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…

The director of a University of Virginia Arabic language program in Jordan discusses issues, sometimes unfamiliar, with which the administrator must deal. In addition to logistical and administrative tasks, in this context these include the role of women in the Arab university and students' questions about the universality of social values. (MSE)