthy-food-pantry-for-students/
***STUDENT PROTESTS
OU student protest calls for provost resignation, new multicultural center and Popeyes on campus https://oklahoman.com/article/5655996/ou-students-protest-outside-presidents-office-call-for-resignation-of-provost
Protesters Show up at conference on campus free speech https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2020/02/28/students-protest-free-speech-conference
Kent State 'gun girl' who walked campus with AR confronted by protesters at Ohio Universityhttps://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2020/02/18/kent-state-gun-girl-kaitlin-bennett-faces-protests-ohio-university/4792457002/
Syracuse University students renew protests following administration's response to racist incidents https://www.cnn.com/2020/02/19/us/syracuse-university-sit-in/
Kent State president to meet with student activists over ‘list of demands,’ including dispute over May 4 planninghttps://www.cleveland.com/news/2020/02/kent-state-president-to-meet-with-student-activists-over-list-of-demands-including-dispute-over-may-4-planning.html
Student activists push universities to stop investing in fossil fuel firms https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/students-push-universities-to-stop-investing-in-fossil-fuels/2020/02/19/de05a466-5340-11ea-80ce-37a8d4266c09_story.html
University responds to the student protestors who occupied a building by suspending them https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2020/02/19/syracuse-students-suspended-second-sit
***HIGHER ED & FREE SPEECH
Students' arrest over slur prompts review of ridicule law https://apnews.com/aa0dbd038e22801cb3f5acc0c62bc82f
Wheaton College students allowed to preach in Millennium Park, judge says https://chicago.suntimes.com/2020/2/20/21146320/wheaton-college-students-allowed-preach-in-millennium-park-judge
Anyone who has ever remodeled a house knows a good deal about personal transitions because such an undertaking replicates the three-part transition process. It starts by making an ending and destroying what used to be. Then there is the time when it isn’t the old way any more, but not yet the new way, either. Some dismantling is still going on, but so is some new building. It is very confusing time, and it is a good idea to have made temporary arrangements for dealing with this interim (“neutral zone”) state of affairs--whether it is temporary housing or a time of modified activities and reduced expectations to make the old housing work. And as the contractors always warn you, remodeling always takes more time and money than new construction. Good advice in regard to transition, too.
It is true that we are weak and sick and ugly and quarrelsome, but if that were all we ever were, we would millenniums ago, have disappeared from the face of the Earth. -John Steinbeck (Born Feb. 27, 1902)
When people speak in vague generalities.. and use a lot of abstract terms like “justice”, “morality”, “liberty” and so no, without really ever explaining the specifics of what they are talking about, they are almost always hiding something.
Meanwhile, people who use cutesy, colloquial language, brimming with clichés and slang, may be trying to distract you from the thinness of their ideas, trying to win you over not by the soundness of their arguments but by making you feel chummy and warm toward them. And people who use pretentious, flowery language, crammed with clever metaphors, are often more interested in the sound of their own voices than in reaching the audience with a genuine thought. In general, you must pay attention to the forms in which people express themselves; never take their content at face value.
Robert Greene, The 33 Strategies of War
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