James Bacon

The Jefferson Council lauds Rector Thomas Hardie, President Jim Ryan, and Honor Chair Hamza Aziz for their ringing endorsement of the Honor Code in the letter below.Dear members of the University community:In light of recent reforms and as the academic year begins, we collectively write to ask for your help in upholding and supporting the […]

by James A. BaconAs the University of Virginia Board of Visitors grapples with contentious issues such as equity, inclusion and racial preferences, it could benefit by knowing how well the policies of the Ryan administration have succeeded or failed in making UVa a more welcoming place for students across \”every possible dimension\” of diversity, to

by James A. BaconAs the University of Virginia Board of Visitors grapples with contentious issues such as equity, inclusion and racial preferences, it could benefit by knowing how well the policies of the Ryan administration have succeeded or failed in making UVa a more welcoming place for students across \”every possible dimension\” of diversity, to

by James A. BaconAlways alert for opportunities to arm the University of Virginia Board of Visitors members with statistics they don\’t see in their board presentations, the Jefferson Council presents the table above, compiled from data published by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV).The takeaway: UVa boosted overall E&G (educational & general) spending

by James A. BaconA key cost driver at the University of Virginia is the increasing size and declining teaching productivity of its faculty. The topic appears to be taboo.The Board of Visitors hasn\’t discussed it, and there is no indication from publicly available sources that the university administration has engaged in any introspection. The slender

The Cornell Free Speech Alliance (CFSA) has published a masterful critique of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion programs at Cornell University, “Lifting the Fog: Restoring Academic Freedom & Free Expression at Cornell University.\”The issues identified in Cornell are common to other elite higher-ed institutions, including the University of Virginia. The Jefferson Council is pleased to join the

by James A. BaconA number of University of Virginia Board of Visitors members have expressed concern about UVa\’s runaway costs. Administrative bloat has swollen the university\’s cost structure, they say, and  higher costs have been cited in turn to justify tuition increases. So far, the fiscal hawks have been unable to force a discussion of

The Common Sense Society, an international organization dedicated to championing liberty, prosperity and beauty, has awarded its Common Sense Courage Award to Bert Ellis, serial entrepreneur, president emeritus of The Jefferson Council, and member of the University of Virginia Board of Visitors.\”Bert has worked tirelessly to promote intellectual diversity in the face of a radical