Category Archives: Academics

Telegraph: University standards being ‘dumbed down’, claim academics

University students are being given good marks despite failing to understand “intellectual ideas” and writing essays text message-style, according to academics.

Lecturers claim they are being encouraged to turn a blind eye to poor standards as universities compete to increase student numbers.

One told how some students believed they “should not do any work” because they paid £3,000 a year in fees.

Another said undergraduates were being allowed to pass courses with fewer than a quarter of the marks needed because institutions could not afford to let them drop out.

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Inside Higher Ed: Museums and Academic Values

Arts advocates have been outraged this week by Brandeis University’s plan to sell all of the art in its museum as a way to raise money for the university. It turns out Brandeis isn’t the only university where critics are questioning the university’s commitment to important values for academic museums — although many may be relieved to know this other controversy does not involve a university selling off a collection. (Update on Brandeis: Its president on Wednesday indicated he might go along with keeping some of the art, but was committed to shutting the museum.)

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