A Call to Return to Integrity: The Erosion and Hope for Higher Education

Introduction: A Dream Deferred

Higher education once stood as a beacon of enlightenment—a place where rigorous thought, academic freedom, and moral courage shaped both intellect and character. For many educators, the university represented a dream fulfilled: a place to inspire the next generation, to pursue truth, and to uphold the sanctity of learning. But for too many now, that dream has been deferred—not by chance, but by a creeping institutional decay. Integrity has slowly drained from the soul of the university, replaced by market forces, image management, and a growing indifference to academic purpose. The result is disillusionment, mockery of the college ideal, and a steady erosion of trust in the value of higher education.

This essay is a reflection from within—from someone who labored in the classroom, guided students, and believed in the transformative power of education. It is a call to remember what the university was meant to be, to name what it has become, and to consider what must change.

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I. The Rise and Ruin of the Professoriate

Once a Pillar, Now a Liability

There was a time when professors were seen as stewards of knowledge and mentors in the developmental journey of students. They were entrusted to set high standards and to judge academic performance with integrity. But over time, that role was diminished. Faculty evaluations became focused not on scholarship or impact but on student satisfaction. Annual contracts replaced long-term appointments. Professors began to live with the silent fear of being "non-renewed" if their classes challenged students too much or if their survey scores dipped too low.

The Weaponization of Student Surveys

Initially introduced to improve instruction, student surveys have become blunt-force tools to threaten job security and silence academic rigor. Surveys rarely assess the actual quality of instruction. Instead, they often reflect the emotional response students have to the grades they receive. A tough-but-fair professor becomes an easy target, and administrators, seeking to avoid complaints, respond by removing the challenge rather than defending the challenge.

One can imagine the futility of saying to a star athlete, "You earned a D in English Literature," only to be overridden by layers of administrative interference. In this system, academic rigor is not rewarded; it is punished.

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II. The NIL Era and the Semi-Pro Shift

The Economics of Entitlement

The introduction of NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) rights was intended to correct a genuine injustice in amateur sports: college athletes generating millions for universities while receiving none of the profit. Yet, the unintended consequence has been a culture of entitlement at the college level that once belonged exclusively to professional sports. Some athletes now drive luxury vehicles, sign endorsement deals, and have personal brands before they've proven anything on the field or in the classroom.

College football, once an extracurricular activity tethered to an academic mission, is rapidly becoming a semi-pro enterprise. Professors are expected to educate these students as if they are traditional learners, even as their incentives and lives orbit an entirely different world. How can you hold them accountable for missed assignments or failing grades when their primary allegiance is to their NIL obligations, media appearances, and social media brands?

Universities or Entertainment Conglomerates?

Today’s college campuses shine with million-dollar stadiums and golden coaching contracts, while academic departments beg for lab supplies. Some professors have watched as their budgets shrink, even as the Athletic Department thrives in luxury. The question must be asked: Are we still universities, or have we become entertainment companies with a side hustle in education?

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III. The Adjunct Crisis and Accreditation Compromise

Adjuncts as a Budgetary Loophole

To cut costs and avoid the burden of long-term commitments, universities increasingly rely on adjunct professors. These educators often teach multiple classes across different campuses for a fraction of a full-time salary, without benefits or job security. In many departments, adjuncts now outnumber tenured faculty.

Accrediting bodies like SACS once warned against such practices. A high percentage of adjuncts was once considered an academic red flag. But over time, even accreditors began to compromise, subtly lowering standards or turning a blind eye. What was once a loophole has become the norm.

Erosion of Educational Standards

Courses are watered down to maintain retention. Grade inflation is used as a tactic to avoid conflict. Professors are urged to "support student success," often meaning, "don’t fail them." Entire sections of courses are created just for athletes, managed with less rigor to ensure eligibility. And while the players smile for ESPN, the professor fights to maintain dignity in a system that quietly mocks their role.

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IV. The Disillusionment of the Educator

When Passion Meets the Bureaucracy

Many enter academia with passion: the love of a subject, the thrill of guiding students, the joy of research and discovery. But passion meets resistance in a culture where administrators often act like corporate managers, where student opinion is gospel, and where genuine rigor is seen as a risk to retention and revenue.

When professors are not respected as professionals but treated as expendable, burnout follows. Some stay silent, others leave, and a few keep speaking truth with risk to their careers. It's not bitterness that drives them, but heartbreak. Because they remember what higher education was supposed to be.

