May 2023

by James A. BaconUniversity of Virginia President Jim Ryan begs to differ with critics of \”Diversity, Equity & Inclusion.\” The term \”equity\” has become a lightning rod in the debate over DEI, he writes in an essay recently published in The Chronicle of Higher Education. Somehow, he muses, people got the idea that equity means […]

by James A. BaconCollege Simply\’s 2023 Best Value Colleges in America ranks the University of Virginia as the 2nd \”best value\” among public colleges and universities in the United States in 2023. The best-value distinction is conferred upon institutions that provide students the most academic prowess for the money (defined as net tuition after financial aid to

by James A. BaconFinally, we\’re getting an open debate about \”Diversity, Equity & Inclusion\” in Virginia — not an honest debate, mind you, but a debate which, whether honest or not, is long overdue.Last month, Virginia\’s chief diversity officer Martin Brown proclaimed that DEI was \”dead\” at the Virginia Military Institute. Various parties, from Democratic

by James A. BaconFinally, we\’re getting an open debate about \”Diversity, Equity & Inclusion\” in Virginia — not an honest debate, mind you, but a debate which, whether honest or not, is long overdue.Last month, Virginia\’s chief diversity officer Martin Brown proclaimed that DEI was \”dead\” at the Virginia Military Institute. Various parties, from Democratic

By introduction, I am a graduate of The College and Darden. I continue to believe the University is the most special place in the world, for all the reasons that I\’m sure you and your friends & colleagues share.My oldest son is a junior in high school, and is interested in UVa. We went to

by James A. BaconWhat\’s the Honor Committee to do when a student who violated the Honor Code refuses or is unable to comply with his or her \”sanction\” ordered by the Committee? That\’s one of the tricky questions arising from the shift to a multi-tiered system for punishing lying, cheating and stealing that the Committee

by James A. BaconWhat\’s the Honor Committee to do when a student who violated the Honor Code refuses or is unable to comply with his or her \”sanction\” ordered by the Committee? That\’s one of the tricky questions arising from the shift to a multi-tiered system for punishing lying, cheating and stealing that the Committee

In Bacon\’s Rebellion, Jim Sherlock makes a novel point that I haven\’t seen discussed elsewhere. The University of Virginia and other elite higher-ed institutions are thriving in an age of declining student enrollment because they are perceived as elite. That perception depends in large measure upon the fact that some of the smartest, highest-achieving students