Morton Hall Musings

The "powers that be" can target higher education for disproportionate budget cuts in part because they know that the remarkable commitment of faculty and staff will reduce the harm on students.

College classes in the social sciences should be designed to advance a thesis supported by evidence.

For serious students of the Senate, the punditry about Kennedy's legacy mostly misses the point.

In certain departments and with certain courses, it is very feasible to almost completely do away with the use of "paper," saving students lots of money and promoting environmental sustainability.

Over the past two months, two W&M students have been working with me on research about congressional politics that we will present at professional conferences during the next academic year.

The lines that often get drawn between undergraduate studies in the liberal arts and graduate school or the workforce are kind of an illusion.

Here are some recommendations for movies you might enjoy that touch on political themes. You may be surprised by some of my suggestions.

In early December, I posted about possible strategies that students could use to navigate the academic challenges that confront them as the semester draws to a close. For what it is worth, I think the advice is just as appropriate now.

No disrespect meant for that large state "U" in Charlottesville, but I believe there are good reasons why discerning high school students and potential transfers should strongly prefer the College of William and Mary.

The popular social networking site is a superb way for college professors like me to stay in contact with former students.

Reconfiguring the curriculum so that students are expected to take four courses a semester instead of five would improve the undergraduate educational experience.

W&M's vision and priorities shouldn't bubble up from the grassroots.

The teaching evaluations that students fill out at the end of a class can help professors improve the course in the future.

Political science raises all kinds of warning signals about Obama's first priority - the massive economic recovery plan.

Two William and Mary undergraduates are scheduled to coauthor and present a paper with me at a major political science conference next semester.

There's strategy to writing exam questions for W&M students.

Want some suggestions about how to deal with the trials and tribulations of the semester endgame? Read on.

That which does not kill me makes me stronger?