Peter W. Wood

Reports


Academic Freedom - April 22, 2024

The Illusion of Institutional Neutrality

Peter W. Wood

College presidents often come under the spotlight for their political pronouncements or lack thereof. Since college presidents must contend with difficult issues of morality, principle, and politics a......

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Academic Freedom - January 21, 2016

The Architecture of Intellectual Freedom

Peter W. Wood

In 2015, campuses across the country erupted in protests aimed at limiting the freedoms of professors and fellow students. Over time, the National Association of Scholars felt a commitment to restate......

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October 8, 2015

Inside Divestment

Rachelle Peterson and Peter W. Wood

The fossil fuel divestment movement, now on more than 1,000 American college campuses, aims at capturing a generation of college students as lifelong climate activists. This report is the first compre......

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Ideology on Campus - March 19, 2015

Sustainability

Rachelle Peterson and Peter W. Wood

To many, sustainability is just a new name for environmentalism. But the word has come to mean something much larger: an ideology that demands new limits on economic, political, and intellectual freed......

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April 1, 2013

What Does Bowdoin Teach?

Michael Toscano and Peter W. Wood

Bowdoin College has dedicated itself to the achievement of social justice and replicating the image of progressive politics in its students. This study surveys the history of Bowdoin College and......

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Study of the Curriculum - December 31, 2012

Recasting History

Peter W. Wood

In 1971, the state of Texas enacted a legislative requirement that students at public institutions complete two courses in American history. With that mandate in mind, the Texas Association of Scholar......

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Study of the Curriculum - May 1, 2011

The Vanishing West

Glenn Ricketts, Ashley Thorne, Stephen H. Balch and Peter W. Wood

The Vanishing West traces the decline and near extinction of the Western Civilization history survey course in America’s top colleges and universities from 1964 to 2010.

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Academic Questions View all


November 20, 2025

Reading, in Whole or in Part

Peter W. Wood

Editor's introduction to this issue.

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July 3, 2025

Blackbeard's Treasure, for the Taking

Peter W. Wood

Editor's introduction to the Summer 2025 edition of Academic Questions. 

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December 12, 2024

Making the Most of Our Civilization

Peter W. Wood

Editor's introduction to the Winter 2024 edition.

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Articles View all


November 4, 2025

🔒NAS Replies to the American Conservative

Peter W. Wood

Curt Mills’s latest piece in The American Conservative tries to link NAS and its website Minding the Campus to Paul Singer, the Manhattan Institute, and a pro-Israel deception—bu......

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October 28, 2025

Why Universities Should Welcome (and Sign) Trump's Compact

Peter W. Wood

The decline of higher ed is accelerating; Trump’s Compact could stymie its demise.

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July 29, 2025

In Defense of Professor Mosaab Elshaer

Peter W. Wood

A defense on behalf of CUNY Biology Professor Mosaab Elshaer, who is facing kangaroo court proceedings by the university after allegations of misconduct. 

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