Twilight of the Professors

By Michael Schwalbe, CounterPunch Jun 6, 2015 Historians argue that the post-WWII expansion of higher education turned a generation of would-be intellectual troublemakers into professors. Today, powerful conservatizing trends threaten to make professors as a leftist force in U.S. society extinct within a few decades. Dig deeper ( 7 Min. Read )

VIDEO: How to Reinvent Education to Save the Economy

Robert Reich / Truthdig May 23, 2015 Sen. Bernie Sanders is making waves with a big idea to reinvent education: making public colleges and universities tuition-free. I couldn’t agree more. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )

What’s the Point of a Professor?

Alexander Reed Kelly / Truthdig May 10, 2015 When he was a student in the early 1980s, Emory University English professor Mark Bauerlein and his peers spoke with their professors regularly and at length, knowing “that these moments were the heart of liberal education.” Today, polls show, one-third of students never do so. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )

Here’s Why It’s Time to Give Up the Idea That Everyone Must Go to College

Robert Reich / Truthdig Mar 23, 2015 The biggest absurdity is that a college degree has become the only gateway into the American middle class when not every young person is suited to four years of college. This has to stop. Dig deeper ( 4 Min. Read )

Is College Worth the Cost?

Robert Reich / Truthdig Nov 25, 2014 This is the time of year when high school seniors apply to college, and when I get lots of mail about whether college is worth the cost. The answer is unequivocally yes, but with one big qualification. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )

Why the Notion of the Self-Taught, Self-Made Billionaire Is a Lie

Natasha Hakimi Zapata / Truthdig Oct 29, 2014 A look at the educational background of the 1 percent reveals that the "rags to riches" narrative we're fed is a fallacy. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )

Education With a Debt Sentence

By Astra Taylor and Hannah Appel, TomDispatch Sep 22, 2014 Imagine corporations that intentionally target low-income single mothers as ideal customers. Imagine that these same companies claim to sell tickets to the American dream -- gainful employment, the chance for a middle class life. Dig deeper ( 14 Min. Read )

John Oliver on Student Debt: Our Leaders Have Decided Education Is Not Important Enough to Pay For

Natasha Hakimi Zapata / Truthdig Sep 8, 2014 In an inspired back-to-school rant, John Oliver encourages college freshmen to enjoy every last second of what will undoubtedly be the best years of their lives since every year that comes after will be marked with crushing, inescapable debt. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Why College Shouldn’t Be the Only Gateway to the Middle Class

Robert Reich / Truthdig Sep 2, 2014 This week, millions of young people head to college and universities, aiming for a four-year liberal arts degree. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )

Victim of McCarthy-Era Witch Hunt Calls on U-Illinois Not to Fire Critic of Israeli Policies

Juan Cole / Truthdig Aug 25, 2014 In the early 1950s, under the influence of Rep. Joseph McCarthy, R-Wis., a national witch hunt was conducted for leftists. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )

Unpaid Interns Can Collect Back Pay Without Hurting Their Careers

Staff / Truthdig Jul 24, 2014 After a year scrutinizing the intern economy, ProPublica's internship investigation is coming to an end. But before signing off, we wanted to do our own end-of-semester review. Dig deeper ( 4 Min. Read )

Student Debt: Blame Lawmakers, Tax-Shirking Rich, War on Drugs, Not Universities

Juan Cole / Truthdig Jun 10, 2014 Why is tuition so high in state universities that The New York Times is wondering whether families will go on being able to afford it? Dig deeper ( 5 Min. Read )