Entries by Jeffrey Ian Ross

Most American universities are no longer sustainable in their current form

The COVID-19 pandemic placed into bold relief how inadequate most of our country’s universities have become for students and faculty alike. Why? Although the coronavirus prompted most postsecondary institutions of higher education, and instructors who work there to pivot to on-line teaching, the experience was mostly suboptimal and in many cases dismal for both instructors […]

I don’t like Spring Semesters

Unless your university operates on a quarter system, most North American post-secondary educational institutions have three semesters: Fall, Spring, and Summer. Depending on one’s objectives and life circumstances, some semesters are better than others for administrators, faculty, staff, and students. As a university professor, if I had to choose which semester I like the least, […]

On the possibilities of interactive graffiti and street art

From culinary practices to painting, over time the work that creative people and organizations produce, not to mention the context in which it is made, changes. How does this happen? Actors, artists, chefs, musicians, etc. integrate new ideas and perspectives in to their practice, experiment with different techniques, and practitioners enter and exit the creative […]

Do the signs of our time work?

If you live in an urban, suburban or even exurban environment you will encounter a number of signs. Signs may be so pervasive like the ones that are placed in subway cars or they may be intermittent, such as those placed beside interstate highways. Although signs are part of the visual landscape, most people ignore […]

Does where scholars live affect the subjects they choose to investigate?

What motivates academics to choose certain topics, fields, issues, and questions for intense study? Numerous factors are typically at play here. Although serendipity may be an important motivation, in some cases the place where and circumstances under which a scholar grew up may affect investigators choice of research question to ask, answer or explore. Thus […]