Monthly Archives: January 2012

Assessing Quality Via Graduation Rates

Posted on January 27, 2012 by

January 27, 2012 The search continues for a single metric of quality we can use to compare institutions of higher education. Too quickly, however, we latch on to a single number for which we have data ready to hand. Graduation … Continue reading →

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Meanings: “Conservative”

Posted on January 27, 2012 by

January 27, 2012 “Conservative” is a word very much in play at present, especially as the Republican Party sorts out who its 2012 Presidential candidate will be.  But what does “conservative” mean? Various candidates, disagreeing with one another, lay claim … Continue reading →

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Meanings: “Sustainable”

Posted on January 23, 2012 by

January 23, 2012 “Sustainable” comes from the Latin sustinere (we get it through the French sustenir), and the meaning from the roots is sub “up from below” + tenere “to hold.” It’s become quite a fashionable word, with specific reference … Continue reading →

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Learning Not to Procrastinate

Posted on January 19, 2012 by

January 19, 2012 On the “Life at Earlham” blog, senior Spencer Smith has a post titled “Shooting Ourselves in the Foot.”  It’s the beginning of the semester, not the end, but he has his senior English comps coming soon, and … Continue reading →

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What Presidents Should Tell Boards

Posted on January 19, 2012 by

January 19, 2012 Why was Graham Spanier fired as President of Penn State University?  I argued earlier that he was principally fired because the Penn State Trustees reached the judgment that Spanier could no longer provide effective leadership for the … Continue reading →

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