Al-Diwan Roundup: News and Analysis from Publishing and Academia

Al-Diwan brings you the latest news and analysis from the publishing and academic worlds that relate to pedagogy and knowledge production.

Education 

The (Ir)relevance of Academia? Academics Lash Back at Kristof for NYT Column 
By Kaylan Geiger (Tadween Publishing) 

Read Tadween Publishing’s roundup of responses to New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof’s call for professors break down the walls of academia and contribute more to society. 

Does the Academy Matter? 
(Foreign Policy) 

In response to Nicholas Kristof’s New York Times column, which argued that academics are walling themselves off from society, Foreign Policy gathered a panel of academics to address some of the topics in Kristof’s column and then some. 

Rutgers makes professor teach class he is clueless about, suspends him for telling students 
By Eric Owens (The Daily Caller) 

Rutgers University suspends a professor for telling his students he was teaching a course he was unfamiliar with. 

Grant Quota to Be Paid 
By Colleen Flaherty (Inside Higher Ed) 

An uproar has erupted among faculty and students at Columbia University over the decision not to renew the contracts of two widely favored non-tenure-track professors for missing their funding obligations. 

What Matters to Academic-Library Directors? Information Literacy 
By Jennifer Howard (The Chronicle of Higher Education) 

A 2013 survey of American library directors aims to discover the challenges librarians face in bestowing information literacy to pupils. 

The Responsibility of Adjunct Intellectuals 
By Corey Robin (Al Jazeera America) 

The digital age is opening up doors for old and new scholars to use venues other than strict academic journals to publish their work. 

The Wal-Mart-ization of Higher Education: How Young Professors are Getting Screwed 
By Keith Hoeller (Salon) 

Dreaming of a tenure-track future in academia is slowly becoming extinct in the minds of young professors as the possibilities dwindle and pay gets smaller. Can professors ever look up to anything but an adjunct lifestyle? 

Opening Academia Widely 
By Peter Reuell (Harvard Gazette) 

As part of Harvard’s second Ivy Plus Symposium, the university opened up a discussion that would seek to encourage minority and under-represented students to pursue Ph.D.s. 

Under Fire 
By Matthew Reisz (Times Higher Education) 

A UNESCO sponsored report titled "Education Under Attack 2014" catalogues attacks and violence that targeted universities between 2009 and 2013. 

Women in academia: what does it take to reach the top? 
By Carol Black and Asiya Islam (The Guardian) 

Carol Black and Asiya Islam weigh in on the barriers women still face as they climb to the top of academia. 

This is What the New SAT Will Be Like 
By Julia Ryan (The Atlantic) 

After a year of waiting, the revamping of the SAT was announced in early March. The overhaul includes a different grading system, more useful vocabulary in its tests, and an optional essay rather than required. 

Publishing 

I Sold My Undergraduate Thesis to a Print Content Farm 
By Joseph Stromberg (Slate) 

Joseph Stromberg explores the tumultuous journey of having one’s thesis picked up by a print content farm. 

University Presses Seize Opportunity to Sell Foreign Rights 
By Tom Chalmers (Publishing Perspectives) 

Tom Chalmers interviews the directors of the University of North Texas Press, Fordham University Press, and University of Colorado Press about foreign rights and licensing.

Cheap Words 
By George Packer (The New Yorker) 

George Packer digs deep into Jeff Bezos’ wild Amazon dreams, as the corporation’s monopoly over everything continues to grow, especially within the realm of book publishing. 

Why Open Access Should Be a Key Issue for University Leaders 
By Martin Hall (The Guardian) 

In order to tackle the overwhelming volume of Academic research and declining costs of digital storage, Martin Hall argues that university leaders need to make encouraging open access a priority. 

Video, YouTube, and University Presses 
By Calvin Reid (Publishers Weekly) 

More university publishing houses are using video and social networking to self-advertise and enter the digital market in order to meet the demands of today’s audience.