8/8/2011: From economist Alex Tabarrok: …I pointed out that the market was moving towards superstar teachers, who teach hundreds at a time or even thousands online. Today, we have the Khan Academy, a huge increase in online education, electronic textbooks and peer grading systems and highly successful superstar teachers with Michael Sandel and his…
UO Matters
8/8/2011: From Mark Baker in the RG. The Princeton Review rankings, on the other hand, put us in bottom 10 nationwide for teaching. The fact they also put Cal Tech in that group makes me a little curious about their methodology. The UO NRC grad program rankings are here.
8/4/2011 – 8/5/2011: The “Health Engagement Model” changes to PEBB are going to be very interesting. I encourage people to check out the PEBB FAQ on it, here. Comments welcome. More on this sometime next week. A bit more background in this Lund Report story, another here. Here is a…
8/4/2011: That’s what he says *after* they arrest him for backyard fission experiments. Funny, I remember having a science set with a bit of radium and a cloud chamber, when I was 12. From boingboing.net.
8/2/2011: I don’t know what to make of this RG op-ed by Pat Walsh of local PR firm Vox PRPA. Starts off sensibly: For Duck football coaches who spend their days managing the fitness and academic pursuits of the youngest of adults — and pocket more money in a month…
8/2/2011: Beth Velliquette in the Durham Herald-Sun reports someone broke into the UNC Honor Court and stole their files on a football player plagiarism scandal. Apparently his university employed tutor didn’t actually write his paper for him – she got lazy and just copied it off the internet. Stupid. So…
8/1/2011: This job posting from UO’s new VP for Research, Kim Espy, creates some hope that UO’s research priorities are going to move away from Provost Bean’s oversold “5 big ideas” towards something more like, uh, research. Not that we have anything against trying to base our AAU status on…
8/1/2011: The state and SEIU local 503 have signed a tentative agreement, which will go to the members for a vote, but there are still details to be worked out between OUS Chancellor Pernsteiner and SEIU. A union organizer sent me this notice of a rally, to be held today:…
7/31/2011: The most Eugene news story ever? From Saul Hubbard in the RG. Health officials confirm rabid bat Goats in Cottage Grove may have been exposed … should serve as a reminder to local residents to vaccinate their pets and take all close encounters with the flying mammals very seriously,…
7/31/2011: There’s really no other way to interpret this Oregonian story by Rachel Bachman: On online-auction site eBay Friday, 270 items purported to be signed by current or former Ducks were for sale. They focused on high-profile athletes, from a mini-helmet signed by senior tight end David Paulson (buy-it-now price:…
7/29/2011: Former UO journalism student and ODE reporter, now working for Insidehighered.com. She’s written a fascinating article on the politics behind the Ivy league’s recent decision to limit full contact football practice, and why they did not try to get the NCAA to go along.
7/28/2011: Dennis Thompson in the SJ reports on a debate among SEIU workers (including UO staff) on whether to vote no on the new contract. The SEIU facebook page is here, the “Vote No” facebook page is here. There is a robust debate on the pros and cons. Worth reading…
7/28/2011: UO General Counsel Randy Geller has no problem signing his name to a $150,000 contract appropriating state funds to hire “The Cleaner” to “investigate” UO’s NCAA compliance: But ask him whether the athletic department or the academic side is going to pay that bill? Now he’s counting pennies –…
7/27/2011: George Schroeder of the RG calls for more of it, regarding the NCAA investigation. The Maryland Board of Regents wants more too, after they discover their athletic department is a few million in the red – about as much as Oregon would be if not for the costs Mullens…
7/26/2011: Looks like Howard Slusher’s plan to divorce Duck football from the NCAA is gaining more traction. Sports Illustrated breaks the story. The key seems to be to make football independent, while leaving the NCAA with basketball and the non-revenue sports. The model for this is college rodeo. Many fine…