Whither Evangelical Colleges?

Guelzo's arguments have caused a fair bit of discussion here at JBU. While acknowledging his general points about the growing financial strains on our schools and the need to stay focued on transmitting our cultural vision, many of us have commented that his reliance on USNWR survey data is often misleading but that even by his standards, JBU is clearly doing well.

http://www.touchstonemag.com/archives/article.php?id=24-03-029-f

Here's a rejoinder from Hunter Baker, who spoke at JBU this spring.

http://hunterbaker.wordpress.com/2011/05/10/the-state-of-christian-higher-education-a-response-to-allen-guelzo/

The "argumentative" theory of reasoning

And here I thought that all of my high school debate experience of trying to win arguments regardless of their validity was divorced from real world circumstances like my father's academic life where "reason" reigned supreme. Turns out, we're hard-wired more for "arguments" than "reason" after all. Hmm . . .

http://edge.org/conversation/the-argumentative-theory

Competency based learning gains traction

http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2011/05/09/western_governors_university_and_online_competency_based_learning_model_gain_traction

Imagine a university for working adults based almost entirely on credit for prior learning and on-line, tutor-supported CLEP tests. That’s pretty much what Western Governors does. As we’re working on our own alternative “modalities” for delivering JBU’s education, are there elements of this model that we might want to incorporate even more than we already do? And if so, how would these efforts mesh with our existing “modalities”? That’s obviously one of the questions that we’ll be dealing with in the coming years.

At the same time that this model gains traction, by the way, the Obama administration is pushing in exactly the opposite direction with its increasing pressure on credit hour definitions and state authorization. Hard to tell where all of this is going to land.