In June 2009, North Carolina's Guilford College, a small liberal arts college with strong Quaker origins and a decidedly progressive image, announced that it had accepted a large grant from the BB&T Charitable Foundation--$500,000 over a ten-year period. As has been the case at some, but not all, of the colleges and universities that in recent…

A frequent refrain in Utah County, which prides itself on being one of the most conservative communities in the country, is that its public institution of higher education, Utah Valley State College, should reflect "community values." Generally, the argument goes something like this: local taxpayers, who support the school, should not…

The most basic challenge offered by the working-class student is the challenge to recognize that the attitudes and expectations underlying our typical concerns and methods are not transparent. The very notion that ideas matter can be difficult for working-class students to accept. Even more than academic assistance, that student may need help…

A national survey cited in the "New York Times" last November reveals that "Democratic professors outnumber Republicans by at least seven to one in the humanities and social sciences." These numbers, astonishing as they may seem, simply confirm what many in the academy have long known: that the ivory tower is tinged blue. With…