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V. Applications: A Path Forward

Transparency and Accountability

Student surveys should be used with discernment, not as punitive measures. They should be attached to student identity and interpreted in light of academic performance, not emotions. If a student gives a low rating, but failed the class due to poor attendance or effort, that should matter.

Faculty Protections and Academic Freedom

Institutions must return to protecting faculty who uphold academic integrity. Rigorous courses should be seen as essential, not as enrollment threats. Full-time, invested educators must be prioritized over the endless churn of adjunct labor.

Separate Semi-Pro Sports from the Academic Mission

If universities continue to function as minor leagues for professional sports, it’s time to create separate institutions for athletics. Let the entertainment wing fund itself and remove its academic obligations. This will restore honesty to both sides and release educators from pretending the student-athlete model is still viable.

Reclaim the Mission of Education

Universities must remember their central mission: to challenge, refine, and elevate minds. Real education is not built on comfort, but on stretching toward excellence. Professors must be empowered to teach with high standards and clear expectations. Only then can students develop genuine self-efficacy.

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Conclusion: A University Worth Believing In Again

Higher education doesn’t need to be discarded, but it must be reformed. We must call out the abuses, resist the corporatization of the academy, and return to a model rooted in truth, rigor, and intellectual courage. There are still great professors, diligent students, and visionary administrators—but they are fighting an uphill battle.

If we want college to mean something again, we must first restore its integrity. That means telling hard truths, protecting those who teach them, and separating the spectacle from the substance.

It's not too late for the university to become a place of real transformation again. But we must act now, before the last embers of that dream fade into a shallow memory of what once was.

#HigherEd #AcademicIntegrity #FacultyVoices #UniversityCrisis #NIL #AdjunctCrisis #EducationReform #StudentSuccess #TruthInAcademia #MrWongSpeaks

Today's Thought:  In the modern education system, there seems to be a tendency to smooth out the path and offer immediate solutions or shortcuts, rather than challenging students to stick with difficult problems and work through adversity. This often deprives students of the grit and perseverance necessary to face life's more complex challenges. It’s one of the reasons why people struggle with long-term goals or feel discouraged when things don't come easily. Education needs to return to instilling "self-efficacy" the proper way instead of believing it can be handed out like a free lunch. 

The failure to learn and embrace perseverance from a young age can be especially frustrating. The process of working through setbacks, reevaluating your strategies, and coming up with new solutions builds the kind of resilience that not only helps you succeed in specific tasks but also builds a more powerful and unshakable self-belief over time. When you recognize your growth through struggle, it makes victory that much sweeter.

Students need to be taught to hold tenaciously until victory. That’s a mindset that doesn't just help them succeed academically—it helps them succeed in life. And the absence of that mindset is, I think, a significant gap in the way many people are prepared for the real world. Too often, when difficulties arise, there’s pressure to look for an easier way out, but as you’ve discovered, the greatest satisfaction comes from going through the grind, learning from failure, and emerging stronger.

Looking Back!

Looking back, I realize that I began this blog over 16 years ago, yet only managed to create 5 or 6 entries. My reasons for this are twofold: a lack of time and a dedication to creating content that was both relevant and accurate. Now, with more time on my hands after a fulfilling career as a science teacher, professor of education, and university dean, I've turned my attention to writing and publishing.

For me, writing has always been an outlet, a way to process all that I've learned and reconcile it with my experiences. My work may not be earth-shattering or brand new, but it will always be accurate, earnest, and a heartfelt attempt to help readers see how individual parts fit together to form a greater whole.

As I reflect on my journey, I'm encouraged to return to this blog more frequently and continue sharing my insights and experiences with a wider audience on a variety of topics.

Happy 2025!

 FYI

Yesterday I was determined to discover what data Google had saved on me in their database. So, I followed their directions and requested that information. What I received from "Google Takeout" 24 hours late was an e-mail with 21 files to download. I downloaded one, it was over 3 GB. Follow me, here: 3 GB x 21 files that is 63 GB (or .6 TB)!!! Ok, well, that alarmed me. I then tried to open the file. Of course, they sent me to their Google Store because it requires a special program to read the files I requested (???wth??).

Ok...downloaded it...only when opening the file to get an error message that I needed to contact some administrator. Ok, so, here's the thing.

1. I have nothing to hide but do I want Google to track everything I do (they even know when I'm playing an app game and how long I'm on it)?

