We all live several degrees of separation away from people we don’t know but whose stories might shed useful light. Sometimes we’re lucky enough that they walk right up to us. A couple of weeks ago, a friend’s Facebook share caught my eye. My old rugby pal Allan Corless had seen a piece about one … Continue reading TURNING POINTS—Counterintuitive, Or Maybe Not
TURNING POINTS—Pleasant Surprises
Last week, I received a Facebook Message from someone who wanted to share her thoughts about Open Admissions: What Teaching at Community College Taught Me About Learning. Her note and subsequent email message made my day. Former community college teacher Sue Cassidy had read about the book in the Sunday Maine Telegram. https://www.pressherald.com/2018/03/25/ned-bachuss-memoir-explores-the-challenges-faced-by-first-generation-community-college-students/ Having taught … Continue reading TURNING POINTS—Pleasant Surprises
TURNING POINTS–Not Stigmas
Last week's post from Forbes told the story about first-generation college student Insaaf Muhamed's educational journey from Northern Virginia Community College to UNC-Chapel Hill. Along the way, Muhamed learned about stigma: not every four-year university is willing to accept graduates of community college. A reader sent me an article about CC stigma, this one focusing … Continue reading TURNING POINTS–Not Stigmas
TURNING POINTS–When Injustice Is Par For The Course
Last week, we looked at inequities in higher education, especially as they apply to first-generation students. Opportunity involves access, of course, so it’s a big deal when a nontraditional student gains admission to an elite university; however, as we learned in Afred Lubrano’s Philadelphia Inquirer April 22 piece, money is only one of the things … Continue reading TURNING POINTS–When Injustice Is Par For The Course
TURNING POINTS—Unfair Advantages: Money Isn’t Everything, Dahling
The recently exposed college admissions scandal reminded us that there is no such thing as a level playing field when it comes to higher education. The fact that wealthy people immorally and illegally use their power, influence, and money to benefit their children is hardly a surprise, though the magnitude and sheer cheek of the … Continue reading TURNING POINTS—Unfair Advantages: Money Isn’t Everything, Dahling
Ned Bachus 