Last Week in Higher Ed: August 20-26, 2016

Get caught up on what happened around the web last week in higher ed with this collection of recent articles on post-secondary education. From giving up on deadlines to cold-calling on students, this collection includes a few controversial thoughts on teaching and more.

I Want to Make Students Uncomfortable

Inside Higher Ed
"As a college instructor, I believe that the most important thing I can do for students is to make them uncomfortable," writes John Warner for Inside Higher Ed.

University rankings ignore teaching

University World News
"There is no evidence" that international university rankings add value to higher education, writes John Kelly for World University News, adding that the tendency for such rankings to privilege research over teaching likely degrades the quality of education around the globe.

It's Time to Ditch Our Deadlines

The Chronicle of Higher Education
Why you should stop penalizing your students for submitting work late.

Dear Adviser: You Were My Favorite Mistake

Vitae
In choosing my committee chair, I made the best worst decision of my academic career.

If Tenured Want to Survive, Pay Your Adjuncts

Inside Higher Ed
"In their own self-interest, departments and faculty should strongly advocate to pay their adjunct faculty as high a per class wage as possible," writes John Warner for Inside Higher Ed.

Young Canadians need to think of the world as their classroom

Universities Canada
"If university is about higher education, international experience - travelling, working, or studying in other countries - is about broader education," writes University of St Michael's College President David Mulroney.

Recognizing and Rewarding Exemplary Teaching (Not Just Excellent Teaching)

Inside Higher Ed
Focusing on teaching excellence "can have negative side effects in promoting an individualistic and competitive environment," writes Tom Carey for Inside Higher Ed.

Why Cold-Calling on Students Works

Vitae
It's doesn't have to be an antagonistic demand to prove themselves; it can be a warm invitation to contribute.

Are PhD Students Irrational?

Los Angeles Review of Books
"Why aren't the diminishing job prospects of PhD holders decreasing the number of people entering doctoral programs?" asks Aaron Hanlon for the Los Angeles Review of Books.

MOOCs Are Dead. Long Live Online Higher Education.

The Chronicle of Higher Education
The hype has faded for the massive courses, and their leading commercial proponents have moved on to other gigs. But they've left a legacy of the transformative potential of online technology in teaching.

Why Am I Teaching Again?

Vitae
Two years after leaving academe, a former adjunct rediscovers her love for the classroom.