Cultural diversity defines and determines our lives in ways not fully appreciated. As the American population's profile changes, we must make educational quality limitless in its manifestations, infinite in quantity, unrestricted with respect to origins, and contagious. A society's well-being is directly related to citizen participation in all its…

Rankings of colleges and universities in the popular press have two problems: (1) they are gimmicks to sell publications; and (2) institutions have become pawns, juggling numbers in quest of higher rankings, the ethical equivalent of cheating. Higher education must return to truth, fairness, and honesty to regain its purpose and integrity. (MSE)

Although college rankings published in mass media may not be the best way of comparing colleges, they provide more useful information than accrediting agencies, college catalogs, and most college guides. Administrators, not magazines are to blame for their misuse. Rankings can help motivate programs, departments, and institutions to improve…

Until recently there has been little conversation about the most important contribution academe can make to supporting learning. If universities would commit their considerable resources to better preparing the individuals who become elementary and secondary school teachers, they could transform the nation's educational system and stimulate higher…

Problems associated with the use of technology in the college classroom are outlined, including instructional issues such as poorly functioning equipment, lack of quality in courses delivered by technology, and problems with generic presentations, as well as administrative concerns such as over-promotion of technology-based learning to students,…

The focus on the debate over college teaching vs. faculty research productivity, although important, ignores the central issue of the need to restore proper funding for higher education. Underfunding higher education ultimately destroys both quality and access and affects the public sector the most. (MSE)

Schools of education suffer criticism from the public for producing poorly prepared teachers and inadequate curricula. University faculties see the schools as a scapegoat, allowing blame for problems with schools to fall on teacher education rather than on higher education in general. Education schools have not been successful at melding theory…

When a large group of nontenured part-time English department faculty were summarily dismissed, a significant segment of the English curriculum was left largely unattended, and other problems arose throughout the institution. (MSE)