2. What harm could come to me with them "tracking" and "collecting" my every move (yes, even via Google Map and IP addresses)?

3. What benefit would Google get from tracking my every move?

4. What would actually happen if I requested they delete ALL of my data?

WHAT I DISCOVERED:

I don't really want anyone tracking me for any reason without my 100% consent, which I would probably only give to a couple of people in my life. Physically speaking, there probably is no damage to their tracking me, HOWEVER...

1. Google benefits by charging any other corporation who might want my data (and they do this in bulk) for their own use and discretion. Here's the kicker that probably motivated me to act.

2. Also, any webpage that I open sends an innocent cookie to my computer. It seems to have no effect on me, however, any company can use that to send me various advertisements or created their own database on me. BUT they can also communicate with all the other cookies and see what I have done online.

For instance, Amazon can see what I have been doing and try to target me with their ads. But the problem here isn't Amazon per se, it is that ANY WEBSITE I visit can do this. Each cookie can be accessed via other website cookies when using chrome.

3. So, anything and everything that I do online is public information to private (and government) access.

Please note, I am not a conspiracy addict nor am I screaming "conspiracy" here. I am simply sharing with you a complete violation and removal of personal freedom, including a right to privacy (which used to be protected by the US Constitution).

Even with such information, I feared that if I had Google delete all they have collected on me (more than 63 GB) that it might affect my dependence and use of Google products (hey, I like the useful and integrated tools, no doubt). So, I sat on this and did more research.

What I found is that requesting Google to delete all the files they have on me (now I'm feeling like a wanted poster on the US Post Office wall [do they still have those?]), has had NO EFFECT on my continued use of Google products. And, while having them delete those, I found a switch that tells them to delete all data every 3 months. I did so.

Sorry, this was so long but it was personal and I thought it important. And, I know it probably seemed somewhat important and personal to you, for the brainless stopped reading this by now. I am not trying to be an alarmist, but I am concerned that we are just "consumers" to be exploited in whatever capacity corporations and our own government deem necessary to serve their own purpose and profit. I would encourage you to share this long thread with other concerned citizens.

I suppose if it gets worse, then I either find a full substitute for Google or simply cut them out of my life, regardless of the inconvenience. My personal safety and privacy are not something I take for granted. And, at the current lack of concern for both, true LIBERTY is in jeopardy. Thanks for reading. -Richard NeSmith

PS: Whether Google is ethical enough to actually delete the data I requested might be another NY Times story, I don't know. But, here is the link I found with directions to easily request Google to remove all data on me. I did it and I feel better about it all...for now. Maybe Facebook should have the SAME option.

See: https://www.komando.com/security-privacy/erase-everything-google-knows-about-you/750537/?fbclid=IwAR1t5PzBW19EYwJbLDbwk04ZQZYZPL_mpQA4AfiUtBb61RmZHORpPsNInjk

 Has been a while since I have posted here and so to catch some up on the latest, my research-based book, "What We Know About Teaching Teenagers: A Guide for Teachers, Parents, and Administrators" debuted 3 months ago. I am very pleased by the response and hope that everyone responsible for children, teens, or young adults will get their hands on this resource. :-) 

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08C8Z8LXZ/

Other education and nature/wildlife works can be found at: http://amazon.com/author/richardnesmith

Deciding on a Career?

Determining a career is neither an art or an exact science. Research seems to suggests that those of the previous generation will change careers at least three times, and those in the present generatation may change even twice that number of times. That makes "career" less permanent and more intangible. The question may not be "what career should I choose," but rather "what do I love to do and what am I good at doing?" If you can answer both in a manner that align up, then you have the answer to your question. What "career" was to the 1960s, "skills" will be to those living in this era. It's not whether one is an accountant now that will matter, but that he or she has accountant "skills" that will determine their future jobs and security.

One's passion may be just as important as what "career" you would like to enter. Find what you are most passion about (probably something you would even do without pay), and then determine how to make a living at it. That doesn't mean that you would not need training, a college degree, or experience to make it successfully. But, it does mean that if you have a passion for what you are doing you will probably enjoy it more and you will should be working from your areas of strength. Now, granted, that does not mean (for most of us) that my love of baseball and youthful drive to play it...will mean that I can simply count on making it to the major leagues and make big bucks. It didn't happen. And, that would be just about as foolish as the 7th graders I once polled, asking them what they wanted to be/do when they grow up. Some actually said, "To win the lottery." Your passion, however, will propel you with enthusiasm, extra energy, and with the right skills, training, etc., could become very useful in your vocation.

The Brain: Friend, Foe, and Negotiating for a Happy and Productive Life - Part 1

Everyone wants to be happy. For some, they believe that is the ultimate goal. The brain wants to be happy but seldom really is for very long. In fact, the brain can be quite unhappy, and even brutal at times. As I have studied and pondered the concept of learning for the past 25 years, I have made some recent conclusions that I might have not believed as a young man or may have thought to be quite off-the-wall. Experience, training, research and years in the classroom, has given me a great deal of fodder to weigh, measure, and observe. The puzzle was always fascinating and the journey always exciting, which spurred on my interest for these many years. Having published on the concepts of learning, science, education, etc. provided a framework in which to not only examine how we learn or how we learn best, but also an easel upon which to try out different methods, change old strategies, and to improve upon what does work and to try to avoid what doesn't work, especially in the classroom. 

As a member of the human race, I have, too, had my challenges, my ups-and-downs, my trying to master certain subjects, content, or even skills, in order to be a better teacher, a more productive person, and a balanced individual, often encumbered with responsibilities and demands on my time or patience. It's life...it's living. It is what we all face. In overlapping these concepts of "happiness," the "brain," and "learning," became a lifelong process and one that sometimes even elating, and at other times confusing, if not depressing, even. It was a professional endeavor but, as one can imagine, became a personal matter, especially as one contemplates their own thoughts, thought processes, mood swings, personal interests, and just the normal day-to-day activities of trying to balance life in a happy but meaningful manner. 

With that introduction out of the way, allow me to share what I believe to be quite possibly the most profound concept that I have ever encountered, and quite possibly the most profound concept I have ever entertained, while drawing from the knowledge, studies, and research I have been consumed with for the last two decades. This concept centers around three separate but very interactive components of human life:  1) the brain, 2) thinking, and, 3) negotiation.

The purpose of the brain is not something often discussed though scientists and psychologists will tell you that the brain is designed for one main task: self-preservation. The brain in a human being is first and foremost going to seek to preserve itself, and by preserving itself, it preserves the individual over which it has the most control over, self. There are probably a few exceptions to this thought but all-in-all, the main purpose of my brain is to keep alive. Most of us, myself included, generally considered the brain to be us, "me." I and my brain are one and how could it be otherwise? Or, could it? Most people recognize that humans are made up of three entities: the body, the soul, and the spirit. Some go to lengths to discuss how this is so, and some go to lengths to seek to show why this is not so. That is not the mission of this manuscript. On a lighter side, there is the funny and proverbial "me, myself, and I." The point here is not to argue but to move forward. As a person who is well-trained in science, I am also a person of faith. I accept that there is a body, soul, and spirit. What all it means I don't pretend to understand. What it might mean is partially the purpose of this topic and text. I only ask that you be open and consider the concept and then compare it with your own knowledge, experiences, and even practices.

What if...we do have a body, which we know and feel and feed and dress and sometimes exercise, and, we have a brain which was designed to keep us alive (self-preservation), but we also have a soul that is the real me, or the real you. Someone once explained that "the soul is that which is you and that you see me with when you look out your eyes." Obviously, that analogy has some problems, but the essence makes sense. What if I have me...that which makes up who I am, my morality, my personality, that which is most important to me? What if me (we will call it the "soul") was given a body in which to house and support me, along with a brain, in which to protect me and to help me learn, think, ponder, speculate, and even keep me accountable in some measure? So, I have a body, I obviously need one and I use it to do many things, including mobility, vocational, and to take me on great hikes in the woods. I have a brain that, generally, is very helpful. With it, I learn to think, talk, converse, study, research, manipulate thoughts, and to somewhat "tell me what to do." Now, here is the key that has become more and more clear in the last 5-7 years, and one I share thoughtfully, but carefully. That sounds so wonderful and should lead to a perfect and happy life, having such an "assistant". But wait, is it always so? In fact, how often is life (with my body and my brain (a personal trainer, if you will) perfect and happy?). In practice, that is a small percentage of the time. Sometimes my body is not happy. Sometimes my brain doesn't seem too happy. In fact, sometimes my brain is my worse enemy. 

Self-talks, I became interested in this concept in my early twenties. There are several good books available that discuss self-talks. They are interesting, and though we all do it, most of us take it lightly or laugh about engaging in them. But, what if this isn't really a joking matter...why do we do self-talks? Yes, there are those recorded messages that we play over and over that, we obtained from a very young age, generally originating with our parents and sibling, and later with friends or teachers. But the question is, if my brain is me and not separate from me, then how could I even have a conversation with myself...and yet, we do, and we do so often? I do not mean to suggest that our brains are entirely separate from us, but I have come to conclude that it is more separate from me (my soul) than I had admitted in days gone by. 

Allow me to put all of the cookies on the bottom shelf right up front to share with everyone, and then I will develop these concepts more and more as they become clearer to me in my quest of how the brain works, how we best learn, and why sometimes our brains are NOT our best friend.  I am beginning to conceptualize that we are, indeed, far more of the trilogy of body, soul, mind, than we really ever considered. It's not just folklore that we consider plausible but never do anything about. What is the brain is provided for us and we benefit from its protectiveness? But, we also suffer from its peculiarities, which include addictions, the need for novelty, and even the self-critical manner in which it tells us how sorry or pathetic or less valuable we are than others? Often, I am my worse enemy. Or, am I? Or is it, possibly, more accurate to say that my brain is my worse enemy? That would seem very contradictory, would it not? To say that the brain is self-preserving but then causes me to feel like a pathetic excuse for a human being. Or, to be hypercritical because of just spilling a bowl of soup on the carpet? Think about it. My brain often acts like my mother...or worse, my brain acts as the proverbial army sergeant, barking at me like I deserve no respect. 

I do benefit from having a brain (now I sound like the Scarecrow!). With my brain I have access to thinking (sequentially and sometimes, even, laterally), I can comprehend, I can store information and memories. I can avoid some dangers that are pointed out for me. I can be reminded of the responsibilities I have, places I need to be, and even recall and respond to people I love or need in my life. I can reflect on the past and contemplate the future. I can hypothesize, test, and even validate information or events or concepts, even occasionally in an objective way. My brain is great! Well, except when it isn't. It can cause me to think thoughts I have never ever entertained before. Out of the blue can come thoughts that can be quite surprising or even startling to me. Sometimes, however, I can get a glimpse of an idea that is outstanding, some that I may even be able to act upon. 

One should be able to recognize the dilemma this interaction between the brain and self can be. One minute it's my best friend and I'm running to the shop to feed it a chocolate fudge milkshake, then in another moment it is telling me how stupid I am or how pathetic I am at choosing my wardrobe, or that I should tell my boss off for her insensitivity to the hours I am working. Truly...there are times when you have stopped and said, probably at the end of your rope, "That's enough!" Psychologist and professor Jordan Peterson made the statement in one of his lectures that we need to "negotiate" with our brain. What IF my brain and I are not entirely one and the same? What IF my soul has a great deal of access (and benefit) from my brain but it is not fully me, and it is more of a "tool" to help me and could actually serve me? 

Let us go back to the idea presented earlier and develop it. The idea of self-talk. If the brain and I were one and the same, I probably would find it very difficult to carry on a conversation with myself without it becoming a laughing joke. But, self-talks are real. The "voice," if you will, are not uncommon. Some people suppress vocal activity or practice more than others, but the conversations between my brain and myself (soul) are numerous each day, and maybe each hour. Sometimes the talks are very enlightening and sometimes they border on the bizarre. If my brain and I are one and the same then how can I sometimes be startled by what comes to mind? Or, what about those times when I have to just stop, take a breath, and say, "That just isn't so" or "enough of that foolishness, back to the real world"? It happens. Where the subconscious fits within this realm is difficult to ascertain. Could the subconscious be more connected to the soul-portion than the brain-portion? 

In bringing Part 1 to a conclusion, it seems logical and pans out anecdotally that our brain and our soul and body are all quite separate from one another. Each has a role in serving the soul, the real you and the real me. Sometimes it serves us well, especially in that it seeks to be self-preservative. Keeping itself (the brain) alive keeps us alive. However, not everything that that brain suggests to us is helpful, and in many instances it hurtful, and in some cases (such as addiction) it is fatal. What may actually need to be occurring, and which isn't because we are not really cognizant of thinking of the brain as being a separate entity, is that we might need to learn how to negotiate with the brain. We recognize that in business negotiations, win-win is very positive and helps all parties. Negotiating with our own brain, may, in part, be the key to a happy and fulfilling life.